I wasn't sure where this Israel, Iran and China debacle should go, so I thought I would start a new thread and post it here:

Interesting article disusing Israel's actions in trying to destabilize Iran and how it monumentally backfired and brought China into the Middle East... it's kind of crazy

 

"To the extent that Netanyahu played a role here, his plot has backfired monumentally. If the China deal goes through, Iran is much strengthened and its hard liners are entirely unleashed. The positioning of Chinese security forces in Iran will make it increasingly risky for other countries such as Israel or the US to strike Iran, lest they come into conflict with nuclear-armed China."

Edited September 10, 20196 yr by wanna-b-fanboy

28 minutes ago, Tracker said:

For those who have not been following this story, this was a a large scale operation, involving some 20 people and a Haitian living in Miami was identified as the organizer and funder. The problem is that this individual has no income, is $400,000 in business debt and has never been involved in politics of any sort.  The most recent reports have indicated that the person behind the assassination is a former cabinet minister, and members of the security team who were to protect the president were also involved/bribed.

Did Corazon Acquino have any involvement in politics before she ran for office to oust Marcos?

47 minutes ago, FrostyWinnipeg said:

Israel Vows to ‘Act Aggressively' Against Ben & Jerry's http://4.nbcla.com/rNEDr1T

So... they are going to boycott Ben & Jerry's? Israel just killed irony.

not sure why other countries love pissing around with Haiti so much. 

 

those poor people. they have nothing.

 

 

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by Mark F

15 minutes ago, iHeart said:

Did Corazon Acquino have any involvement in politics before she ran for office to oust Marcos?

Not that I know of apart from organizing a few protests.

17 minutes ago, iHeart said:

Did Corazon Acquino have any involvement in politics before she ran for office to oust Marcos?

her daddy was President of Phillipines.... i think.🤔

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by Mark F

10 minutes ago, Mark F said:

not sure why other countries love pissing around with Haiti so much. 

those poor people. they have nothing.

Not even trees.

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by FrostyWinnipeg

1 hour ago, Mark F said:

her daddy was President of Phillipines.... i think.🤔

actually her husband was assassinated at the airport after returning from exile, you may have confused her for Bhutto or Suu Kyi

Edited July 20, 20214 yr by iHeart

 

"Heart-wrenching photographs of destitute Brazilians scavenging through a heap of animal carcasses for food have laid bare the hunger crisis blighting Latin America’s most populous nation, where millions have been plunged into deprivation by the coronavirus pandemic and soaring inflation.

The images, taken in Rio last week by the prize-winning photojournalist Domingos Peixoto, show the group rummaging for scraps in the back of a lorry that had been transporting the discarded offal and bones to a factory that makes pet food and soap."

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/03/outcry-in-brazil-over-photos-of-people-scavenging-through-animal-carcasses

There is a whole lot of corruption going on in politics and business as the world burns.

Bombshell ‘Pandora Papers’ Shed Light On Global Elite’s Financial Secrets

Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century, according to a review of nearly 12 million files obtained from 14 firms located around the world.

The report released Sunday  by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists involved 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in 117 countries. It’s being dubbed the “Pandora Papers” because the findings shed light on the previously hidden dealings of the elite and the corrupt, and how they have used offshore accounts to shield assets collectively worth trillions of dollars.

The more than 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts include Jordan’s King Abdullah II, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso, and former associates of both Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was one of many prominent politicians identified as beneficiaries of secret offshore accounts, according to a bombshell investigation called the “Pandora Papers.”
The billionaires called out in the report include Turkish construction mogul Erman Ilicak and Robert T. Brockman, the former CEO of software maker Reynolds & Reynolds.

Many of the accounts were designed to evade taxes and conceal assets for other shady reasons, according to the report.

“The new data leak must be a wake-up call,” said Sven Giegold, a Green party lawmaker in the European Parliament. “Global tax evasion fuels global inequality. We need to expand and sharpen the countermeasures now.”

