http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Liechtenstein Sat, 25 May 2013 23:44:54 -0400 Liveleak http://edge.liveleak.com/80281E/u/u/ll2/logo.gif http://www.liveleak.com/browse?q=Liechtenstein Tue, 21 May 2013 16:31:28 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=65d_1369168059 omniradar Some people have started realizing that there are large financial groups that dominate the world. Forget the political intrigues, conflicts, revolutions and wars. It is not pure chance. Everything has been planned for a long time. Some call it "conspiracy theories" or New World Order. Anyway, the key to understanding the current political and economic events is a restricted core of families who have accumulated more wealth and power. We are speaking of 6, 8 or maybe 12 families who truly dominate the world. Know that it is a mystery difficult to unravel. We will not be far from the truth by citing Goldman Sachs, Rockefellers, Loebs Kuh and Lehmans in New York, the Rothschilds of Paris and London, the Warburgs of Hamburg, Paris and Lazards Israel Moses Seifs Rome. Many people have heard of the Bilderberg Group, Illuminati or the Trilateral Commission. But what are the names of the families who run the world and have control of states and international organizations like the UN, NATO or the IMF? To try to answer this question, we can start with the easiest: inventory, the world's largest banks, and see who the shareholders are and who make the decisions. The world's largest companies are now: Bank of America, JP Morgan, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. Let us now review who their shareholders are. Bank of America: State Street Corporation, Vanguard Group, BlackRock, FMR (Fidelity), Paulson, JP Morgan, T. Rowe, Capital World Investors, AXA, Bank of NY, Mellon. JP Morgan: State Street Corp., Vanguard Group, FMR, BlackRock, T. Rowe, AXA, Capital World Investor, Capital Research Global Investor, Northern Trust Corp. and Bank of Mellon. Citigroup: State Street Corporation, Vanguard Group, BlackRock, Paulson, FMR, Capital World Investor, JP Morgan, Northern Trust Corporation, Fairhome Capital Mgmt and Bank of NY Mellon. Wells Fargo: Berkshire Hathaway, FMR, State Street, Vanguard Group, Capital World Investors, BlackRock, Wellington Mgmt, AXA, T. Rowe and Davis Selected Advisers. We can see that now there appears to be a nucleus present in all banks: State Street Corporation, Vanguard Group, BlackRock and FMR (Fidelity). To avoid repeating them, we will now call them the "big four" Goldman Sachs: "The big four," Wellington, Capital World Investors, AXA, Massachusetts Financial Service and T. Rowe. Morgan Stanley: "The big four," Mitsubishi UFJ, Franklin Resources, AXA, T. Rowe, Bank of NY Mellon e Jennison Associates. Rowe, Bank of NY Mellon and Jennison Associates. We can just about always verify the names of major shareholders. To go further, we can now try to find out the shareholders of these companies and shareholders of major banks worldwide. Bank of NY Mellon: Davis Selected, Massachusetts Financial Services, Capital Research Global Investor, Dodge, Cox, Southeatern Asset Mgmt. and ... "The big four." State Street Corporation (one of the "big four"): Massachusetts Financial Services, Capital Research Global Investor, Barrow Hanley, GE, Putnam Investment and ... The "big four" (shareholders themselves!). BlackRock (another of the "big four"): PNC, Barclays e CIC. Who is behind the PNC? FMR (Fidelity), BlackRock, State Street, etc. And behind Barclays? BlackRock And we could go on for hours, passing by tax havens in the Cayman Islands, Monaco or the legal domicile of Shell companies in Liechtenstein. A network where companies are always the same, but never a name of a family. In short: the eight largest U.S. financial companies (JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, U.S. Bancorp, Bank of New York Mellon and Morgan Stanley) are 100% controlled by ten shareholders and we have four companies always present in all decisions: BlackRock, State Street, Vanguard and Fidelity. In addition, the Federal Reserve is comprised of 12 banks, represented by a board of seven people, which comprises representatives of the "big four," which in turn are present in all other entities. In short, the Federal Reserve is controlled by four large private companies: BlackRock, State Street, Vanguard and Fidelity. These companies control U.S. monetary policy (and world) without any control or "democratic" choice. These companies launched and participated in the current worldwide economic crisis and managed to become even more enriched. To finish, a look at some of the companies controlled by this "big four" group Alcoa Inc. Altria Group Inc. American International Group Inc. AT&amp;T Inc. Boeing Co. Caterpillar Inc. Coca-Cola Co. DuPont &amp; Co. Exxon Mobil Corp. General Electric Co. General Motors Corporation Hewlett-Packard Co. Home Depot Inc. Honeywell International Inc. Intel Corp. International Business Machines Corp Johnson &amp; Johnson JP Morgan Chase &amp; Co. McDonald's Corp. Merck &amp; Co. Inc. Microsoft Corp. 3M Co. Pfizer Inc. Procter &amp; Gamble Co. United Technologies Corp. Verizon Communications Inc. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Time Warner Walt Disney Viacom Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation., CBS Corporation NBC Universal The same "big four" control the vast majority of European companies counted on the stock exchange. In addition, all these people run the large financial institutions, such as the IMF, the European Central Bank or the World Bank, and were "trained" and remain "employees" of the "big four" that formed them. The names of the families that control the "big four", never appear. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=65d_1369168059 omniradar The Large Families that rule the world Media Sun, 03 Mar 2013 15:46:25 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=14e_1362343421 ALah007 On Tuesday, the head of Mexico's powerful 1.3 million member teachers' union was arrested on suspicion of embezzling $200 million in union funds. Attorney General Jesus Murillo says that Elba Esther Gordillo, 68, who has controlled the teachers' union for more than 20 years, allegedly shuttled union funds between bank accounts in Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the U.S. to buy expensive works of art, plastic surgery, San Diego property, and $3 million worth of luxury goods at Neiman Marcus. From 2009 to 2012, however, she declared an income of just $86,000. "Clearly, we're facing a case in which the money of education workers has been misused illegally for the benefit of various people, including Elba Esther Gordillo," said Murillo. "Under this government nobody is above the law." According to Reuters , Gordillo "has long been viewed as an impediment to education reform in Mexico." http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/02/27/Mexican-Teachers-Union-Head-Arrested-For-200-Million-Fraud#sthash.l4HdQFjx.dpuf http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=14e_1362343421 ALah007 &quot;Mexican teachers' union head arrested for $200 million fraud&quot; by Wynton Hall Mexico/union/fraud/as usual Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:37:49 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=052_1191609469 positron In violation of non-proliferation agreements, the little nation has developed an itsy bitsy arsenal of destruction. