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THE SOVEREIGN SOCIETY OFFSHORE A-LETTER
Your Link to Freedom, Privacy & Prosperity in the Offshore World
Thursday, October 13, 2005 - Vol. 7 No. 207
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In This Issue:
* COMMENT: The Voice of God.
* OFFSHORE: Panama: Columbus, Gas & Security.
* WEALTH: Pro Flat Tax: Anti-OECD. Money Laundering Laws Mess.
* PRIVACY & RIGHTS: Curb the PATRIOT Act. Real ID Act is Insanity.
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COMMENT: The Voice of God.
Dear A-Letter Reader:
Albert Einstein, in an unrelativistic moment, is quoted as saying:
"God is subtle but He is not malicious."
I was about to claim falsely that we rarely mention God in these
comments, but a search of back A-Letter issues found a great many
mentions of the Deity. Often these relate to individual rights and
US constitutional origins, based on the words of the Founding Fathers
who believed religion had an important place in our national life.
Be that as it may, God briefly became a side issue in the world media
last week when a BBC TV documentary made the claim that Pres. George
W. Bush told Palestinian ministers that God had told him to invade
Afghanistan and Iraq, and to create a Palestinian State in order to
bring peace to the Middle East. (If true, that would give an entirely
new meaning to the phrase "act of God.") Mahmoud Abbas, then the
Palestinian prime minister, and Nabil Shaath, then the Palestinian
foreign minister, described Bush's alleged words to them and insisted
they had heard him correctly.
The White House was quick to deny the BBC claims unequivocally. "He
never made such comments," a White House official insisted, adding
that "it's pretty clear-cut...black and white" that such a Bush
conversation never took place. (With them? With God?)
We don't know whether the President claimed divine inspiration for his
plans for world democratization and anti-terrorism. It would be
comforting to think that God had more influence on some of America's
policies. But the recent foreign misadventures seem more the fault of
Defense Sec. Rumsfeld (a friend from my Capitol Hill days) et al. I
blame Rev. Ashcroft for much of the worst of the PATRIOT Act. But while
He is said to permit the existence of evil, I certainly don't think God
should be blamed for Bush foreign policies.
My late, good parents, Florence and Carl, raised me as an indifferent
Methodist. I used to joke that I became a Catholic so that I could
drink. (I overdid that, but the Church still has to suffer my adherence
to the Faith, if not to all its pronouncements).
I do believe in the power of prayer, but few of the faithful, when
asking for a sign from God, are forthwith struck by lightening or enjoy
instant levitation.
The problem is, as I see it, how do you know from whence cometh those
commanding voices? Is it God, or, as Dickens suggested, a bit of
underdone potato? After all, schizophrenics hear voices -- and sometimes
obey with horrible consequences to themselves or others. (Thank God for
lithium).
There's rather solid proof that God is not the author of the President's
policies. God, as I understand the theological concept the Georgetown
Jesuits taught me, is all knowing and all wise. That suggests
consistency in all things, not just now, but always.
If the President has been getting consistent advice from anyone, On
High or on the Down Low, his sources are anything but consistent.
Examples:
* Mr. Bush ran as an anti-big government "conservative" but he has
become the biggest spending president since FDR, even beating LBJ's
"guns and butter" billions.
* He claimed to be a conservative, but he has run up trillions in debt
and has yet to veto even one bill of any kind, even when loaded with
billions in unneeded pork.
* He said he had no intention to engage in "nation building" yet the US
is mired down in not only Iraq and Afghanistan, but in almost every
corner of the earth in one way or another, while other areas, such as
Latin America, are neglected to the future detriment of the US.
* He promised that he had made the US ready to defend itself after the
9-11 attacks, but Hurricane Katrina proved that promise to be an
outrageous, cruel hoax.
Politicians habitually cloak their actions in words about religion,
invoking the blessing of God on their nations (and by inference) on
themselves. You often hear that more people have died in wars over
religion than from any other cause. If that's accurate, it should give
us all pause about knowing God's will.
In the Rose Garden last week, a reporter asked President Bush, "Are
you still a conservative?" The president's reply: "Am I what?"
(Without the trademark smirk).