Oxfam International, a British consortium of charities, applauded the Pandora Papers for exposing brazen examples of greed that deprived countries of tax revenue that could be used to finance programs and projects for the greater good.

“This is where our missing hospitals are,” Oxfam said in a statement. “This is where the pay-packets sit of all the extra teachers and firefighters and public servants we need. Whenever a politician or business leader claims there is ‘no money’ to pay for climate damage and innovation, for more and better jobs, for a fair post-COVID recovery, for more overseas aid, they know where to look.”

The Pandora Papers are a follow to a similar project released in 2016 called the “Panama Papers” compiled by the same journalistic group.

The latest bombshell is even more expansive, porting through nearly 3 terabytes of data — the equivalent of roughly 750,000 photos on a smartphone — leaked from 14 different service providers doing business in 38 different jurisdictions in the world. The records date back to the 1970s, but most of the files span from 1996 to 2020.

In contrast, the Panama Papers culled through 2.6 terabytes of data leaked by one now-defunct law firm called Mossack Fonseca that was located in the country that inspired that project’s nickname.

Bombshell 'Pandora Papers' Shed Light On Global Elite's Financial Secrets | HuffPost

14 hours ago, Tracker said:

Bombshell ‘Pandora Papers’ Shed Light On Global Elite’s Financial Secrets

Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century, according to a review of nearly 12 million files obtained from 14 firms located around the world.

The report released Sunday  by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists involved 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in 117 countries. It’s being dubbed the “Pandora Papers” because the findings shed light on the previously hidden dealings of the elite and the corrupt, and how they have used offshore accounts to shield assets collectively worth trillions of dollars.

The more than 330 current and former politicians identified as beneficiaries of the secret accounts include Jordan’s King Abdullah II, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babis, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso, and former associates of both Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta was one of many prominent politicians identified as beneficiaries of secret offshore accounts, according to a bombshell investigation called the “Pandora Papers.”
The billionaires called out in the report include Turkish construction mogul Erman Ilicak and Robert T. Brockman, the former CEO of software maker Reynolds & Reynolds.

Many of the accounts were designed to evade taxes and conceal assets for other shady reasons, according to the report.

“The new data leak must be a wake-up call,” said Sven Giegold, a Green party lawmaker in the European Parliament. “Global tax evasion fuels global inequality. We need to expand and sharpen the countermeasures now.”

Oxfam International, a British consortium of charities, applauded the Pandora Papers for exposing brazen examples of greed that deprived countries of tax revenue that could be used to finance programs and projects for the greater good.

“This is where our missing hospitals are,” Oxfam said in a statement. “This is where the pay-packets sit of all the extra teachers and firefighters and public servants we need. Whenever a politician or business leader claims there is ‘no money’ to pay for climate damage and innovation, for more and better jobs, for a fair post-COVID recovery, for more overseas aid, they know where to look.”

The Pandora Papers are a follow to a similar project released in 2016 called the “Panama Papers” compiled by the same journalistic group.

The latest bombshell is even more expansive, porting through nearly 3 terabytes of data — the equivalent of roughly 750,000 photos on a smartphone — leaked from 14 different service providers doing business in 38 different jurisdictions in the world. The records date back to the 1970s, but most of the files span from 1996 to 2020.

In contrast, the Panama Papers culled through 2.6 terabytes of data leaked by one now-defunct law firm called Mossack Fonseca that was located in the country that inspired that project’s nickname.

Bombshell 'Pandora Papers' Shed Light On Global Elite's Financial Secrets | HuffPost

We need more of this. I'm sure this is still only a small percentage of total financial tax evasion going on. There needs to be consequences and the investigations need to keep going to ensure the elites are shaking in their boots when trying to evade taxes.

2 hours ago, WildPath said:

We need more of this. I'm sure this is still only a small percentage of total financial tax evasion going on. There needs to be consequences and the investigations need to keep going to ensure the elites are shaking in their boots when trying to evade taxes.

I've been reading up on tax shelters for years.  The estimates range up to 6 trillion in hidden money.