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=052_1191609469 positron <span class="highlight">Liechtenstein</span> Successfully Tests Tiny Nuclear Bomb LIECHTENSTEIN, nuclear, atomic, test, bomb Sun, 17 Feb 2008 04:50:42 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a17_1203241842 chkoha With one bigwig already toppled for tax evasion and hundreds more likely waiting their turn, all roads lead to the tiny principality of Liechtenstein. According to SPIEGEL sources, Germany's largest post-war economic scandal started with a single intelligence source. It is rapidly becoming one of the largest economic scandals ever in Germany's post-World War II history. As many as 900 wealthy Germans -- many of them well-known -- might be involved. Berlin may have been shorted up to 4 billion euros in taxes. And the accusatory finger is pointing increasingly at what many feel is rampant greed among of many of Germany's top earners -- and at a handful of banks and foundations in the tiny principality of Liechtenstein that help the affluent hide their assets. The first to fall was Deutsche Post CEO Klaus Zumwinkel. He resigned on Friday after raids on his home and office by officials looking for evidence of massive tax invasion. But with officials planning to launch up to 125 additional tax evasion investigations next week, it is likely that Zumwinkel will soon have to share headline space. The growing investigation has its roots in information handed to tax investigators by Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND). Last week, the BND insisted it had been little more than a messenger, but according to SPIEGEL sources, its involvement is more reminiscent of a Tom Clancy novel than of a run-of-the-mill operation. In 2006, a man approached the BND offering agents a DVD full of information detailing foreign investments and following capital flows from Germany into those investments. In addition, the source claimed to have particulars pertaining to a number of accounts held by the LGT Group, a bank managed by the principality of Liechtenstein. But he was charging a hefty price for the DVD. BND agents moved slowly. Their source, whose identity has not been made public, offered up samples from his data for German officials to test. And they were satisfied with the information's trustworthiness. In the end, the source was wired 5 million euros for the data disk, and he also requested personal protection out of fear for his life. The payment was made with the knowledge of German Finance Minister Peer Steinbr http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a17_1203241842 chkoha MASSIVE TAX EVASION SCANDAL IN GERMANY Germany,Tax evasion,Liechtenstein,BND Wed, 05 Dec 2012 13:26:47 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=31b_1354731613 Blklight I have a hard time believing that in Russia there is no tolerance to Dru(i)nk Driving. I mean I could understand Saudi Arabia or Qatar or someplace with an Islamic majority, but Russia? Really?? Big shout out to Live Leaker SCHUTZ for the link http://www.drinkdriving.org/worldwide_drink_driving_limits.php NL = No BAC Limit AP = Alcohol Prohibited ZT = Zero Tolerance = 0.00 Limit INTERNATIONAL BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) LIMITS CountryBAC Limit % CountryBAC Limit %1 Afghanistan 0.00 - ZT 132 Libya AP 2 Albania 0.01 133 Liechtenstein 0.05 3 Algeria 0.01 134 Lithuania 0.04 4 American Samoa 0.08 135 Luxembourg 0.08 5 Angola unknown 136 Macau 0.05 6 Anguilla unknown 137 Macedonia 0.05 7 Antigua and Barbuda 0.08 138 Madagascar unknown 8 Argentina 0.05 139 Malawi 0.00 - ZT 9 Armenia 0.00 - ZT 140 Malaysia 0.08 10 Aruba 0.05 141 Maldives AP 11 Ashmore and Cartier Islands 0.05 142 Mali unknown 12 Australia 0.05 143 Malta 0.08 13 Austria 0.05 144 Manitoba 0.05 14 Azerbaijan 0.00 - ZT 145 Mariana Islands 0.08 15 Bahamas 0.08 146 Marshall Islands unknown 16 Bahrain 0.00 - ZT147 Martinique 0.05 17 Baker Island 0.08 148 Mauritania unknown 18 Bangladesh NL - AP 149 Mauritius 0.05 19 Barbados 0.00 - ZT 150 Mayotte 0.05 20 Belarus 0.00 - ZT 151 Mexico 0.08 21 Belgium 0.05 152 Micronesia 0.05 22 Belize 0.08 153 Midway Islands 0.08 23 Benin 0.05 154 Moldova 0.00 24 Bermuda 0.08 155 Monaco 0.05 25 Bhutan NL 156 Mongolia 0.02 26 Bolivia 0.07 157 Montenegro 0.05 27 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.03 158 Montserrat 0.08 28 Botswana 0.08 159 Morocco 0.00 - ZT 29 Bouvet Island 0.02 160 Mozambique unknown 30 Brazil 0.00 - ZT 161 Namibia 0.05 31 British Virgin Islands 0.08 162 Nauru unknown 32 Brunei NL - AP 163 Navassa Island 0.08 33 Bulgaria 0.05 164 Nepal 0.00 - ZT 34 Burkina Faso NL 165 Netherlands 0.05 35 Burma (Myanmar) unknown 166 Netherlands Antilles 0.05 36 Burundi unknown 167 New Caledonia 0.05 37 Cambodia 0.05 168 New Zealand 0.08 38 Cameroon unknown 169 Nicaragua 0.08 39 Canada 0.08 170 Niger 0.08 40 Cape Verde 0.08 171 Nigeria 0.00 - ZT 41 Cayman Islands 0.10 172 Niue unknown 42 Central African Republic 0.08 173 Norfolk Island unknown 43 Chad unknown 174 North Korea 0.05 44 Chile 0.05 175 Norway 0.02 45 China 0.02 176 Oman 0.00 - ZT 46 Christmas Island 0.05 177 Pakistan AP 47 Clipperton Island 0.05 178 Palau 0.01 48 Cocos (Keeling) Islands 0.05 179 Palestinian Territories unknown 49 Colombia 0.00 - ZT 180 Palmyra Atoll 0.08 50 Comoros NL 181 Panama 0.00 - ZT 51 Cook Islands 0.08 182 Papua New Guinea 0.08 52 Coral Sea Islands 0.05 183 Paracel Islands unknown 53 Costa Rica 0.05 184 Paraguay 0.08 54 C^ote d'Ivoire 0.08 185 Peru 0.05 55 Croatia 0.05 186 Philippines 0.05 56 Cuba 0.00 - ZT187 Pitcairn Islands 0.08 57 Cyprus 0.05 188 Poland 0.02 58 Czech Republic 0.00 - ZT 189 Portugal 0.05 59 Democratic Republic of the Congo NL 190 Puerto Rico 0.08 60 Denmark 0.05 191 Qatar 0.00 - ZT 61 Dhekelia 0.05 192 Reunion 0.05 62 Djibouti unknown 193 Romania 0.00 - ZT63 Dominica unknown 194 Russia 0.00 - ZT 64 Dominican Republic