statism

Swiss court orders stolen East German millions returned

"The ruling, upholding an earlier verdict by a lower court, concerns the transfer into a Swiss bank of 128 million euros from the communist East Germany after the impoverished country's demise in 1990. This transfer by Rudolfine Steindling, a colourful Austrian communist dubbed 'Fini the Red' who died last year, was conducted by a former subsidiary of Bank Austria, itself now part of Italy's UniCredit. In the 1990s Germany, by then reunified, complained that Steindling had no right to the money, which was amassed by East Germany charging fees from Western firms investing there, and that Bank Austria knew this." Continue reading →

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Munich football boss’s Swiss account becomes German political football

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday distanced herself from Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, whose Swiss bank account and alleged tax dodge has poured fuel on a heated election-year debate. 'Many people in Germany are now disappointed in Uli Hoeness,' said Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert about the football club chief. The 61-year-old football legend voluntarily disclosed a Swiss bank account in January and was working closely with investigators on a tax evasion probe. At a Bayern Munich press conference, journalists were told that the event would be immediately scrapped if anyone asked about the tax issue." Continue reading →

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Never throw away your tax returns

"David started working in his teens. Surely, he has 40 credits (or 10 years) in the system? Yes, he does. But having gotten rid of his older tax returns, he can no longer prove it. David asked the IRS for copies of certain missing years, dating back to about 20 years ago. Not only did the IRS not have copies, but they didn’t even have electronic transcripts going that far back. What can David do? Not a thing. He accepted this philosophically, knowing he must work two more years to build up his benefits. How can you avoid this problem? It’s easy. Never, ever throw out a tax return." Continue reading →

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13 corrections officers indicted in Md., accused of aiding gang’s drug scheme

"More than a dozen Maryland state prison guards helped a dangerous national gang operate a drug-trafficking and money-laundering scheme from behind bars that involved cash payments, sex and access to fancy cars, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Thirteen female corrections officers essentially handed over control of a Baltimore jail to gang leaders, prosecutors said. The indictment described a jailhouse seemingly out of control. Four corrections officers became pregnant by one inmate. Two of them got tattoos of the inmate’s first name, Tavon — one on her neck, the other on a wrist." Continue reading →

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Second-Grade Teacher Suspended for Showing Children Garden Tools

"Yes, my friends, a 17-year teaching veteran did it. He showed garden tools to his class. It’s incredible. He actually showed them tools. That’s right. He got out a box of tools. There was a pair of pliers. There was a screwdriver. But the school’s authorities knew this was a cover. He showed the children a pocket knife. What kind of tool is that? What can a knife do that a pair of hedge clippers can’t do a lot better? So, he was suspended for four days without pay. The public schools are determined to protect children. They should not be shown a knife at age 7. Condoms, yes. That’s different. But not knives." Continue reading →

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U.S. Hospitals Quietly Deport Hundreds Of Undocumented Immigrants, Often While Unconscious

"A recent report compiled by immigrant advocacy groups made a rare attempt to determine how many people are sent home, concluding that at least 600 immigrants were removed over a five-year period, though there were likely many more. In interviews with immigrants, their families, attorneys and advocates, The Associated Press reviewed the obscure process known formally as 'medical repatriation,' which allows hospitals to put patients on chartered international flights, often while they are still unconscious. Hospitals typically pay for the flights." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S. Hospitals Quietly Deport Hundreds Of Undocumented Immigrants, Often While Unconscious

Chechnya: “We Will Make You Feel What We Feel”

"When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Chechen demanded independence like the Soviet republics. Instead, Boris Yeltsin’s government invaded Chechnya, killing some 100,000 Chechen civilians through massive carpet bombing and shelling. FSB chief Vladimir Putin was catapulted into power by anti-Chechen hysteria caused by mysterious bombings in 1999. Powerful Russian forces invaded and crushed the life out of Chechen resistance. All moderate Chechen leaders were assassinated, the last in Qatar in 2004, leaving mostly militant Islamists." Continue reading →

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Michael Scheuer: U.S. leaders’ fingerprints are on the detonators

"While the Tsarnaev brothers apparently conducted the Marathon bombings in Boston, the detonators of those bombs also have the fingerprints of most Democratic and Republican politicians all over them, and those men and women are in a measure responsible for each and every one of the Boston casualties. Why? Because once again it is blatantly obvious from the evidence the authorities have presented to date that the attackers were motivated by what the U.S. government does in the Muslim world and not because of our freedoms, liberties, and gender equality." Continue reading →

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City Removes “Don’t Tread on Me” Flag From Abandoned Building

"The city of New Rochelle, New York owns an empty building. It has been empty for years. Why does it own an empty building? Why doesn’t it sell it? No one seems to know. No one asks. It used to be owned by the U.S. Army, but the Army wisely abandoned it. A veterans group decided to hoist the famous Gadsden flag: a coiled snake and 'Don’t Tread on Me.' Now the city council has removed the flag. Why? Because it is supposedly a Tea Party symbol. The Tea Party wants tax cuts. It wants wasteful government cut back. This would mean wasteful empty buildings. The symbolism was too much for the city council." Continue reading →

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A Ton Of Gold Bricks: What Capital Flight Looks Like In Italy

"Curious why so little has been said about cash flowing out of Italy's banks, especially when even UniCredit's CEO today proudly warned everyone he is all for confiscating uninsured deposits as long as 'everyone else is doing it' - and no, he is not kidding, so when it does happen, nobody will be able to say they weren't warned. Maybe it is because Italian cash is actually not leaving the country at all. Instead, real 'wealth' is departing the boot-shaped nation, quietly and under the radar, as fast as it can in another form: gold. Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA Ton Of Gold Bricks: What Capital Flight Looks Like In Italy