That would pay for a lot of government services around the world.

One of the worst tax dodges is that big corporations are allowed to move money out of the country  where it was generated and into countries that have little to no tax . They are then allowed to bring it back into the original country because the taxes are paid even though those taxes were a fraction of a percent  or even 0 percent.  Even the G8 were trying to close that loop hole. I don't believe they did though.

42 minutes ago, the watcher said:

One of the worst tax dodges is that big corporations are allowed to move money out of the country  where it was generated and into countries that have little to no tax . They are then allowed to bring it back into the original country because the taxes are paid even though those taxes were a fraction of a percent  or even 0 percent.  Even the G8 were trying to close that loop hole. I don't believe they did though.

They did not, and this is where the wealth transfer tax would come into play. The Panama papers hinted at the scope of the problems and the reporter who broke the story was murdered by party or parties unknown a few weeks thereafter. 

3 hours ago, the watcher said:

One of the worst tax dodges is that big corporations are allowed to move money out of the country  where it was generated and into countries that have little to no tax . They are then allowed to bring it back into the original country because the taxes are paid even though those taxes were a fraction of a percent  or even 0 percent.  Even the G8 were trying to close that loop hole. I don't believe they did though.

why cant a wage earner do this?

its dog eat dog at the bottom, and do anything  you want at the top.

Seeing ads for delivery drivers all the time. supply the  vehicle, maintain it, insure it, fuel it, work seven days a week.

so that some goof with cash from venture capital can become rich.

system is upside down.

the murder of Kashoggi proved , that those people are above all laws.

not  singlemone of epstein's buddies, pedophiles, has been charged. not one. except for his female accomplice. who knows where that will go.

insane.

Edited October 4, 20214 yr by Mark F

1 hour ago, Mark F said:

why cant a wage earner do this?

its dog eat dog at the bottom, and do anything  you want at the top.

Seeing ads for delivery drivers all the time. supply the  vehicle, maintain it, insure it, fuel it, work seven days a week.

so that some goof with cash from venture capital can become rich.

system is upside down.

the murder of Kashoggi proved , that those people are above all laws.

not  singlemone of epstein's buddies, pedophiles, has been charged. not one. except for his female accomplice. who knows where that will go.

insane.

One step away from putting our kids back in the coal mines.

1 hour ago, Wideleft said:

One step away from putting our kids back in the coal mines.

Children have been working in sweat shops in Asia for decades to benefit the obscenely rich.

French Report Finds 330,000 Children Were Victims Of Church Sex Abuse

PARIS (AP) — An estimated 330,000 children were victims of sex abuse within France’s Catholic Church over the past 70 years, according to a major report released Thursday that is France’s first major reckoning with the devastating phenomenon.

The figure includes abuses committed by some 3,000 priests and other people involved in the church — wrongdoing that Catholic authorities covered up over decades in a “systemic manner,” according to the president of the commission that issued the report, Jean-Marc Sauvé.

The head of the French bishops conference asked forgiveness from the victims. The group is meeting Tuesday to discuss next steps.

The commission urged the church to take strong action, denouncing “faults” and “silence.” It also called on the French state to help compensate the victims, notably in cases that are too old to prosecute via the courts.

About 80% of the victims were boys.

22 minutes ago, Tracker said:

An estimated 330,000 children

and that is one country.

astounding. pedophile ring masquerading as a Church. The tv evangelicals look like pikers in comparison

 

11 hours ago, Mark F said:

and that is one country.

astounding. pedophile ring masquerading as a Church. The tv evangelicals look like pikers in comparison

 

And just the last 70 years

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/china-taiwan-flights-1.6201342

Quote

With record numbers of military flights near Taiwan over the last week, China has been showing a new intensity and military sophistication as it steps up its harassment of the island it claims as its own and asserts its territorial ambitions in the region.

China's People's Liberation Army flew 56 planes in international airspace off the southwest coast of Taiwan on Monday, setting a new record and capping four days of sustained pressure involving 149 flights. The actions came as China, with growing diplomatic and military power, faces greater pushback from countries in the region and as Taiwan pleads for more global support and recognition.