NL 195 Rwanda unknown 65 East Timor unknown 196 Saint Barthelemy 0.05 66 Ecuador 0.07 197 Saint Helena 0.08 67 Egypt unknown 198 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.08 68 El Salvador 0.05 199 Saint Lucia 0.08 69 Equatorial Guinea 0.00 - ZT 200 Saint Martin 0.05 70 Eritrea 0.00 - ZT 201 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 0.05 71 Estonia 0.02 202 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0.08 72 Ethiopia NL 203 Samoa 0.00 - ZT 73 Falkland Islands 0.08 204 San Marino 0.08 74 Faroe Islands 0.05 205 S~ao Tom'e and Pr'incipe 0.05 75 Fiji unknown 206 Saudi Arabia AP 76 Finland 0.05 207 Senegal unknown 77 France 0.05 208 Serbia 0.05 78 French Guiana 0.05 209 Seychelles 0.08 79 French Polynesia 0.05 210 Sierra Leone unknown 80 French Southern and Antarctic Lands 0.05 211 Singapore 0.08 81 Gabon NL 212 Slovakia 0.00 - ZT 82 Gambia 0.00 - ZT 213 Slovenia 0.05 83 Georgia 0.00 - ZT214 Solomon Islands 0.08 84 Germany 0.05 215 Somalia unknown 85 Ghana 0.08 216 South Africa 0.05 86 Gibraltar 0.05 217 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 0.08 87 Greece 0.05 218 South Korea 0.05 88 Greenland 0.05 219 Spain 0.05 89 Grenada 0.08 220 Spratly Islands unknown 90 Guadeloupe 0.05 221 Sri Lanka 0.08 91 Guam 0.08 222 States of Micronesia 0.05 92 Guatemala 0.08 223 Sudan 0.00 - ZT 93 Guernsey 0.08 224 Suriname 0.08 94 Guinea 0.00 - ZT 225 Svalbard 0.02 95 Guinea-Bissau 0.05 226 Swaziland 0.08 96 Guyana 0.01 227 Sweden 0.02 97 Haiti unknown 228 Switzerland 0.05 98 Heard Island and McDonald Islands 0.05 229 Syria unknown 99 Holland 0.05 230 Taiwan 0.05 100 Honduras 0.07 231 Tajikistan 0.00 - ZT101 Hong Kong 0.05 232 Tanzania 0.05 102 Howland Island 0.08 233 Thailand 0.05 103 Hungary 0.00 - ZT 234 The Congo NL 104 Iceland 0.05 235 Timor Leste unknown 105 India 0.03 236 Togo NL 106 Indonesia NL 237 Tokelau 0.08 107 Iran 0.00 - ZT238 Tonga 0.08 108 Iraq 0.00 - ZT239 Trinidad and Tobago 0.08 109 Ireland 0.05 240 Tunisia 0.00 - ZT 110 Isle of Man 0.08 241 Turkey 0.05 111 Israel 0.05 242 Turkmenistan 0.00 - ZT 112 Italy 0.05 243 Turks and Caicos Islands 0.08 113 Jamaica 0.08 244 Tuvalu 0.08 114 Jan Mayen 0.02 245 Uganda 0.08 115 Japan 0.00 - ZT 246 Ukraine 0.00 - ZT 116 Jarvis Island 0.08 247 United Arab Emirates 0.00 - ZT 117 Jersey 0.08 248 United Kingdom 0.08 118 Johnston Atoll 0.08 249 United States 0.08 119 Jordan 0.00 - ZT 250 Uruguay 0.08 120 Kazakhstan 0.00 - ZT 251 Uzbekistan 0.00 - ZT 121 Kenya 0.08 252 Vanuatu NL 122 Kingman Reef 0,08 253 Venezuela 0.05 123 Kiribati NL 254 Vietnam 0.05 124 Kosovo 0.05 255 Virgin Islands 0.08 125 Kuwait AP - ZT 256 Wake Island 0.08 126 Kyrgyzstan 0.05 257 Wallis and Futuna 0.05 127 Laos 0.05 258 West Bank unknown 128 Latvia 0.05 259 Western Sahara unknown 129 Lebanon unknown 260 Yemen 0.00 - ZT130 Lesotho 0.08 261 Zambia 0.08 131 Liberia unknown 262 Zimbabwe http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=31b_1354731613 Blklight Russia is zero tolerance? Drunk driving, drink driving, Russia, world wide, BAC level Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:43:49 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fec_1343944820 MB-UK They are songs of pride and patriotism, booming out at every international sporting fixture and medal ceremony. But behind the world's national anthems lurk some strange and surprising stories. Thanks to its rousing tune, France's La Marseillaise is one of the world's most recognisable anthems. After it was written in 1792, the song quickly spread across Europe, inspiring revolutionaries from Greece to Russia. It has even been part of recent uprisings. It was sung at the Tiananmen Square protests in China. Unfortunately, its composer never managed a similar level of success. Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle wrote La Marseillaise in just a few feverish hours, after being asked for a song to inspire French troops preparing for war against Austria. But over the next 44 years of his life, he never managed another memorable tune. At one point, he even turned to writing somewhat bawdy lyrics, presumably because he was so desperate for money. If you visit his museum in the town of Lons-le-Saunier in eastern France, you can see one of those songs on display. Unsurprisingly, half the words are hidden from view in case children are passing. God Save the Queen, published in 1745, became the first recognised anthem when it was adopted by what was then the Kingdom of Great Britain. The tune became so associated with nationalism it was soon used by other countries for their anthems too, just with different words. Liechtenstein still uses it today for its anthem Oben am jungen Rhein (Above the young Rhine). This has led to a degree of confusion when Liechtenstein have played England at football. You could criticise Liechtensteiners for not having the imagination to come up with their own song. But then you would also need to criticise the many countries that have taken inspiration from the tune of La Marseillaise for their anthem. Oman and Zimbabwe are two such examples. How much do you get paid for writing an anthem, a song that could be played for hundreds of years? Not much, and that is if you are lucky. George Kakoma, the composer of Uganda's anthem, sued his government for lost royalties shortly before his death. In 1962, he was paid 2,000 Ugandan shillings for the anthem, or just 50p (US78c). Dusan Sestic, the man behind Bosnia's somewhat sad anthem, did slightly better with 6,000 Bosnian marks (lb2,500). He also wrote lyrics for the anthem. However, he'll never be paid for those as, in July, the Bosnian parliament decided to reject them after several years of debate. Mido Samuel, the composer of the world's newest anthem - South Sudan's - earned nothing except pride for his effort. Spain's anthem - originally a fanfare for the country's royal family - is famous for having no words. But there are several more without them. Kosovo's does not have any because the government decided it could not risk offending Serbs who live in the country by having lyrics in Albanian (the language of the majority). What this actually means is that many in Kosovo ignore the song and sing the Albanian or Serbian anthems instead. If you listen to Nepal's anthem, you would come away thinking it is just a gentle folk tune with lyrics about how all Nepalis are "woven from hundreds of flowers" into one garland. But, in reality, it is one of the most political. It was written in 2006, at the end of a 10-year civil war and a Maoist-led uprising against the country's king. The stormy atmosphere at the time goes some way to explaining the treatment of Byakul Maila, the poet who wrote the