Panama Papers: I am amazed that so little attention is given to this dump in US news. What is the reason, do you suppose? Too much to digest? Too little about the US? Are we still too...

jelun

I am amazed that so little attention is given to this dump in US news.

What is the reason, do you suppose? Too much to digest? Too little about the US?
Are we still too provincial? Cynical?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/05/world/panama-papers-explainer.html?_r=0

moldyoldy

jelun wrote:

I am amazed that so little attention is given to this dump in US news.

What is the reason, do you suppose? Too much to digest? Too little about the US?
Are we still too provincial? Cynical?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/05/world/panama-papers-explainer.html?_r=0

It was interesting to see Putin caught up in it. I am sure many from the US are in it, we just do not know them by name. OPP is only looking for the Clinton name.

jelun

moldyoldy wrote:

It was interesting to see Putin caught up in it. I am sure many from the US are in it, we just do not know them by name. OPP is only looking for the Clinton name.

It is pretty strange that Putin seems to have felt compelled to play the game. Most often I think of him as thumbing his nose at one and all so that he wouldn't feel the need to hide a thing.
Maybe public perception is his Achilles Heel.

moldyoldy

jelun wrote:

It is pretty strange that Putin seems to have felt compelled to play the game. Most often I think of him as thumbing his nose at one and all so that he wouldn't feel the need to hide a thing.
Maybe public perception is his Achilles Heel.

All the world leaders are hiding money. While the public is struggling to survive. Self preservation is driving them, at the expense of us.

jelun

moldyoldy wrote:

All the world leaders are hiding money. While the public is struggling to survive. Self preservation is driving them, at the expense of us.

Perhaps it is as simple as that, having "known" for so long that this is happening we just shrug.

J Anthony Loc: Connecticut

I think it's because no one knows what to do about it, exactly, though most agree something must be done.

moldyoldy

J Anthony wrote:

I think it's because no one knows what to do about it, exactly, though most agree something must be done.

We had one president who did not try to cash in, that was Jimmy Carter. He spent his life giving back to the world.

jelun

moldyoldy wrote:

We had one president who did not try to cash in, that was Jimmy Carter. He spent his life giving back to the world.

My understanding is that there is truly no necessity to go outside the US to hide money from the tax man. I can't be sure.
So far as presidents who "cash in", why not? They have given up four or eight years in public service. Most of them with the capability of earning 7 figure incomes annually postponed for a decade, and what the heck if people with money to burn want to buy a Bush signature on an amusing painting...what the heck.

I agree that JA is correct. We have no idea how to improve those situations. We can manage to feel better with a Yoga class and a new swimsuit or two.

J Anthony Loc: Connecticut

jelun wrote:

My understanding is that there is truly no necess... (show quote)

Its true, there are legal provisions for this same type of thing in Delaware, Nevada, and I think Maryland. So in essence corruption and fraud and tax-dodging are all "legal" , if you're rich enough. It would be nice if we had a government that used it's power to right these wrongs, rather than encourage them. Alas.

moldyoldy

J Anthony wrote:

Its true, there are legal provisions for this same type of thing in Delaware, Nevada, and I think Maryland. So in essence corruption and fraud and tax-dodging are all "legal" , if you're rich enough. It would be nice if we had a government that used it's power to right these wrongs, rather than encourage them. Alas.

The panama bank uses Nevada and Wyoming.

J Anthony Loc: Connecticut

moldyoldy wrote:

The panama bank uses Nevada and Wyoming.

That's right, Wyoming. Idk about Maryland.

jelun

J Anthony wrote:

Its true, there are legal provisions for this same type of thing in Delaware, Nevada, and I think Maryland. So in essence corruption and fraud and tax-dodging are all "legal" , if you're rich enough. It would be nice if we had a government that used it's power to right these wrongs, rather than encourage them. Alas.

I suppose it is all part of the pendulum of the power shift, we have been here before, several times.
Here's hoping that the fact that Bernie Sanders can run as an almost openly socialist politician without the sky falling means we are getting ready to snatch some control back from the selfish.

J Anthony Loc: Connecticut

jelun wrote:

I suppose it is all part of the pendulum of the power shift, we have been here before, several times.
Here's hoping that the fact that Bernie Sanders can run as an almost openly socialist politician without the sky falling means we are getting ready to snatch some control back from the selfish.

I agree that Sanders is the only candidate focusing attention on where it belongs, which is why he's being marginalized by the corporate media, and to an extent, his own party. Which is why I will be disappointed should he lose the nomination and try to corral his supporters into backing Clinton, who herself is as much a shill for the Big Money-power as any Republican.

jelun

J Anthony wrote:

I agree that Sanders is the only candidate focusing attention on where it belongs, which is why he's being marginalized by the corporate media, and to an extent, his own party. Which is why I will be disappointed should he lose the nomination and try to corral his supporters into backing Clinton, who herself is as much a shill for the Big Money-power as any Republican.

I have a little different take on the situation.
While I recognize the pragmatic aspects of a run as a Democrat, the Democratic Party has never been Bernie Sanders party. He is a carpetbagger of sorts.
Also, I can understand your view of Hillary, however, other than her leadership of the State Dept. while they pressured Haiti to limit the growth of a minimum wage for the manufacturing sector...textiles especially...there is no evidence that I have found that she has supported big money more than any other pol.
The refusal to take that money is what will kill any hope of a Sanders win this cycle. There is no way to go up against the GOP machine w/o funding.

J Anthony Loc: Connecticut

jelun wrote:

I have a little different take on the situation. ... (show quote)

Yes I also would have preferred if Sanders ran as an Independent at least, as that would've been seen as more credible on his part, I suppose.
Hillary, Though, is quite obviously in the pocket of her wealthy donors. How else could one interpret being paid hundreds of thousand for a speech to bankers and other assorted Wall St market-manipulators, in which see clearly prefers the public not understand the contents of? Why would she employ a noise-machine at a recent funraiser for wealthy donors in Denver so that reporters on the perimeter of the ground would be unable to parse anything going on or being said? Then there's her interventionist, war-mongering inclinations as Secretary of State, when she encouraged the Libyan fiasco, involvement in Syria, a coup in Honduras(2009) and Paraguay(2012) on behalf of those countries' rightwing elitist minority. This woman never met a war she didnt like.