Perhaps more significant than the number of planes was the constitution of the group, with fighters, bombers and airborne early warning aircraft, said Euan Graham, a defence analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore.

"That's the level of sophistication — it looks like a strike package, and that's part of the step up in pressure," he said. "This is not a couple of fighters coming close and then going straight back after putting one wing across the median; this is a much more purposeful manoeuvre."

 

On 2021-10-06 at 8:20 AM, blue_gold_84 said:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/china-taiwan-flights-1.6201342

 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/china-japan-taiwan-u-k-canada-australia-1.6204130

Quote

As international tension simmered this week over Taiwan, the Pacific Ocean saw a not-so-subtle display of allied military solidarity — one that included a Canadian frigate.

A joint military exercise off the Japanese island of Okinawa this past weekend brought together three western aircraft carrier strike groups and a Japanese helicopter carrier that's now able to launch F-35 stealth fighters.

The assembly, which included 17 ships from six different countries, sent an unmistakable message to China.

In an exclusive interview, the commander of the United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG21) task force told CBC News that the one-day exercise was a demonstration of solidarity and of how western allies can work seamlessly together.

"It's an important message for those here that nations like ourselves really do believe in the freedom of navigation, in the freedom of trade and really are alarmed at the militarization of the area," said Royal Navy Commodore Steve Moorhouse.

The exercise was a milestone in several ways. Since the end of the Second World War, the Japanese have not possessed aircraft carriers and their military has maintained a defensive posture. Last weekend's fighter jet trial saw a US Marine F-35B land on and take off from the helicopter carrier JS Izumo — making it a de-facto fixed-wing aircraft carrier.

The exercise was also one of the largest gatherings of aircraft carriers in the Pacific in decades.

I think this is great news.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/corporate-companies-taxes-oecd-1.6205109

Quote

Nearly 140 countries have agreed on a tentative deal that would make sweeping changes to how big multinational companies are taxed and deter them from stashing profits in offshore havens where they pay little or no tax.

Quote

Countries would sign up to a diplomatic agreement to implement the tax on companies that have no physical presence in a country but earn profits there, such as through digital services.

The second part of the deal, the global minimum of at least 15 per cent, would be enacted by countries individually according to model rules developed at the OECD. A top-up provision would mean tax avoided overseas would have to be paid at home.

2 hours ago, blue_gold_84 said:

It's an important message for those here that nations like ourselves really do believe in the freedom of navigation, in the freedom of trade and really are alarmed at the militarization of the area,

LOL!     military commander displays sense of black humour,

2 hours ago, blue_gold_84 said:

three western aircraft carrier strike groups and a Japanese helicopter carrier that's now able to launch F-35 stealth fighters.

The assembly, which included 17 ships from six different countries,

lol.    same old ****. 

" they started it"

not even fully out of afghanistan, and looking for another war.  This stuff will never end.

Edited October 8, 20214 yr by Mark F

SAVING FOR A VERY RAINY DAY
by Eric Margolis

The really wealthy, vexed by tax collectors, pesky relatives, ex-wives and just plain thieves, long ago learned the wisdom of hiding their money and property. This is twice true for politicians.

An investigation by an international consortium of journalists just examined a massive leak of 11.9 million records of offshore financial firms that have been evading taxes and financial disclosure for their many clients. The result of what is known as The Pandora Papers has been a cascade of scandals.

This column has long maintained that the US has been deeply involved in massive international corruption. Chief tawdry examples are the largest recipients of US ‘aid,’ Israel, Afghanistan and Jordan. Washington spent over two trillion dollars on the now lost, 20-year Afghan conflict.

All that money has vanished. Among the largest recipients was the Afghan Communist Party and the drug mafias that made US-run Afghanistan the world’s largest producer of illegal heroin and morphine.

SAVING FOR A VERY RAINY DAY « Eric Margolis