words. He had to undergo interviews to prove he was not a royalist, while officials and journalists combed through his background and interviewed friends and family. It sounds almost like he was on trial. His mistake? He had once edited a book of poetry that contained a contribution from the former king. Some of the Maoists now running the country would still prefer to have a stronger, more revolutionary song as their anthem. During the civil war, they sang the left-wing anthem The Internationale. Most anthems were originally very long, featuring six or more verses. Today, only a couple are likely to be sung. But the missing verses are often the most revealing about the history of a country. ust take a look at the full anthems of South American countries. In those, you can see just how happy the countries were to be free of Spanish rule. In Argentina's, the Spanish get called everything from "bloody tyrants" to "vile invaders" who "devour like wild animals" anyone in their path. In 1900, those lines stopped being sung to avoid causing offence. If you read the list of people involved in anthems, three names stick out - Mozart, who wrote Austria's, Haydn, who wrote Germany's, and Lord Burgess, a calypso singer from New York who happened to write that of Barbados. Most people probably don't know the name. But he has sold over 100 million records. Admittedly, only about 10 of those were under his own name, but he was the songwriter behind Harry Belafonte's greatest successes, including his version of Day-O and Island in the Sun. He wrote the lyrics to Barbados' anthem simply because he happened to be on holiday in the country once and some people asked him to. There is a lesson in that story for any country looking for a new anthem - invite Coldplay to visit, and then politely harass them when they arrive. If anything is going to happen to anthems over the next 10 years, they are going to get longer as people look to make the songs more inclusive. In Israel, for example, there have been calls to change the anthem Hatikvah so it includes the country's Arab population as well as the Jewish one. But it is hard to see how longer anthems will be accommodated. Under Olympic rules, anthems cannot last longer than 80 seconds so any new words would be in danger of not being sung.---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19063605 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fec_1343944820 MB-UK The secrets behind national anthems national, anthems, secrets Sun, 22 Jul 2012 22:39:17 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3ac_1343010911 MB-UK A global super-rich elite had at least $21 trillion (lb13tn) hidden in secret tax havens by the end of 2010, according to a major study. The figure is equivalent to the size of the US and Japanese economies combined. The Price of Offshore Revisited was written by James Henry, a former chief economist at the consultancy McKinsey, for the Tax Justice Network. Tax expert and UK government adviser John Whiting said he was sceptical that the amount hidden was so large. Mr Whiting, director of the Office of Tax Simplification, said: "There clearly are some significant amounts hidden away, but if it really is that size what is being done with it all?" Mr Henry said his $21tn is actually a conservative figure and the true scale could be $32tn. A trillion is 1,000 billion. Mr Henry used data from the Bank of International Settlements, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and national governments. His study deals only with financial wealth deposited in bank and investment accounts, and not other assets such as property and yachts. The report comes amid growing public and political concern about tax avoidance and evasion. Some authorities, including in Germany, have even paid for information on alleged tax evaders stolen from banks. The group that commissioned the report, Tax Justice Network, campaigns against tax havens. Mr Henry said that the super-rich move money around the globe through an "industrious bevy of professional enablers in private banking, legal, accounting and investment industries. "The lost tax revenues implied by our estimates is huge. It is large enough to make a significant difference to the finances of many countries. "From another angle, this study is really good news. The world has just located a huge pile of financial wealth that might be called upon to contribute to the solution of our most pressing global problems," he said. The report highlights the impact on the balance sheets of 139 developing countries of money held in tax havens that is put beyond the reach of local tax authorities. Mr Henry estimates that since the 1970s, the richest citizens of these 139 countries had amassed $7.3tn to $9.3tn of "unrecorded offshore wealth" by 2010. Private wealth held offshore represents "a huge black hole in the world economy," Mr Henry said. Mr Whiting, though, urged caution. "I cannot disprove the figures at all, but they do seem staggering. If the suggestion is that such amounts are actively hidden and never accessed, that seems odd - not least in terms of what the tax authorities are doing. In fact, the US, UK and German authorities are doing a lot." He also pointed out that if tax havens were stuffed with such sizeable amounts, "you would expect the havens to be more conspicuously wealthy than they are". Other findings in Mr Henry's report include: At the end of 2010, the 50 leading private banks alone collectively managed more than $12.1tn in cross-border invested assets for private clients The three private banks handling the most assets offshore are UBS, Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs Less than 100,000 people worldwide own about $9.8tn of the wealth held offshore. Mr Henry told the BBC that it was difficult to detail hidden assets in some individual countries, including the UK, because of restrictions on getting access to data. A spokesman for the Treasury said great strides were being made in cracking down on people hiding assets. He said that in 2011-12 HM Revenue &amp; Customs' High Net Worth Unit secured lb200m in additional tax through its compliance work with the very wealthy. He said that agreements reached with Liechtenstein and Switzerland will bring in lb3bn and between lb4bn and lb7bn respectively.---- Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18944097 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3ac_1343010911 MB-UK Super-rich 'hiding' at least $21tn super, uber, rich, hiding, trillions, money, economy Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:25:51 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=066_1332256826 VikingRapeSquad http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/cri_rap_rat-crime-rape-rate # 1 Lesotho : # 2 Sweden : # 3 New Zealand : # 4 Belgium : # 5 Ireland : # 6 I celand : # 7 Norway : # 8 Israel : # 9 Finland : # 10 France : # 11 Mongolia : 13.4 2009 # 12 Chile : 13.3 2009 = 13 Luxembourg : 11.9 2009 = 13 Estonia : 11.9 2009 # 15 Solomon Islands : 11 2009 # 16 Germany : 8.9 2009 = 17 Kazakhstan : 8.4 2009 = 17 Liechtenstein : 8.4 2009 # 19 Argentina : 8.3 2008 # 20 Denmark : 7.3 2009 # 21 Moldova : 7.2 2009 # 22 Oman : 6.6 2009 # 23 Kyrgyzstan : 5.6 2009 # 24 Spain : 5.5 2009 # 25 Mauritius : 5.4 2009 # 26 Czech Republic : 5.1 2009 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=066_1332256826 VikingRapeSquad Countries with Highest Rapes Per Capita.... Nation, Master, Crime, Rate, By Country, nation, of, victims Sat, 06 Aug 2011 00:36:20 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=00d_1312605148 peterjames2009 A cornerstone of the global financial system was shaken Friday when officials at ratings firm Standard &amp; Poor's said U.S. Treasury debt no longer deserved to be considered among the safest investments in the world. S&amp;P downgraded the U.S. government's AAA sovereign credit rating, an unprecedented action that could send shock waves through the global financial system. WSJ's Money &amp; Investing Editor, Francesco Guerrera, reports. (Photo: Getty Images) S&amp;P removed for the first time the triple-A rating the U.S. has held for 70 years, saying the budget deal recently brokered in Washington didn't do enough to address the gloomy outlook for America's finances. It downgraded long-term U.S. debt to AA+, a score that ranks below more than a dozen governments', including Liechtenstein's, and on par with Belgium's and New Zealand's. S&amp;P also put the new grade on "negative outlook," meaning the U.S. has little chance of regaining the top rating in the near term. The unprecedented move came after several hours of high-stakes drama. It began in the morning, when word leaked that a downgrade was imminent and stocks tumbled. Around 1:30 p.m., S&amp;P officials notified the Treasury Department that they planned to downgrade U.S. debt and presented the government with their findings. Treasury officials noticed a $2 trillion error in S&amp;P's math that delayed an announcement for several hours. S&amp;P officials decided to move ahead, and after 8 p.m. they made their downgrade official. S&amp;P said the downgrade "reflects our opinion that the fiscal consolidation plan that Congress and the administration recently agreed to falls short of what, in our view, would be necessary to stabilize the government's medium-term debt dynamics." It also blamed the weakened "effectiveness, stability, and predictability" of U.S. policy making and political institutions at a time when challenges are mounting. "A judgment flawed by a $2 trillion error speaks for itself," a Treasury representative said. LIVE BLOG: Reactions to S&amp;P Downgrade Follow live coverage , as the world reacts to the U.S.'s downgraded credit rating. The downgrade will force traders and investors to reconsider what has been an elemental assumption of modern finance. Since July 14, when Standard &amp; Poor's warned it could downgrade the credit rating, analysts have struggled to determine how such a move could affect the financial landscape, given how Treasurys permeate Wall Street and the economy. It's possible the blow in the short run might be more psychological than practical. Rival ratings firms Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings have maintained their top-notch ratings for U.S. debt in recent days. And so far, U.S. Treasury bonds have remained a haven for investors worried about the health of the U.S. economy and the state of Europe's debt crisis. The pre-announcement spat could further undermine the impact of the downgrade. View Full Image Bloomberg News The downgrade from S&amp;P has been brewing for months. S&amp;P's sovereign debt team had grown increasingly skeptical that Washington policy makers would make significant progress in reducing the deficit. But the move by S&amp;P still could serve as a psychological haymaker for an American economic recovery that can't find much traction, and could do more damage to investors' increasing lack of faith in a political system that is struggling to reach consensus even on everyday policy matters. It could lead to the prompt debt downgrades of numerous companies and states, driving up their costs of borrowing. Policy makers are also anxious about any hidden icebergs the move could suddenly reveal. A key concern will be whether the appetite for U.S. debt might change among foreign investors, in particular China, the world's largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasurys. In 1945, foreigners owned just 1% of U.S. Treasurys; today they own a record high 46%, according to research done by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Late Friday, federal regulators said the downgrade wouldn't affect risk-based capital requirements for U.S. banks-the cushion banks must hold to protect against losses. The Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and other federal banking regulators said in a statement the lowering "will not change" the risk weights for Treasury securities and other securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or government agencies. Because S&amp;P left the U.S. short-term credit rating unchanged, the downgrade is unlikely to have a big impact on money market funds that own U.S. Treasury bills. Some investors believe Treasurys will remain a safe place in a volatile world, even without a solid triple-A credit-rating. Others believe the U.S. will be forced to pay higher interest rates, say about 0.5 percentage point higher, simply because they are seen as being slightly riskier than before. While only a slight gain, such a jump would increase the cost of a wide array of debt, from a home mortgage to the trillions of dollars in debt carried by the U.S. government itself. S&amp;P Downgrade S&amp;P Press Release S&amp;P Official: U.S. Downgrade Was Due in Part to Debt-Ceiling Brawl S&amp;P Downgrades the U.S.: Five Things Markets in Turmoil A Wild Ride for Financial Markets As the World Churns, Traders Squirm Dow Whipsaws to a Gain Treasurys Post Biggest Weekly Gain in Two Years Investing Taking Advantage of the Downturn Stocks Are Cheaper, but They Aren't Cheap Europe Debt Crisis Italy Speeds Its Path to Balanced Budget Lessons from other countries, such as Canada and Australia, suggest it can take years for a country to win back its AAA rating. At the same time, the economic impact of past