It's impossible to exaggerate the impact of the Panama Papers' scandal. It's impossible to predict how much it will shake up the world, or how many heads will roll.
Now the question who's is next? How far will the damage spread? The answer could be, quite far. This is the biggest leak in history -- one that dwarfs the amount of data released by Wikileaks in 2010. Reports say that 12 current or former heads of state are mentioned.
A second question is to what extent, in an era of rising middle-class discontent, this will fuel further anger among those who see themselves as carrying a disproportionate share of the burden in supporting a system that seems to them unfair.
But one thing is for sure, it can only help Bernie Sanders' campaign.
For even the New York Times now admits that after his victory in Wisconsin last night, momentum is on his side.
Senator Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in the Wisconsin primary on Tuesday, his sixth straight victory in the Democratic nominating contest and the latest in a string of setbacks for Mrs. Clinton as she seeks to put an end to a prolonged race against an unexpectedly deft and well-funded competitor.
And although Hillary Clinton is still favoured to win the nomination, some are already predicting that the Panama Papers' scandal could hand Sanders the keys to the White House.
The Democratic presidential primaries in the US have been characterised by surging anger at the global elite. The Panama papers scandal will only fuel popular indignation at the actions of perceived establishment figures – those who have stood idly by and allowed this huge miscarriage of justice to take place.
For there is a burning anger out there, Sanders has never looked better...
Or more in tune with the times.
While Clinton has never looked more vulnerable.
Although there have been no major American casualties over the leak at this stage, all of the presidential candidates will be questioned about the scandal. And nobody is going to be under more pressure than Hillary Clinton. For some Americans, she is the embodiment of a “global elite”, while Bernie Sanders is its antithesis.
She is now part of the problem. She supported the Panama Free Trade Deal like Stephen Harper did, while Sanders voted against it. Globalisation is her.
Globalisation, heralded by the likes of Hillary Clinton, has enabled the richest in society to exploit the system while ordinary working people pick up the tab. This has been going on for decades; as a political family, the Clintons have done nothing about it.
She's with the bankers...
And if they go down she's going with them.
The longer this scandal this kept alive the more beneficial will be for Sanders. And if any more skeletons in the Clinton closet see the light, it will parachute Bernie Sanders into the White House.
As Bob Dylan once sang:
You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows.
The old order is crumbling.
And one way or another a revolution is coming...
Please click here to recommend this post at Progressive BloggersVolunteers and supporters all across the country are powering this political revolution. Thank you.https://t.co/KZdL6wu2bA— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) April 2, 2016
12 comments:
Some are reporting the Panama Papers are only the tip of the iceberg. if this is to end in Canada, there needs to be changes to the tax code and CRA needs to be fully staffed in the major tax units. Going after the average taxpayer and getting a couple of hundred thousand here or there isn't enough. we need to collect the billion or 2 which goes un taxed each year.
It also means the banks need to be more strickly regulated when it comes to this type of thing. Oh, and we really need to know which bank was fined the million. Then people can decide for themselves if they want to do business with that type of an institution. like how many people will want to do business with a bank which in effect causes them to pay more taxes because they "fix" it for the 1%ers to avoid taxes.
Yep...that about says it all...
Funny indeed since no one from the west has been named yet.For a good read on what's going on there and has been going on there and other places for a long time.
I would suggest reading Bruce Livesey's latest column over at National Observer.
And as Pepe Escobar states in his latest column.
you have to be an idiot to stash money in Panama. You cannot flush a toilet there without the Americans knowing about it.
http://www.sott.net/article/315880-Pepe-Escobar-Panama-leaks-a-limited-hangout-psy-op-set-up-by-US-intelligence
An interview with my MP, Alexandre Boulerice, about KPMG: http://deuxhommesenor.telequebec.tv/emissions/83/giovanni-apollo-alexandre-despatie-alexandre-boulerice/27529/alexandre-boulerice
There is more at his website, Facebook and Twitter...
Change is coming but the unfortunate thing about change is that it is not always for the good.Society is in the midst of an escalating technological revolution with the average worker caught in the middle of self serving forces whether it the 1%, the wanna be 1%, the lobbyists or the myriad of collectives. Few if any are looking out for the average citizen and planning what is required to support him during the transition.Simple things like a guaranteed survival income and access to education to support individual entrepreneurial freedom would be a good place to start but its no longer part of the American Dream which has morphed into a predatory capitalistic nightmare.Countries that get it right and support their population to take advantage of the transition will be a great place to live, the others not so much.
RT
hi e.a.f...I have no doubt that it's just the tip of the iceberg. And yes the CRA does need to get its priorities right. They'd come down like a ton of bricks on you and me if by accident we cheated the government out of twenty bucks, but the real crooks go unpunished. How much better this world would be if the rich paid their fair share of taxes. As far as I'm concerned all tax havens should be made illegal....
hi anon...I've never been to Panama, but I know Latin America well, so I know of its reputation. Which only a Graham Greene novel would do justice. As for the Escobar story, I'm not sure if it is that much of a conspiracy. But of course we can't know that unless we can determine who hacked that shady operation. The journalist consortium still has millions of files to go through so let's give them some more time to find out who else, especially in places like the U.S., is involved...
hi lagatta...I like Alexandre a lot, you're lucky to have him as your MP. And I wonder whether he might consider running for the NDP leadership, for goodness knows anyone would be better than Mulcair...
hi RT...what you say is all true, and there is no doubt we are in for a grinding transition to a more sustainable world. But scandals like the Panama Papers do open the eyes of a lot of people, they do make the need for change even more urgent, and I'm hoping that Bernie's campaign will serve as an inspiration for others all over the world. Change has to start somewhere, and the fact that it is happening in the U.S. is very encouraging...
Well we finally have the proof that we have been played for suckers, again. Frankly, I'm sick of this and even though I voted Liberal with the intent of making sure Herr Harper couldn't turn Canada in Mordor, I'm sceptical that the fat cat Liberals who pull the strings behind the scenery will allow Trudeau to do the right thing and start regulating the banking industry and corporate tax criminals. As the media and most of the 1%ers like to claim, most of these tax dodges are legal, which is the point, isn't it? I must admit I'm sitting with bated breath waiting to see which scummy conservative gets caught in the web, but as I stated earlier, don't be surprised to see some Liberals caught too. All this leaves me jealous, that there was no Canadian Bernie Sanders to fight for the common man, in our latest election. The door was open for a NDP candidate to pick up this cause, but the idiot Mucair tried to out right wing the Hatperites.
Fuerza Sanders desde Chile !!!
I see this as a CIA leak.
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