Comment by 2ndSkiesForex on October 28, 2012 at 4:30pm

This is a very big problem with politics in the US today, and started with the law that 'corporations are people', meaning they could donate large amounts of $$$ to influence the political process.

I dont know how it works in the UK, but it basically means corporations can buy votes, and now really direct most of the political process and what passes for law.

Politicians now spend most of their time fundraising instead of actually passing laws to make change. Its become a really sad state of affairs.

To put it in perspective, the top 30 corporations in the US now spend more money on lobbying than they do on taxes, which communicates what they see is the best way to increase their bottlom line, by changing the laws, not making better products, and certainly not paying taxes to support the country which is helping them get rich.

Glad you brought this up Keith as its a subject not talked about in the controlled/mainstream media in the US.

Kind Regards,
Chris

Comment by Peter jcp on October 28, 2012 at 5:32pm

It's just getting ridiculous nowadays although we are not quite as bad in the UK - its should not take too long to catch up ;-). Ever since Bernie Ecclestone wanted to donate £1 million to the UK Labour party to stop the ban on smoking advertisement effecting the revenues to the FI teams - there seems to be new ways to "buck" the system.

I understand now some large global companies are into "Perpetual tax avoidance" - transferring their massive profits around the world to different countries to take use of the tax years and basically avoid paying the real amounts for many years.

If they are able to move them around for 3-4 years thay can bring them back to the home country and then use them as political donations that will be far move beneficial for them than just paying straight forward taxes.

Only recently in the UK - Starbucks who have turned over 4 billion in this country - but so far paid less then 80 million in taxes by clever accounting tricks. Not illegal - but basically cheating, unfair and immoral.

Yet again just like in the currency markets the regulators / government bodies are just not up to the job to tighten the rules and stop these things happening.

If you are a really switched on to notch accountant - knowing all the tricks - are you going to work for a government body for a great salary of say $250K or more a year - or would you be tempted to worked for a massive global organisation - on a lower basic - but the on say 5% of all you save them on the existing tax bills ? Yes then that might be worth then a few million a year - so the regulators and the governments are never going to end up with the real clever guys they need

Only this Friday the ex PM of Italy - Silva Berlusconi( one of my favourite characters ;-) )was sentenced to 4 yrs in jail for many scams including over 250 million in tax avoidance. Whilst he was in office - he had actually passed a law to give himself and other main politicians criminal immunity - but must have had a shock when he was eventually voted out. Even now they still reckon he will find a way to wriggle out of serving his sentence.

I personally think the idea of an elected democratic government serving the people and the country is great - but nowadays its become a total farce and basically - money buys a result.

That means that "one percent" will carry on growing their wealth and probably another 10+ percent who are just simple multi millionaires will also benefit - whilst the real majority of people will be thinking why am I in so much debt ?

Comment by Holmes on October 28, 2012 at 6:21pm

Hi Gentlemen,

Thank you for raising the awareness of money buying power, tax loop holes, mass manipulation, dodgy Civil Servants, big fat pay offs and under handed multiple plots, all we need is to throw in war, religion and terrorism and that would make a really great news headline.  Luckily enough we have never suffered from any of this kind of madness or back handed Political self greed and self interest over and over again here in the UK.

Best Regards,

Holmes.

 

 

 

