…for the plebes
Scott Fitzgerald supposedly confided to Ernest Hemingway that the rich are different from the poor. To which the paragon of brevity retorted, “Yes…they have more money!” Well, the biggest revelation from the Panama Papers is the rich don’t only have more money – they get to keep it by making the rules. While you and I have to cough it up to the Government as taxes.
For years Guyana’s been dragged over the coals by the FATF for not doing what they demanded on “Money Laundering”. We’ve been threatened with “blacklisting”, placed on a list with “rogue states” and had our international financial transactions slowed down. And all this because we – an economy with barely a GDP of US$3B for our entire 800,000 citizens – were placing the world financial system at risk!! And as soon as Parliament reconvenes, we’ve been ordered to tweak our AML/CTF legislation once again.
In the meantime, Oxfam’s just announced US corporations have secreted US$1.4 trillion in “tax havens”. That’s TRILLIONS, FOLKS’! One thousand billion is one trillion – 1,000,000,000,000!! . And in US dollars! Technology giant Apple, the world’s second biggest company, topped Oxfam’s league table, with some US$181 billion held offshore. Microsoft just has US$104 billion!! But don’t worry folks…that’s not “money laundering”.
Why? This trillion-plus stash’s been moved around like the fella who plays three card monte and dared you to guess which one is the King. Well, in international finance, we don’t have to guess – the rich are all “the King”. And it’s not just the Americans. There were Billions stashed away by Latin American drug lords, Russian big wigs, Hong Kong business whizzes, Middle East potentates and Israel arms dealers.
Marx’s been vindicated by the Panama Papers. Even though they mightn’t know each other, the rich of the world do form a CLASS. And that makes the rest of us – countries and people – all peons. And forget all the media sturm and drang…nothing’s gonna be done with the real big fishes. Cause the rich folks with those secret accounts make the rules of the game.
Over here, businessmen are about to be burnt at the stakes for lobbying for their companies. Over in the States, OFFICIALLY REGISTERED LOBBYISTS for the fellas owning that US$1.4 Trillion spent billions to lobby the American Government to favour their companies. Just 50 corporations shelled out US$2.8 billion between 2008 and 2014 lobbying Govt officials. So that’s OK…it’s LEGAL.
And don’t think only the rich countries are hurt by the tax dodge/money laundering by the corporations. Nokia evaded US$2 billion in taxes to India.
Which coulda fed millions of those children they parade on TV!
…for inside folks
We still don’t know “who” spent “what” for the D’Urban Park monument to the Jubilee Big Bash. But with the Government pumping in $150 million just to complete the 50 per cent or so that’s still to go, it means that at least $150 million has already been spent. By whom? Well, all sorts of names are floating around…but it gotta be some contractor or the other “lobbying” in the tradition described above.
These contractors, for whatever reason (objections from on high?) have definitely walked off the job. What to do to save the honour of our fair country? Well, Prezzie called in the Public Infrastructure Ministry, but it seemed the goodly Minister buckled under the pressure – just like some of the wooden stands! Prezzie was then forced to send in the Army to complete the job.
It was just like when Prezzie was a young soldier and the Army had to save GuySuCo from the GAWU strikers!
…for Nagamootoo?
Poor Prezzie must be paraphrasing Henry II of yore, “Will no one rid me of this troublesome Prime Minister?” As he wonders whether it was worth it to give the AFC 40 per cent of the Ministries – and the PM.
How dare he and his shill identify military fellas in Government as an “independent political force”. Was he taking lessons from Luncheon?
