Shocked I tell you, shocked! FinCEN files reveal major banks launder money while US regulators turn a blind eye.

[Jolene Benoir]

Maybe you should re-read this little piece by Douglas Rushkoff again, describing how he was invited to a super private talk in a super exclusive resort with a lot of money talking about the future, talking to five hedge fonds managers about the possible future.

Those people firmly do believe that, despite their wealth and power, they cannot affect the future for the better. They do believe that the crisis is coming for sure and collapse will follow. All of them are preparing in their own way, by building underground bunkers in an area of the world which will still be quite nicely habitable and what not.

Survival of the Richest

You are determined to send me back into conspiracy hell, aren't you?

 

[Bartholomew Gallacher]

Of course... but according to Rushkoff this is no fantasy of his, nothing but the truth and therefore happened indeed. Question is now: do you trust Rushkoff in telling the truth?

 

[Innula Zenovka]

FinCEN Files: Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin linked to $8m Putin ally funding

Leaked files show Lubov Chernukhin's husband was secretly funded by a Russian oligarch.

www.bbc.co.uk

The husband of one of the Conservative Party's biggest donors was secretly funded by a Russian oligarch with close ties to President Putin.

Lubov Chernukhin has given £1.7m to the Tories, including paying to spend time with the last three prime ministers.

Leaked files show her husband received $8m (£6.1m). The money initially came from a politician facing US sanctions due to his closeness to the Kremlin.

Her lawyers say the donations are not tainted by Kremlin influence.

 

[Aribeth Zelin]

....

They are basically sharks.

Awwww - don't insult sharks that way - they actually serve a purpose.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

Of course... but according to Rushkoff this is no fantasy of his, nothing but the truth and therefore happened indeed. Question is now: do you trust Rushkoff in telling the truth?

Nay. I won't make a deermina[[[00000000000000000000000000-------------inaion until more * fats* are availabe.

Awwww - don't insult sharks that way - they actually serve a purpose.

Gotcha. Sorry.

 

[Jolene Benoir]

Also see crack sentencing vs cocaine.

Yep, poor people drug vs wealthy people drug. Race, of course, played a not insignificant role.

IIRC correctly this was around the time that the idea of Super Criminals was being pushed. It is right around when three-strikes laws came on the book. We have seen people locked up for life over petty crimes that normally might merit a short sentence.

White fear is pretty goddamn powerful.

 

[danielravennest]

Well, if that's what you were shooting for, you found the perfect target. if the joke fell flat, it was only because we're talking about Trump, with whom even the most ridiculous is possible.

That gaudy-tacky room is in his apartment in Trump Tower - such a monument to his ego that he added four non-existent floors to the elevator buttons to make the building seem taller. But to me it looks more suited to the lobby of a Las Vegas hotel, hence the joke.

 

[danielravennest]

The money generated from these endeavors/fraud, whatever you want to call it is being used to control governments across the world. Dirty money controlling dirty politicians. The amounts that they can give due to their misdeeds can easily outrank any other source.

I'm thinking more and more that we are facing an international cabal. They probably aren't organized (at least I hope not), but they definitely are using money to pursue their interests even outside of their native coutnries. I don't think they even consider themselves citizens of a given country, except maybe for tax purposes. They have no loyalty except to money. They have no desire to contribute to whatever society they align with. They don't think they should have to participate in any community endeavors.

They are basically sharks.

First of all, the "offshore" world is about ten time larger than this leak exposed - $20 trillion in assets. "Offshoring" is the moving of assets to a different country to gain some advantage. The name comes from some of the early tax havens which were Caribbean islands, but nowadays they are all over the place.

Companies like Google and Apple do it to cut their tax bills. They set up a subsidiary in a low tax country, and funnel profits to them. This is legal. At the other end of the scale we have drug lords and corrupt foreign leaders, who are trying to hide their money.

I don't think the bad guys are organized, they don't trust each other. The rich and their enablers in the financial system don't need to organize. They all have the same goals - maximize profits and wealth. So they all head in the same direction, much like football fans all spontaneously head for the same city where the Superbowl will be without coordinating.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

The outcome of an earlier release, the Panama Papers

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

The outcome of an earlier release, the Panama Papers

Oh neat, something other than the death of the journalist.

A U.S. federal judge has sentenced a taxpayer to four years

Planting a bit of weed on him would have added a couple decades, no?

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Oh neat, something other than the death of the journalist.



Planting a bit of weed on him would have added a couple decades, no?

Since he's 83, I doubt the extra time would have made much practical difference, and it would simply have been a waste of perfectly good weed.

 

[Sovereignty]

Of course one doesn't base their philosophy/beliefs on a song, but he did hit the nail on the head, didn't he?

Just a quibble. Songs might be more important than you think. "We Will Overcome" comes to mind. Tons of religious music.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Since he's 83, I doubt the extra time would have made much practical difference, and it would simply have been a waste of perfectly good weed.

At his age the only thing I feel useful for a sentence would be to raid his estate for every penny of back taxes plus penalties.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Hahaha we forgot about this already hahaha.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Hahaha we forgot about this already hahaha.

I doubt tax investigators have, though.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

I wonder who the sacrificial goat will be.