downgrades has tended to be larger when multiple firms move to rate a country's debt as riskier, as opposed to a single firm acting unilaterally. The downgrade from S&amp;P has been brewing for months. S&amp;P's sovereign debt team, led by company veteran David T. Beers, had grown increasingly skeptical that Washington policy makers would make significant progress in reducing the deficit, given the tortured talks over raising the debt ceiling. In recent warnings, the company said Washington should strive to reduce the deficit by $4 trillion over 10 years, suggesting anything less would be insufficient. Negotiations to reach that threshold collapsed, and political leaders instead agreed to a last-second deal to cut the deficit by between $2.1 trillion and $2.4 trillion, making a downgrade almost unavoidable. When the $4 trillion deal fell apart, some Obama administration officials immediately warned that a downgrade from S&amp;P was a real possibility. S&amp;P officials acknowledged the error Treasury pointed out but didn't believe it was so significant. It was a technical error, though it could have serious implications. It concerned the future ratio of U.S. debt to the size of the economy, with S&amp;P officials projecting a larger share than many experts. S&amp;P conferred with a team from the Treasury Department earlier in the week to talk about the debt plan, and government officials tried to explain its scope. S&amp;P officials ended their briefing with an air of mystery about what they might do, and Treasury officials were braced for an announcement later in the week, people familiar with the matter said. View Full Image The firm's conclusion "was pretty much motivated by all of the debate about the raising of the debt ceiling," John Chambers, chairman of S&amp;P's sovereign ratings committee, said in an interview. "It involved a level of brinksmanship greater than what we had expected earlier in the year." The full faith and credit of the U.S. was established by Alexander Hamilton's 1790 push to have the fledgling federal government assume and pay back debts that states incurred during the Revolutionary War. It has gone largely unquestioned since, with just the occasional hiccup, including a 1979 debt-ceiling argument that delayed a few payments. Recent demographic and economic changes, in particular the aging population and ballooning health-care costs, have made the long-term U.S. picture an ugly one, a problem exacerbated by a deep recession, which cut tax receipts and prompted a flood of fresh debt-financed spending. Forging an agreement to tackle these problems has been elusive, with bitter partisan disagreements about tax policy and entitlement programs such as Medicare taking center stage. So far, economic turmoil in Europe and other parts of the world has continued to drive investors toward Treasurys, sparing the U.S. from a price usually paid by countries that can't get a handle on their debt problems. The phenomenon has kept interest rates paid on government debt very low, making it relatively inexpensive for the Treasury to finance the government's large deficits. J.P. Morgan Chase &amp; Co. analysts estimate some $4 trillion worth of Treasurys are pledged as collateral by borrowers such as banks and derivatives traders. If that collateral isn't considered as high quality by lenders, the borrowers could be required to cough up more cash or securities to put the minds of lenders at ease. That could force investors to sell off other assets to come up with the money. In a worst-case scenario, credit markets could seize up, as they did during the Lehman crisis. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903366504576490841235575386.html http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=00d_1312605148 peterjames2009 S&amp;P Downgrade USA Rating for not doing enough to change the debt crisis S&amp;P, obama, democrats, republicans, debt crisis, GOP, GFC, GFC2 Sun, 15 May 2011 11:44:28 -0400 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=10f_1305473497 Arizona_Patriot European interior ministers agree to 'radical revision' of Schengen amid fears of a flood of migrants from north Africa European nations moved to reverse decades of unfettered travel across the continent when a majority of EU governments agreed the need to reinstate national passport controls amid fears of a flood of immigrants fleeing the upheaval in north Africa. In a serious blow to one of the cornerstones of a united, integrated Europe, EU interior ministers embarked on a radical revision of the passport-free travel regime known as the Schengen system to allow the 26 participating governments to restore border controls. They also agreed to combat immigration by pressing for "readmission accords" with countries in the Middle East and north Africa to send refugees back to where they came from. The policy shift was pushed by France and Italy, who have been feuding and panicking in recent weeks over a small influx of refugees from Tunisia. But 15 of the 22 EU states which had signed up to Schengen supported the move, with only four resisting, according to officials and diplomats present. The issue will be discussed at a summit of EU prime ministers and presidents next month. But the "reforms" of the Schengen system also need to go through the European parliament, where there is likely to be strong resistance to empowering national governments to reinstate controls. The border-free region embraces more than 400m people in 22 EU countries, as well as Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland. It extends from Portugal to Russia's borders on the Baltic, and from Reykjavik to Turkey's border with Greece. The move to curb freedom of travel came as the extreme nationalist right, which is increasingly influencing policy across Europe, chalked up a notable victory in Denmark, which announced it would unilaterally re-erect controls on its borders with Germany and Sweden. The centre-right minority government in Copenhagen capitulated to the fiercely anti-immigrant nationalists of the Danish People's party to secure parliamentary backing for long-term budget, welfare and retirement policies. "I have worked hard for this," said Pia Kjaersgaard, the far-right leader. Despite the 'fortress Europe' mood gripping EU leaders, the Danish decision stunned many because it was taken just hours before an emergency EU meeting devoted to immigration and the Schengen regime. The German government complained that the open border should not be "sacrificed for domestic political reasons". The European commission said it would scrutinise the decision to see if it complied with the Schengen rules. There were