A British Virgin Islands license place (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Greed is Good, said Gordon Geeko
Well there seem to be a lot of good people around these days. In fact the ICIJ (the International Concortium of Investigative Journalists) has just come out with a list of the Great (or perhaps the Greed) and the Good. No less than 36,000 of them by some reports. Squirrelling their stash away in Tax Shelters around the World.
What’s wonderful about this is it is beyond race and creed. No country or society seems to be spared. No breeding nor domicile seems to matter. No politics or position matter. We have African Dictators, philanthropic art collectors, a president of a nation, several budget ministers, a top class lawyer who used stuff travellers cheques into envelopes, Irish bankrupts…. And there’s more to come…. This is going to run and run, and anyone who is anybody will be on the list… By contrast you’ll be nobody if you’re not! These people are the true pan-nationalists. They are in their own Club. They have evolved beyond the hubris of the squalid societies they live in and have graduated to a type of ethereal plain that is not subjected to the boredom of taxes, obligation and communities. These people believe in the zen of the moment. They trust in yachts, fine fine wines, silk sheets and servants. They are the Gods in the centre of the karma wheel, ignoring the hungry devils!
It really is an “us and them” world.
Now there is a bit of me that thinks that the average Joe (myself excepted, of course, being made of more moral fibre!!) would be doing just the same if he got the chance to join this elite, so perhaps it is too tempting for any Joe to resist. The problem is not that people use these centres, but more that the centres are available in the first place, and under the protection of such august countries such as Britain and Holland. So why haven’t they been closed down. Well we’re back to who is calling the shots again, aren’t we? If David Cameron does respond to the outcry about the British Virgin Islands and closes the whole place down, then all that money which is probably physically in the City of London, will try and fly off to some more accommodating place such as Singapore, and what will that do for his balance of Trade. Not to mention how many cronies, donors and fellow parliamentarians actually have accounts there …..?
What ever happens, there has been a can of worms opened here and it’s going to be good sport seeing where it gets to!!!!! We’ll have a look at a few of the principles in subsequent posts!!
paddyspiigs 