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THE SOVEREIGN SOCIETY OFFSHORE A-LETTER
Your Link to Freedom, Privacy & Prosperity in the Offshore World
Friday, October 28, 2005 - Vol. 7 No. 218
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In This Issue:
* COMMENT: Big Brother Wants to Wiretap Your Kids.
* OFFSHORE: Swiss EU Issue. Panama Tax Laws. Bahamas Advice.
* WEALTH: U.S. Tax Protester Guilty. American Needs Tax reform.
* PRIVACY & RIGHTS: U.S. Tracks Your Cell phone. RFID Problems.
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Mark Nestmann, founding editor of The Sovereign Individual, the Sovereign Society monthly newsletter, is author of many books on privacy rights and tax planning. He heads the Nestmann Group.
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COMMENT: Big Brother Wants to Wiretap Your Kids.
Dear A-Letter Reader:
In its never ending quest for peace and justice and its Wars against Everything (drugs, terrorism, et al), the US government has found what it thinks is a giant loophole in its surveillance/spy network: your very own children, at least those who attend an American college or university.
In these purported collegiate hotbeds of Islamic fundamentalism, the FBI thinks young terrorists lurk. The government solution to this non-existent problem? Federal regulations that force colleges and universities to make their computer networks more “wiretap friendly” making it easier to monitor e-mail and phone calls made over the Internet. And not just universities: libraries and airports providing Internet services also must meet these same easier FBI wiretap requirements.
A misguided 1994 law already requires phone companies to build urveillance into their networks so the FBI can wiretap at the touch of a button. This supposedly requires a court approved warrant,but since the FBI now can do this without phone company help,no one knows if the FBI gets such warrants. News reports indicate that because of the faulty FBI system, organized crime, foreign spies,suspected terrorists and even some targets of federal wiretaps are able to listen to US phone conversations. (Don't you sleep a lot easier knowing that Osama bin Laden and friends might be listening to your phone calls, courtesy of FBI’s botched implementation of the law?)
Naturally, since the FBI wiretap system is working so well, they want to expand it. They asked the FCC to issue new rules to making their Internet wiretapping easier. The FCC obliged with new regs forcing universities, libraries and airports to make web networks remotely FBI tappable by 2007.
So does all this mean the FBI desperately needs expanded wiretap apability based on a large number of lawful wiretaps that have been thwarted by technical barriers?
Turns out that the number of lawful wiretaps blocked by technical problems the new rules will overcome is -- you guessed it - ZERO. In 2003 only 12 of the 1442 state and federal wiretap orders OKed by courts were issued for Net/computer communications. And the FBI never alleged difficulty executing any of these 12 wiretaps.
Experts say the cost of solving this non-problem could be $7 billion. That's just for universities, and includes only equipment costs. Billions more will be needed for installation, training, maintenance and 24 hour monitoring (required by the law). None of these estimates calculate the greatest cost of all: the stifling of technological innovation under the bogus guise of increasing "security."
The taxpayers don't get stuck with these costs directly. They'll pay indirectly in operating costs of higher education, libraries and airports that must pay the bill for FBI remote net wiretapping. This will add an average $450 to annual tuition bills for each college student.
Join with us in opposing these ridiculous FCC regulations. They're being challenged in court, but we urge you to contact your US senator and congressman; let them know you oppose the FCC's final order. When you write, refer to the FCC's “Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act and broadband Access and Services’ Order of Oct. 13, 2005, Document No. FCC 05-153.”
If the FBI really wants to fight terrorism, it can start right here in Arizona where a virtually undefended 300 mile border with Mexico invites any real terrorists to walk into America. But desert defense isn't as exciting as listening in on junior in his dorm room, where he's studying, drinking a beer, downloading net music and, of course,plotting an anti-US terror Jihad.
Mark Nestmann, Phoenix, Arizona
The Nestmann Group
Web site: http://www.nestmann.com/
E-mail: assetpro@nestmann.com
PS: The US government spies on more than your phone calls. It can
also monitor your banking and credit cards, your Internet use, even
library books you check out. But you can fight back against Big
Brother. For more information about how, click here:
LINK: http://www.agora-inc.com/reports/190SLIFE/W190F403
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COMMENT LINKS:
* FBI net wiretapping rules face challenges. LINK:
http://news.com.com/FBI Net-wiretapping rules face challenges/2100-1028_3-5911676.html .