calls in the European parliament for Denmark to be kicked out of the Schengen regime. But the Danish government promised that border and customs checks would not extend to passport controls, and that this remained compliant with Schengen. Denmark already has the tightest anti-immigration laws in Europe. The government there said a permanent return to national controls was aimed at combating cross-border crime. The sudden shift in Denmark, as well as the new curbs on freedom of movement, highlighted how a resurgent Europhobic far right across the EU is translating success at the ballot box into policy victories. Italy's anti-immigrant campaign is headed by the interior minister Robert Maroni, of the xenophobic Northern League in the Berlusconi coalition. The campaign in France is seen as an attempt by President Nicolas Sarkozy to dilute the growing appeal of Marine Le Pen, the new leader of the extreme Front National. The minority centre-right coalition in the Netherlands, as in Denmark, is propped up by tacit support from the Muslim-baiting Freedom party led by Geert Wilders. The robust nationalism, most recently evident in Finland, is fuelling demands for the repatriation of powers from Brussels, a trend likely to be welcomed by David Cameron and the Tories. "The problem is all about trust. How do we get out of this without bringing down the system?" said one EU ambassador. "The challenges get bigger every day and the question is whether all this can be kept under control." The policy shift has also been triggered by acute nervousness about the impact of the Arab spring. "There are hundreds of thousands on the shores of north Africa. Something extraordinary could happen any day," said a senior EU diplomat. "If Gaddafi uses this weapon, he can create a lot of problems for Europe." The Guardian revealed this week that the Gaddafi regime is allowing thousands of sub-Saharan African migrants on to overcrowded, unseaworthy ships in an apparently calculated attempt to use migration to pressure Nato and the EU countries against backing Libya's rebels. While a consensus has emerged among EU governments on rowing back on Schengen, the European commission maintained that national passport and border controls could only be reintroduced "as a last resort", temporarily in extreme circumstances. The commission's emphasis paves the way for a power struggle in the weeks and months ahead over who should police the Schengen rules and decide whether and why a country may suspend the open-borders regime. At Thursday's meeting, Germany insisted the powers had to rest with national governments and that the European commission would be bypassed. It was supported by France, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Cecilia Malmstrom, the commissioner for home affairs - who calls the borders-free zone a "beautiful achievement" - argued that the powers should be vested in Brussels. S'andor Pint'er, the Hungarian interior minister, who chaired the meeting, warned that individual countries should not be allowed to act alone in deciding to restore border controls. "That could trigger a chain reaction and shatter confidence," he said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/12/europe-to-end-passport-free-travel Guess what? European countries want control of their own borders. Since the inception of the EU, you could get a passport that let you travel from country to country but European countries are now being overrun with immigrants and want to end passport free travel. Are they now racist? http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=10f_1305473497 Arizona_Patriot Europe Moves to End Passport-Free Travel Europe, moves, to, end, passport-free, travel, restore, border, controls, Sun, 12 Dec 2010 17:00:24 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4c8_1292191036 hartistry Vaduz Castle (German Schloss Vaduz) is the palace and official residence of the Prince of Liechtenstein. The castle gave its name to the town of Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, which it overlooks from an adjacent hilltop. The earliest mention of the castle can be found in the deed of the Count Rudolf von Werdenberg-Sargans for a sale to Ulrich von Matsch. The then owners - presumably also the builders - were the Counts of Werdenberg-Sargans. The Bergfried (12th century) and parts of the east-side are the oldest. The tower stands upon a piece of ground of about 12 x 13 m and has a wall density on the ground floor of up to 4 metres. The original entrance lay at the Hofzijde at an 11 metre height. The chapel St. Anna was presumably built in the Middle Ages as well. The main altar is late-gothic. In the Schwaben War of 1499, the castle was burned by the honorbound of Switzerland. The west-side was expanded on by Count Kaspar van Hohenems (1613-1640). The Liechtenstein family acquired Vaduz Castle in 1712 when it purchased the countship of Vaduz. At this time, Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor, combined the countship with the Lordship of Schellenberg, purchased by the Liechtensteins in 1699, to form the Principality of Liechtenstein. Piano Improv by Dave Hart, American Pianist/Composer http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=4c8_1292191036 hartistry Midnight Moon Over Vaduz Castle Midnight,Moon , Vaduz Castle,hartistry,david,hart, Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:22:43 -0500 http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0c5_1291267226 dcmfox The History & Status of Unemployment in Europe. The history of work may have begun centuries before written records but from what we know today, obtaining and keeping work was never easy. Throughout Europe's bloody events that swept throughout the continent with attacks, seizures, power, wars, disease, poverty for many and opulence for the few, finding work during medieval times or the Middles Ages, to support one's family was always about who you knew and if your family had money. Servitude was rampant during feudal times with lords overseeing their dependents in living and working clusters for survival. Slaves or serfs, as they were called, did the work necessary for basic needs, such as farming, and the lords in the castles provided protection against foreign invaders, terrorists of that time, but they had no autonomy or control over their own destinies. Apprenticeships flourished in the Middle Ages. One-on-one, you could learn a trade such as silversmith, leather-making, carpentry and others, under the guidance of one who was a Master of his trade. A Master attained such status after years of working in the field and "mastering" his trade. Your family, however, had to have money to