Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

[Chris Coles]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

Chris,

You have to be more pragmatical and realistic than that.

Those are the ideals we are taught as children, but once you are thrust forward into the true and cynical reality on which we exist it is a dog eat dog world. Albeit, much subtler just as violent if not more than the animals.

Bill,

Some centuries ago, a number of far sighted individuals learned to recognise that the only way out of dog eat dog was to create a set of rules for everyone. A great deal of the work was done by religion; but not all. We animals, for we are all animals, learned to live under rules called law. We devised a body called a "house", wherein members of our communities would sit together to debate and devise the rules; and we all agreed that the rules applied to everyone if they were to work.

We take our choice; either we accept the rule of law applies to everyone; or we go back to living like animals; dog eat dog. The whole idea of civilisation was built upon these precepts. If we abandon the rule of law; we return to a medieval society based entirely upon dog eat dog.

I choose civilisation based upon the rule of law; there is no other way forward.

[shiny!]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

Bill,

Some centuries ago, a number of far sighted individuals learned to recognise that the only way out of dog eat dog was to create a set of rules for everyone. A great deal of the work was done by religion; but not all. We animals, for we are all animals, learned to live under rules called law. We devised a body called a "house", wherein members of our communities would sit together to debate and devise the rules; and we all agreed that the rules applied to everyone if they were to work.

We take our choice; either we accept the rule of law applies to everyone; or we go back to living like animals; dog eat dog. The whole idea of civilisation was built upon these precepts. If we abandon the rule of law; we return to a medieval society based entirely upon dog eat dog.

I choose civilisation based upon the rule of law; there is no other way forward.

You know the philosophy of Don't fight the Fed? It means invest according to that the Fed is actually doing, not according to what it should be doing. What happens to idealists who invest in the markets? They become broke idealists.

Civilizations rise and fall in cycles. You can't stop these cycles anymore than you can stop a hurricane or an earthquake by refusing to accept it. Kondratiev spoke of waves, or supercycles. According to Mr. K, we're in a Kondratiev Winter.

The ancient Hindu scriptures spoke of Four Ages: First there is the Golden Age of Truth. Humans are one with the Divine Mind. The Sikhs call the Golden Age the table with four legs. This is followed by the Silver Age of rising materialism. The Sikhs call this age a table with three legs. Then there is the Bronze age of desires, deceit, illness and pain. The Sikhs call this Age a table with two legs. The last Age is the Kali Yug, the Iron Age, the time of cruelty, depravity and chaos. Sikhs call this Age the table with only one leg. This is where we are now. Economically speaking, we are in a Kondratiev Winter. I like these metaphors.

When your civilization is approaching its nadir or is in its nadir, rule of law breaks down on every level and things become dog eat dog for awhile. You need to adapt to what is and protect yourself from everyone who is not as civilized as you are, whether they be back-alley muggers or corrupt banksters, or else you'll become a victim of the lawless.

I suspect that you understand this, and that there are practical limits to your truly noble idealism even now. Do you leave your home unlocked and your car parked on the street with the keys in the ignition? Do you leave your laptop and wallet on the table unattended when you use the restroom at the coffee shop? Unless you're living in a far better world than I am (or possibly Singapore) you probably don't.

When you're in the bottom of a cycle the only way forward is to survive the dark days, then together with other like-minded people try to build a better system than the last one. I don't think this is the time for building, though. I think this is the time when a sick, unsustainable system convulses and dies. It's a time of cold and snow and winter darkness, and keeping the flame alive.

It isn't easy having a sensibility suited for a Golden Age whilst finding yourself stuck in the Kali Yug.

[Chris Coles]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

You know the philosophy of Don't fight the Fed? It means invest according to that the Fed is actually doing, not according to what it should be doing. What happens to idealists who invest in the markets? They become broke idealists.

Civilizations rise and fall in cycles. You can't stop these cycles anymore than you can stop a hurricane or an earthquake by refusing to accept it. Kondratiev spoke of waves, or supercycles. According to Mr. K, we're in a Kondratiev Winter.

