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That is because States are most of the time the dirtiest of all launderers. For example the US financed its South America operations with drugs for a long time
by bumbada 5y ago
That is because States are most of the time the dirtiest of all launderers.
For example the US financed its South America operations with drugs for a long time. US, Israel, Germany or Russia sells weapons under the table to other countries.
Venezuela's leaders are financed by drugs today, like Cuba and Bolivia.
US, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Turkey give money or weapons to people that destabilize other countries like Syria , Ukraine or Iran, Iraq or Afghanistan. Osama Bin Laden for example was paid by the US for a long time,like Hillary recognized.
In Iran and Congo or Egypt the US simply destroyed democracy killing their leaders in order to loot their countries, just like their predecesors.
Talking with Syrian refugees, it was usual for them to see some alien(no Syrians) group enter their villages with the newest weapons and Iphones and do things like killing all Christians or raping all women, they were financed by external powers.
If you are Chinese and have lots of money the UK will welcome you in any of their tax havens, of course, while the Chinese have made it illegal. Remember the British Empire financed itself with drugs(opium) and slaves for all its History.
If you are Germany Italy or Switzerland and the US imposes you ridiculous sanctions like those to North Stream 2 project, you will find a way to evade the control of foreign powers over your sovereign rights paying on alternative places than those controlled by the foreign power.
- Proven 5y agoTrue, but that isn't money laundering that the article talks about because it is done by the State. The Economist knowingly ignores various crimes by the UK and USA while whining how there's not enough money for the endless illegal wars they support. The more money is hidden from the State and politicians, the better.
- CyanBird 5y ago> Venezuela's leaders are financed by drugs today, like Cuba and Bolivia. Do you have a source for this? All the reports I have seen point the opposite, modern current Bolivian Venezuelan govs have seen a dramatic fall on drug trade, there was even an apalling graph from US senate where it showed that the bulk of drug trade left LATAM through Colombia and the Pacific Coast vs Venezuela, but still US gov PR line has been insistent on tarnishing the global reputations of said countries because they oppose US hegemony in the region
- jmcdl 5y agoThis organisation makes some convincing claims about direct government involvement in drug trafficking in Venezuela. https://insightcrime.org/investigations/venezuela-mafia-state/ https://insightcrime.org/investigations/venezuela-mafia-stat...
- jmcdl 5y agoAnd this investigation published this year discusses the same https://insightcrime.org/investigations/rise-plata-over-plomo-cancer-corruption/ https://insightcrime.org/investigations/rise-plata-over-plom...
- EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 5y agoNow they promote North Stream 2 on HN ... but it's easy to spot them.
- throw4738 5y ago》 British Empire financed itself with ... slaves for all its History That is just not true. British Empire abolished slavery worldwide. They went into war with many countries that supported slavery. They even took huge loan to end slavery, that took hundreds years to repay (until 2015).
- stephenhuey 5y agoBefore abolition, profit from slavery was the empire’s largest source of revenue for centuries. A few months ago, Jane Austen led me to do some digging. https://consideringausten.wordpress.com/austen-and-antigua-slavery-in-her-time/ https://consideringausten.wordpress.com/austen-and-antigua-s...
- norswap 5y agoI believe some of those are probably true. That being said, I'm sad to see such a blob of unsubstantiated "facts" at the top of HN. I'm also not sure it has anything to do with the subject at hand.
- afturkrull 5y ago> I believe some of those are probably true .. That's actually the most accurate description of the international narc-terrorism business I have ever seen in print. Very well put bumbada ..
- nickelcitymario 5y agoI think they got most of that pretty correct, but I agree that making such a long list of claims should inspire a list of citations before being shared.
- snarf21 5y agoI agree that governments are in on it but you seem to neglect banks role. Deutsche Bank is one of the biggest launderers in the world.
- vbezhenar 5y agoIt's ridiculous when the West claims Nazarbayev (Kazakhstan's first president) dictator, at the same time allowing his family to buy properties in London spending billions of dollars. Hypocrisy at its finest. That's one of the reasons I, personally, no longer accept West as world's morality leader and their "democratic values". They're good at fooling young people, but when you start to think and analyze, you'll realize that corruption is legalized in US, that there are plenty of presidential families or otherwise high-ranked positions there, so it's all the same. West condemns when "dictators" shut protests while doing the same with protest in their own countries, even more violently. They just have more money, so they can wash brains better, end of story.
- TheButlerian 5y agoOk, go fuck yourself then and enjoy China and Russia ruled world.
- lstodd 5y agoMost fun was had when Berezovsky sued Abramovich over what amounted to "unfair split of stolen stuff". In London court, no less.