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Seminal Moments

“They were big, intimidating fellows all decked out in dark, navy blue uniforms and bomber jackets. Each had their pants legs stuffed into black, leather boots, trying to go for that snazzy, SS look. None had the ‘have a nice day’ smile on their faces either. Now, I’m not a small guy, standing over 6′ 2″. But these guys were gorillas. Even the one female looked tough as galvanized nails. They were absolutely there to intimidate. I was both angry and curious. I was angry since I knew it was my taxes that paid for them to act like Xanax-fueled chimps. But I was also curious to see if all the stories of nasty US patrol guards from my Internet readings were true. I can assure you the answer is a resounding ‘yes.'” Continue reading →

The negative value of US citizenship

“It’s much easier to travel the world on a US passport than it is on a passport from, say, Syria, or Bangladesh — but, that said, there are countries which really don’t like admitting Americans, and if you already have a passport from Canada, or the EU, then you’re going to find it just as easy to travel as you would if you had one from the US. A green card holder can leave the US at any time, give up her green card, and thenceforth never have to pay a cent in US taxes, or even file a US tax return, ever again. This is an option which would be valued extremely highly by many Americans. By becoming a US citizen you essentially give up that option, as the likes of Eduardo Saverin have learned to their cost.” Continue reading →

Swiss banks face hefty fines under US tax deal

“The deal offers individual Swiss banks the opportunity to avoid US prosecution if they agree to pay ‘substantial fines’, disclose all of their cross-border activities, provide details on the accounts of US citizens, and give information on the sources and destinations of transferred funds in relation to secret American accounts. Each bank will set its own non-prosecution agreement or deferred-prosecution agreement with the US authorities under those terms. The fines will be assessed at 20-50 percent of the aggregate value of any undeclared accounts held by Americans, depending on the time they accounts were open — before 2009 or since then.” Continue reading →

France adds Jersey, Bermuda to tax-haven blacklist

“France has added Jersey, Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands to its list of uncooperative tax havens. The entry gave no reason for the move. According to data compiled by the French government through to August 2011, Jersey and Bermuda had responded to all French requests for information. The British Virgin Islands had responded to 31 out of 41 requests. Tax has always been a sensitive issue for France, which has among the highest tax takes in the developed world, but President Francois Hollande has been under pressure to regain the initiative after the embarrassing resignation of his budget minister this year over a secret Swiss bank account.” Continue reading →

France backs action on Syria as U.S. seeks coalition

“French President Francois Hollande gave a boost Friday to US hopes of forging an international coalition for possible strikes against Syria after British lawmakers rejected any involvement in military action. The White House had signalled Thursday that President Barack Obama, guided by the ‘best interests’ of the United States, was ready to go it alone on Syria after deadly chemical weapons attacks last week. But Russia, the Syrian regime’s most powerful ally, warned any military strikes would ‘deal a serious blow to the entire system of world order’. While Germany and Canada ruled out joining any military strikes, Hollande said the British vote would not affect his government’s stance.” Continue reading →

And the Winner of Bush’s Iraq War Is . . . Iran!

“Why did they vote for the resolution in 2003? ‘They had weapons of mass destruction.’ Well, no, they didn’t. Then why continue to vote to fund it? ‘Support our troops!’ Right. Get them killed. Get their limbs shot off. Once a President sucks in Congress on backing an invasion — which is 100% of the time — Congress keeps funding the carnage until the next President quietly pulls them out. Always. Support our troops! Today, the USA has zero influence in Iraq. Iran runs the show from the shadows.” Continue reading →

This Is What Winning Looks Like: My Afghanistan War Diary

“The US and British forces are preparing to leave Afghanistan for good (officially, by the end of 2014), and my time in the country over the last six years has convinced me that our legacy will be the exact opposite of what Allen posits—not a stable Afghanistan, but one at war with itself yet again. Here are a few encapsulated snapshots of what I’ve seen and what we’re leaving behind.” Continue reading →

Rumsfeld: Obama hasn’t justified Syria attack

“Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Wednesday night that President Barack Obama had not done enough to justify an attack on Syria. ‘One thing that is very interesting, it seems to me, is that there really hasn’t been any indication from the administration as to what our national interest is with respect to this particular situation,’ Rumsfeld told Fox Business Network host Neil Cavuto. Rumsfeld criticized the Obama administration for being in a ‘withdraw mode’ and an ‘apology mode.’ He said the lack of U.S. assertiveness on the world stage had created a power vacuum that was being filled by those who didn’t share American values or interests.” Continue reading →