* Crooks, terrorists, spies can hack FBI wiretapping equipment.
LINK: http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20030710.html .
* Contact your US senators & congressmen.
LINK: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home .
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BOB BAUMAN -- LETTER FROM SINGAPORE
While you're reading this I'll be meeting with bankers and offshore professionals here, establishing new contacts in one of the major financial havens of Asia, a close rival to booming Hong Kong,where I'll visit in a few weeks.
I've been attending a meeting of the Society of Trust & Estate Planners (STEP), seeking new ideas and professional talent for the Sovereign Society. Most of the 200 STEP attendees are from Asia, and several told me they read The A-Letter. An expert on Islamic law said he reads us "to keep up with what's going on in the offshore world." I've also met here with tax attorneys,estate planners, bankers and trust companies.
Singapore has just revamped its trust and corporation laws and is making a concerted effort to attract offshore legal and investment business. Government officials with whom I spoke assured me that they want offshore financial business from people all over the world, including the United States. Taxes here are low and financial privacy is guaranteed by law, plus there are many expert offshore professionals who can assist you.
I'll have more to say about Singapore when I return and in a planned special new series of reports on offshore havens. I'm off to Thailand on Saturday.
That's the way that it looks from here in Singapore.
* More about Singapore: LINKS: : http://www.gov.sg/
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sn.html
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* FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK:
OFFSHORE:
* SWISS EU MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION STILL ALIVE
BERN: In spite of a 1992 Swiss national vote against joining the EU, the Swiss Cabinet votes to leave pending in Brussels its membership request. A new report on Swiss EU membership is planned. We think the EU needs the Swiss more then they need it.
* Swiss EU membership application not to be withdrawn. LINK:
http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=111&sid=6193828&cKey=1130346573000
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* PANAMA REAFFIRMS TERRITORIAL TAX LAWS
PANAMA CITY: Experts in Panama confirm that the tax reforms enacted into law earlier this year did not changed its basic rule of territorial taxation. That means income derived from offshore activities will remain untaxed. No tax returns to be filed nor reports required from companies or legal entities carrying out activities exclusively outside Panamanian territory.
LINKS: http://www.mossfon.com/panama.html#tax
http://www.mossfon.com/whatsnew.html#TAX
Click here to learn how to 'Unlock the Secrets'of Panama's favorable tax laws:
http://www.web-purchases.com/190SPMON/W190H750/
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* MARSHALL LANGER ADVISES BAHAMAS
NASSAU: Noted offshore legal expert, Marshall J. Langer JD, retired member of the Sovereign Society Council of Experts, tells The Bahamas Financial Services Board how it can win against OECD prejudice against small offshore tax havens
* Langer says the Bahamas should lead. LINK:
http://www.thenassauguardian.com/bixex/284569578195870.php
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WEALTH:
* LEADING U.S. TAX PROTESTER GUILTY
LAS VEGAS: Anti-tax crusader Irwin Schiff was found guilty of charges including conspiracy, tax evasion and tax fraud that could get him decades in federal prison and millions of dollars in fines.
LINK: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Tax_Rebel.html
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* U.S. NEEDS MAJOR TAX REFORM
A rare opportunity for tax reform; tax what is bad, not what is good. The US needs a tax system that reflects its values. LINK:
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/6e0dcee8-4650-11da-8880-00000e2511c8.html
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PRIVACY & RIGHTS:
* U.S. GOVERNMENT TRACKS AMERICANS
Feds use cell phones as tracking devices. LINK:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,69390,00.html
* RFIDs IN U.S. PASSPORTS CAUSE WORRIES. LINK:
http://management.silicon.com/government/0,39024677,39153665,00.htm
* RFIDs BOOST SALES, KEEP SHELVES STOCKED. LINK:
http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,69386,00.html
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/technology/AP-Wal-Mart-Radio-Tags.html
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THE SOVEREIGN SOCIETY OFFSHORE A-LETTER.
* Bob Bauman, Editor * Daniel Aponte, Jr., Managing Editor.
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