statism

Use of Tor and e-mail crypto could increase chances that NSA keeps your data

"Using online anonymity services such as Tor or sending encrypted e-mail and instant messages are grounds for US-based communications to be retained by the National Security Agency even when they're collected inadvertently, according to a secret government document published Thursday. The document, dated July 28, 2009, bears the signature of US Attorney General Eric Holder. It's hard to read the documents and not be struck by the irony that use of these services may subject people on US soil to a much higher likelihood that their communications will be retained by an agency that's supposed to focus on foreign targets." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUse of Tor and e-mail crypto could increase chances that NSA keeps your data

Throwing children in prison turns out to be a really bad idea

"The United States still puts more children and teenagers in juvenile detention than any other developed nations in the world, with about 70,000 detained on any given day in 2010. And as it turns out, this is very likely a bad idea. A new paper by economists Anna Aizer and Joseph J. Doyle, Jr. offers strong evidence that juvenile detention is a really counterproductive strategy for many youths under the age of 19. Not only does throwing a kid in detention often reduce the chance that he or she will graduate high school, but it also raises the chance that the youth will commit more crimes later on in life." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThrowing children in prison turns out to be a really bad idea

Brazilian authorities face fresh protests against government corruption despite concessions

"Authorities in Sao Paulo and Rio, Brazil’s two biggest cities, canceled the transit fare hikes that had been the initial spark for two weeks of nationwide protests. But there is no sign that the movement, which has no political coloration and no clearly identified leadership, is about to lose steam. Initially ignited by the fare increases, the protest fed on widespread resentment at the billions of dollars the government is spending on the Confederations Cup, the World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. The demonstrators instead want higher funding for education and health and a cut in salaries of public officials, railing against rampant corruption within the political class." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBrazilian authorities face fresh protests against government corruption despite concessions

Federal Auditors, IRS Pan Tax Regulations For Bitcoins

"Federal auditors are recommending that the IRS not issue regulations for taxpayers on filing returns for the money earned through the exchange of virtual currencies. The tax agency has neither the money nor the time to craft compliance rules for the emerging market, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. GAO officials acknowledged the government might be missing out on tax revenue as a result of not publishing Bitcoin-specific rules, but it is unclear how much. 'Given the uncertain extent of noncompliance with virtual currency transactions, formal guidance, such as regulations, may not be warranted,' the auditors concluded." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFederal Auditors, IRS Pan Tax Regulations For Bitcoins

Dolce and Gabbana jailed over tax evasion

"An Italian court on Wednesday sentenced fashion house duo Dolce and Gabbana to one year and eight months in prison for tax evasion of around one billion euros ($1.33 billion), according to media reports. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were found guilty of having transferred control of their brands to a shell company in Luxembourg in 2004 and 2005 to avoid paying Italian taxes." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDolce and Gabbana jailed over tax evasion

Now India Joins The Western Snoops

"India has launched a wide-ranging surveillance program that will give its security agencies and even income tax officials the ability to tap directly into e-mails and phone calls without oversight by courts or parliament, several sources said. The expanded surveillance in the world's most populousdemocracy, which the government says will help safeguard national security, has alarmed privacy advocates at a time when allegations of massive U.S. digital snooping beyond American shores has set off a global furor." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingNow India Joins The Western Snoops

Edward Snowden and the Wolf Who Cried Plant

"At some point, an emerging police state stops trying to hide or justify its nastiness and starts emphasizing and flaunting that nastiness — although it may do so subtly or indirectly instead of openly. Its minions no longer worry about convincing you they’re right. They’re content to just bully, threaten and scare you into submission. Naomi Wolf’s hypothesis is that the Snowden revelations may be an intentional instance of the latter — perhaps timed to distract attention from the trial of real whistleblower Bradley Manning — rather than an accidental failure of the former. Is she right? I don’t know. But the idea is far from outrageous, and should be taken seriously." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEdward Snowden and the Wolf Who Cried Plant

FBI knew earlier of Boston bombing suspect Tsarnaev

"Deceased Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev came to the attention of the FBI on at least two occasions prior to a Russian government warning in March 2011 that said he appeared to be radicalizing, FBI Director Robert Mueller said in Congressional testimony this week. The earlier references have led some lawmakers to question whether the FBI acted too quickly in closing an assessment of Tsarnaev's potential ties to terrorism done in response to the Russian request." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFBI knew earlier of Boston bombing suspect Tsarnaev

India: Emerging from Poverty or Stuck in the Past?

"India's problems are a result of the country's collectivist system, which detaches people from the consequences of their actions. Economic feedback in India is warped – costs are socialized, while benefits are not. Trickery and heavy-handedness are the norm in India, and they work. Real wealth creation feels unnecessary. From an individual's point of view, time and capital are better spent making political connections and offering bribes, both of which are more lucrative and efficient than making an honest living. India has been like this for forever. There has been nothing to shake India from its philosophical slumber and force its citizens to re-evaluate outdated precepts." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIndia: Emerging from Poverty or Stuck in the Past?

FATCA Reciprocity Will Now Target Delaware?

"Leaders of the G8 major economies have agreed new measures to clamp down on money launderers, illegal tax evaders and corporate tax avoiders. They include requiring that shell companies – often used to exploit tax loopholes and invest money anonymously – identify their effective owners. Governments also agreed to give each other automatic access to information on their residents’ tax affairs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFATCA Reciprocity Will Now Target Delaware?