sponsor you. You were required to join a guild in those days, forerunners of today's unions, and pay for your entrance. Guilds were already in existence in ancient times in Asia. There's probably nothing new under the sun and there were most likely dry spells when no one was hiring-unless you knew somebody. Only those who worked and the wealthy business people controlled everything in the towns. They had the status and respect with their symbols of stone houses and who could build the talents and widest, bright colored structures, were the ones who were admired, revered and respected. If you were poor, you only had a wooden house which was subject to fire. Many rows of wooden houses were lost in fires back then. Despite the storybook look of sleepy towns with castles and the awe of towering holy structures with over-the-top adornment, it belies the hardships and cruel realities of days gone by. There were walls between invaders and walls between the very royal rich memorialized in history and the many more poor unknowns. The unemployed fell to the way in those days-if you were lucky enough not to be tortured and punished for unproven crimes in the cruelest, most brutal ways known to man-or fighting in some of the many ongoing battles and uprisings (remember the French Revolution and the Storming of the Bastille later on in another millennium because people were starving and oppressed by the royalty of the day?) between tribes and countries. There was no official department of any government in those days that dispensed any kind of welfare, and poor, sick beggars, orphans and widows littered the streets which had no running sanitation. You can imagine the smell of things back then! Benevolent wealthy people would help and saintly individuals would open hospitals for their care. These structures are still standing-in great shape, I might add-in many countries in Europe. Today, we seem civilized, with our running water, unemployment insurance benefits and public assistance, but we are still plagued with similar issues of the haves vs. the have-nots. We just have to look at our country and around the world today to see unrest over job situations and economics...recent uprisings and riots in Greece and Thailand confirm that. Greeks who are civil servants must now pay 40% of their pensions through earned salary and the retirement age was raised and two months of salary will be cut to meet the debt. Talk of European debt and unrest dominates the forefront of news along with the oil spill and volcanic eruptions. Yet you have a country like Liechtenstein, one of the world's smallest principalities (if not the smallest, like Luxemburg, Monaco and the Vatican) with zero unemployment. Switzerland only has 2% of its population out of work. On the other hand, Germany has an 8.9% unemployment statistic, according to the local tour guide and he reports that the statistic is not accurate, that there are more. (Sound familiar?) And Eastern Germany is worse than Western Germany. Forty percent of the East is out of work and those in the West are better qualified. As in the U.S., German government offers tax credits-but for a period of 10 years-to companies that move from the West to the East, to develop economically and build up that section of the country. But as the tour guide said, he believes it will take generations to improve conditions. On the bright side, a look at how unemployment is handled in modern Germany: Five years ago, 80% of one's earned salary is paid for by unemployment! In other words, if you had made $100,000/year, the government unemployment benefit would be $80,000/year. Recently, the German government cut those benefits to about 50-60% of one's earned salary before job loss. There is talk of further cuts to this amount. They called unemployment insurance "taxpayer subsidies." The government also pays for necessities such as housing and food. So said and quoted German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble in German media, "We have to adjust our social security systems in a way that they motivate people to accept regular work and do not give counterproductive incentives." Also at threat of loss, is six weeks vacation and retirement at 60. If you think getting half your former salary in unemployment benefits sounds like a deal, you'll be surprised to know that the government also pays for television because television is considered a necessity to keep up with what is happening in the world while one is out of work! In ways, they are still ahead of the game, despite looming cuts. After about a year, the German unemployment office wants to know what you have been doing that you are still out of work (nothing new here up until now) and mandates your appearance to try and match you with jobs, but the jobs are always at a lesser level educationally and skill-wise than what you are qualified for or have worked as. And he said, people like himself, who are university graduates, would never think of using the unemployment office! The nice thing is that many European countries offer free or very low cost college educations compared to the U.S., but getting into the universities is extremely competitive and in Germany, in particular, your parents and school decide if you are "college material." In Denmark, employers can hire and fire workers with financial security and training to prepare for new jobs. Denmark has a 7.5 unemployment rate while Sweden and Finland see 8.9%, like Germany. The average unemployment rate in Europe overall is 9.6%. Norway unemployment benefits are funded by oil (ooh...dirty word...don't say that here!) and they have one of Europe's lowest unemployment rates, coming in at a measly 3%. Spain is cutting aid to disabled and much of Europe is trying to change its welfare systems and accommodate burgeoning immigration. In Portugal, you must accept any job that pays 10% more than unemployment benefits. I'm sure some of you who are long-term unemployed and searching would be happy to have that opportunity. Despite similarities and differences in countries around the world, there were no times through the ages that were easy, in matters of survival and employment. So, in borrowing a phrase from a Styx song, "these are the best of times," this time in history and recorded civilization is all we have to try and make the best of things. One thing is for certain: life was never/is never easy and the problems were and are the same, no matter in what time you live or where you tread. -By The Job Enthusiast http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0c5_1291267226 dcmfox The History &amp; Status of Unemployment in Europe. history, status, unemployment, europe