Comment by Ricardo Kempff on October 28, 2012 at 6:51pm

I am not against big corporations not paying taxes but also the common citizen should have the same benefits. Maybe business men are not seeing the problem clearly but for them the less enterpreuners is the best, less competition and more consumers but this leads to a problem, when things goes wrong there will be more angry people marching on the streets. I've noticed thain US protests seems not having effect on policy but if things goes like this we might see the first US government knocked down by vox populy. The whole systems is **** up, i mean globally, I am really against the stagecoach horses breeding policy but who is going to listen to somebody who owns his own bussines. We are taught since little to be slaves to our salary, down to the level of being honored with less than a slurp of soup. If kids tell their parents they wanna their own bussines is like they are announcing to get out of the closet. 90% we learn in school is totally bull****** with no empirical experience and leaded by a teacher who might not know what is that stuff good for and maybe this teacher does not know anything rather than teaching. X, Y, and Z generations are screwed, the hope of the humanity lies in the internet generation. We have to teach kinds to sustain themselves by their own, not to rely on a salary or a government benefit. One good thing that internet has is the fact you and me can discuss anything, but if it were the governments of our countries, well you would have our president talking ****** about your countries. Politicians are screwed, politics is not what it used to be, too many stupid passionate and greedy people arround. Even Soros has a sense of compassion.

Comment by Brian Twomey on October 29, 2012 at 6:36pm

By allowing corporations to become persons without a cap to political donations, it allowed corporations to now be equal to the unions who confiscate, by the 1935 Wagner Act, union members dues and spend that money supporting far left communist Democrats whose interest is never in line with we the people. Now if the 1998 Supreme Court decision Communication Workers Vs Beck was upheld as ordered, Unions wouldn't have the ability of confiscation. But they refused to comply since the Democrats slush fund to achieve political office is financed by workers pay to unons to political campaigns.

 Deomocarts wish for we the people to become wage slaves to union masters so they stay in office with ability of complete control of we the people's tax money, all of it. This grows their dream of big government to crush markets, corporations and the private sector.

 We the people can't win under this heavy handed control. The major problem is the news media is the third supportive wheel in an evil that eccompasses we the people as everyday progresses.

Comment by Romano on October 29, 2012 at 7:27pm

"Goldman Sachs gang felt betrayed by President Obama’s modest attempts at financial reform..."  >> u mean: GS felt betrayed that Obama did not invaded Iran and Syria

Comment by Keith Shaw on November 11, 2012 at 11:08am

A Message From Us Rich Plutocrats To All You Little People

An interesting retort from plutocrat Nick Hanauer who is a very successful entrepreneur , to all the little people, there's two sides to every coin, wouldn't you like to be on his side ? read on . . 

 

"It’s great to be what you people are now calling a plutocrat. I know. I am one.

We plutocrats live incredible lives, surrounded by luxury and insulated from risk and discomfort.  Things have gone very well for us over the last several years"

 

"The growing economic distance between people like me and the little people like you hasn’t been this great in a long, long time.  You may call that inequality.  We call it freedom."  

"People like me don’t hate Obama because he’s going to raise our taxes, although we hate that plenty.  We hate him because his views about the importance and primacy of the middle class diminish our status.  The threat he represents isn’t economic; it’s existential.  It’s not just our pocket books that are threatened, but, more importantly, our prestige and our influence on this country.  Our manhood is at stake."

"We plutocrats have a long and proud history of controlling human societies, and the belief systems that we create about how the world works enable us to do that.  “Earth is the center of the solar system” was a useful one for us in the past.  “Lowering taxes on the rich produces growth” is one of our current favorites.  You show me an orthodox belief, and I’ll show you plutocrats who benefit from it".

Click this link to read the rest of this article ! A Message From Us Rich Plutocrats To All You Little People

Keith.

Comment by Peter jcp on November 11, 2012 at 11:58am

Morning Keith - yes that guy can certainly give the plurocrats a "bad name" - and is not going the right ways to have many likes and followers on his Facebook or Twitter page;-)

Although I got the feeling - he not really bothered about anybody other than him ;-)

You then have other ultra rich billionaires who are giving 70-90% of wealth away - like Bill Gates etc showing they have happiness without just power and dollar signs.

I have worked out my own calculations and would say if I was worth $10 billion - I could give 90% away - and still just about survive ;-))). However if I was only worth about $100 million - I don't think I would want to give away more than 50% 

Yes and talking about is "manhood" being at stake - I think he's got a bit of a problem  - it's a shame but we just have to live and make do with what we got - and probably he need plastic surgery - lol

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