The ancient Hindu scriptures spoke of Four Ages: First there is the Golden Age of Truth. Humans are one with the Divine Mind. The Sikhs call the Golden Age the table with four legs. This is followed by the Silver Age of rising materialism. The Sikhs call this age a table with three legs. Then there is the Bronze age of desires, deceit, illness and pain. The Sikhs call this Age a table with two legs. The last Age is the Kali Yug, the Iron Age, the time of cruelty, depravity and chaos. Sikhs call this Age the table with only one leg. This is where we are now. Economically speaking, we are in a Kondratiev Winter. I like these metaphors.

When your civilization is approaching its nadir or is in its nadir, rule of law breaks down on every level and things become dog eat dog for awhile. You need to adapt to what is and protect yourself from everyone who is not as civilized as you are, whether they be back-alley muggers or corrupt banksters, or else you'll become a victim of the lawless.

I suspect that you understand this, and that there are practical limits to your truly noble idealism even now. Do you leave your home unlocked and your car parked on the street with the keys in the ignition? Do you leave your laptop and wallet on the table unattended when you use the restroom at the coffee shop? Unless you're living in a far better world than I am (or possibly Singapore) you probably don't.

When you're in the bottom of a cycle the only way forward is to survive the dark days, then together with other like-minded people try to build a better system than the last one. I don't think this is the time for building, though. I think this is the time when a sick, unsustainable system convulses and dies. It's a time of cold and snow and winter darkness, and keeping the flame alive.

It isn't easy having a sensibility suited for a Golden Age whilst finding yourself stuck in the Kali Yug.

In one regard I can only agree with you, as what you say here makes good sense; except for one thing. Someone has to shine a torch towards where most everyone wants to be, so that they can see the way towards where they want to be in the future.

The risk I take is not the loss of my bits and pieces - hell, most of my life I have had few of them to worry about; it is that at least one of the "dogs" might try and bury me; is probably right now appraising their chances of getting away with it.

I choose to shine that torch!

[BillBoard]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

I choose to shine that torch!

Chris, that's a wonderful sentiment. Now, roll up your sleeves, and educate the people that want to prosper when the unfetter greedy bastards come calling.

Navigating these shark infested waters won't be easy, but the journey will certainly be fun, yet perilous. As the Panama Papers show, even the power savvy have to know how to keep a very low profile.

EDIT: By the way, this is a very long process, taking decades at a time, so don't be in a rush to meet with the promised land too fast.

[Chris Coles]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

Chris, that's a wonderful sentiment. Now, roll up your sleeves, and educate the people that want to prosper when the unfetter greedy bastards come calling.

Navigating these shark infested waters won't be easy, but the journey will certainly be fun, yet perilous. As the Panama Papers show, even the power savvy have to know how to keep a very low profile.

EDIT: By the way, this is a very long process, taking decades at a time, so don't be in a rush to meet with the promised land too fast.

Some here will already know that I have been "at it" since 1978 with particular emphasis on the last couple of decades. Try the attached: The Capital Spillway Trust submission_ to BoE Open Forum 2015.pdf

[vt]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

Kerry-Heinz family has millions in offshore tax havens?

http://dailycaller.com/2016/04/25/ex...re-tax-havens/

[jk]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

kerry's wife is believed to be worth a billion dollars. what's your guess on how many american billionaires DON'T have any money in offshore trusts?

[vt]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

John is pretty good at avoiding taxes here too.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0..._n_656985.html

The doesn't everybody meme doesn't work anymore.

[jk]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

The everybody doesn't meme doesn't work anymore.

does "everybody" = "american billionaires"?

[vt]

Re: Major World News: Gigantic Panama Offshore data leak 2.6 TB largest in history

Of course. Billionaires and even mere multi millionaires. Maybe not 100% but a large number.

Both parties are corrupt. Even Charlie Rangel and Nancy Pelosi have gotten away with things that we'd be in hail for.

Republicans are just as corrupt of course.