An improbable authority on the Almighty, Pablo Picasso, once observed
that: "God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe, the
elephant and the cat. He has no real style. He just goes on trying
other things."
Perhaps that is the kind of Divine Inspiration that motivates the
President's policies. Remember him (and America) in your prayers.
And be careful to identify the source of voices. Vox Dei, Amen.
That's the way it looks from here.
BOB BAUMAN, Editor
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COMMENT LINKS:
* God told me to invade Iraq, Bush tells Palestinian ministers. LINK:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/10_october/06/bush.shtml
* White House denies Bush said God told him to invade. LINK:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/08/MNGL9F4JRR1.DTL
* Bush's Satanic Verses: God Denies He Told Bush.
LINK: http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=7546
* Mr. Big Government. LINK:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-katrina5oct05,0,479860.story
* Bush the Big Spender.
LINK: http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb-0510-26.pdf
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* FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK:
OFFSHORE:
* PANAMA - COLUMBUS REMEMBERED & GAS PRICES
PANAMA CITY: It was 503 years ago this week that Columbus made his
last voyage to his New World and dropped anchor in Panama. He suspected
he'd found an isthmus, but thick jungle and lack of supplies and crew
prevented him from discovering the Pacific. (Balboa did that a few years
later). Columbus died a year and a half later, convinced to his last
breath that he had explored Asia. If only he'd had that Canal.
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* In the wake of student street protests, Panama announced cuts in
the price of gasoline. And Central American defense ministers met
with US Defense Sec. Rumsfeld to coordinate future security plans.
Panama attended, but it has no army or navy.
* Christopher Columbus, Hero and Villain
http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/web/20051012-columbus-new-world-indians-taino-india-king-ferdinand-queen-isabella-panama.shtml
* Panamanian government announces fuel price reduction. LINK:
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID={23C87453-EE9D-4790-96A0-A79B2A521D49}&language=EN
* Central American defense ministers discuss forming security force
LINK: http://www.tallahassee.com/mld/tallahassee/12883347.htm
* My new book, Panama Money Secrets, gives the lowdown on
the many things Panama has to welcome foreigners. LINK:
https://www.isecureonline.com/secure/FORM1.CFM?PUBCODE=190SPMON&PCODE=E190GB22&ALIAS=99
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WEALTH:
* PRO FLAT TAX: ANTI-OECD
In a hard-hitting editorial, the Wall Street Journal praises the
worldwide shift to the flat tax and also condemns the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for trying to undermine
the tax competition that compels politicians to adopt better tax laws.
* Pro-flat tax; anti-OECD. LINK:
http://www.freedomandprosperity.org/blog/2005-10/2005-10.shtml#116
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* Did Harriet Miers (who?) enabled abusive tax shelters? (Probably not).
LINK: http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46761
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* ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAWS ARE A FAILED MESS
Generating lots of useless paper, computer reports and billions in
costs, but very few arrests or convictions, money laundering laws have
failed. It's time for a realistic change in approach.
* How to stop terrorism financing; new way needed.
http://www.dcexaminer.com/articles/2005/10/11/opinion/op-ed/43oped11farah.txt
* Take dirty money off the table. LINK:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/10/12/EDGQIF6HB41.DTL
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PRIVACY & RIGHTS:
* CURB THE PATRIOT ACT
US lawmakers negotiating PATRIOT Act revisions should keep in mind the
need to protect constituents from overzealous law enforcers. The US
Senate bill better safeguards the privacy and civil rights of all law
abiding Americans.
* Check PATRIOT Act abuses of power. LINK:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/opinion/12878110.htm
* Trade groups speak out against PATRIOT Act.
LINK: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1869361,00.asp
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* THE REAL I.D. ACT IS INSANE
WASHINGTON: The massive US effort to create a secure digital driver's
license system by early 2008 is hugely expensive and is leading to
chaos. Repeal the whole damned thing!
* Road to secure US drivers' licenses looks chaotic. LINK:
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticleSearch.aspx?storyID=164326 10-Oct-2005 RTRS&srch=ID
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THE SOVEREIGN SOCIETY OFFSHORE A-LETTER.
* Bob Bauman, Editor * Daniel Aponte, Jr. Editorial Asst.
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