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THE SOVEREIGN SOCIETY OFFSHORE A-LETTER
Your Link to Freedom, Prosperity & Privacy in the Offshore World
Tuesday, November 19, 2002 - Vol. 4 No. 121
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In This Issue:
* COMMENT: Ominous Omniscience
* OFFSHORE: British Colonialism. UK Chases Tax Evaders. BVI Bearer Shares Curbed. UK Rejects EU Tax. Irish Tax Collectors Target Rich. Monaco Expands. Barbados Worries.
* WEALTH: Tame Tax Police. Offshore Tax Evaders Sentenced. Kemp. Tort Reform. Gold Hedges Down. German Capital Gains Tax.
* PRIVACY & RIGHTS: Secret PC Searches Curbed. More US Wiretapping. US Civil Liberties Called 'Convenient'.
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* COMMENT: Ominous Omniscience
Dear A-Letter Reader:
In last Friday's A-Letter I included a LINK to an article by NY Times columnist Bill Safire, entitled "You Are A Suspect." (See LINK below).
In that article, Safire, a former Nixon White House aide, wrote with alarm about massive privacy destroying plans the Bush Administration is plotting. These shocking plans could, he pointed out, make every American a potential criminal suspect.
Here I want to analyze in more detail what alarmed Bill Safire and should scare the britches off every America who cares about their personal freedom and their right to privacy.
It's called The Information Awareness Office, and it's located in The Pentagon, where it has been headed since February by Adm. John Poindexter (USN Ret) who was convicted in 1990 of 5 felony counts of lying to Congress, destroying official documents and obstructing inquiries into the Iran-contra affair. (An appeals court overturned these charges on a technicality).
Using the now shopworn excuse for expanded government power, fighting terrorism, the Admiral wants to create what could become the largest computer database in the world. Included in it would be you and I and millions upon millions of Americans and others -- plus every known fact about each one us; personal, financial, social, medical, religious, et al.
This system would be used to 'mine' private and commercial data bases, looking at random for 'threatening patterns' among everyday transactions, such as credit card purchases, travel reservations, bank transfers -- anything and everything. And its managers would have the power to do all this in secret and without prior judicial review.
Read the articles listed below for the details, but as you do, keep in mind that this super snooping government agency is already at work, creating the tools to build this database that will cost hundreds of millions of American taxpayer dollars. And be sure and check out the IAO's web site where you will find an ominous emblem featuring an eyeball (Big Brother's ?) scanning the globe from atop a pyramid. Below it is the motto 'Scientia Est Potentia': 'Knowledge Is Power.' That's government's powerful eye and if Pres. Bush allows this invasion of our rights, IT will be watching YOU.
That's the way that it looks from here.
BOB BAUMAN, Editor
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* COMMENT LINKS:
* You Are A Suspect. Wm. Safire. NY Times.
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/14/opinion/14SAFI.html
* US Defense Dept. Information Awareness Office web site,
LINK: http://www.darpa.mil/iao/index.htm
* Poindexter; One of US Most Powerful. The Guardian (UK) LINK:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4358017,00.html
* US Hopes to Check Computers Globally. Wash. Post. LINK:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40942-2002Nov11.html
* ACLU Urges Bush to Kill Pentagon Data-Mine Plan. LINK:
http://www.reuters.com/news_article.jhtml;jsessionid=YFKVUUN1Z05JUC
RBAE0CFFA?type=topnews&StoryID=1743083
* Poindexter's laboratory. Reason magazine.
LINK: http://reason.com/sullum/111502.shtml
* Homeland Security Dept. bill a supersnoop's dream.
LINK: http://www.washtimes.com/national/20021115-70231.htm
* US Rep. Ron Paul: Oppose the Homeland Security Bureaucracy!
LINK: http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul61.html
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* OFFSHORE *
U.K. FOREIGN SECRETARY BLAMES COLONIAL PAST
Straw says British past imperialism gave rise to present world crisis. He did not mention current Labour colonialism imposed on the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and the British overseas territories. LINK:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/11/15/ns
traw15.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/11/15/ixnewstop.html&secureRefresh=tr
ue&_requestid=4429
* Labour to chase offshore UK tax evaders with extradition law. LINK:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardianpolitics/story/0,3605,840425,00.html
* Going offshore; here's one British viewpoint. LINK:
http://www.realbusiness.co.uk/showdetail.asp?ArticleID=2425
* British Virgin Islands restricts use of IBC bearer shares. LINK:
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT
/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1035873377107
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BRITISH REJECT E.U. TAX 'HARMONIZATION'
London will not go along with plans for EU-wide taxes.
LINK: http://www.tax-news.com/asp/story/story.asp?storyname=10012
* EU Justice Court favors taxpayers over governments.
LINK: http://www.tax-news.com/asp/story/story.asp?storyname=10003
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IRISH REVENUE TARGETS THE VERY RICH
DUBLIN: Suspects include wealthy persons named during Ansbacher-Caymans tax evasion investigation.
LINK: http://www.tax-news.com/asp/story/story.asp?storyname=10009
* Irish comment: casual tax attitude suits the very rich. LINK:
http://www.sbpost.ie/story.jsp?bottomadvert=&rightadverts=&rightnav=
/common/navs/right/sponsorsnav.jsp&leftadverts
=&advert=/common/adverts/top/homepage.htm&title=Front Page&story
=WCContent;id-60667&list=
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MONACO: TINY TAX HAVEN KEEPS EXPANDING
A principality's half century of land reclamation. LINK:
http://www.timesdispatch.com/frontpage/MGBUXX5CM8D.html
* Monaco's Prince Rainier hospitalized. LINK:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Monaco-Prince-Rainier.html
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BARBADOS FEARS U.S. ANTI-OFFSHORE POLICIES
BRIDGETOWN: Nation has profited from US offshore tax laws. LINK:
http://www.barbadosadvocate.com/NewViewNewsleft.cfm?Record=10772
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* WEALTH *
TIME TO TAME THE TAX POLICE
The US needs a law-abiding IRS commissioner. LINK:
http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_comment/comment-derugy111502.asp
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OFFSHORE TAX EVASION ADVISORS SENT TO PRISON
Two are sentenced for 20 years of selling tax evasion schemes.
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/16/business/16TAX.html
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I.R.S. RULE THREAT TO U.S. ECONOMY
Jack KEMP opposes US banks reporting foreigners interest income.
LINK: http://www.empoweramerica.org/stories/storyReader$650
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U.S. ASSET PROTECTION MAY INCREASE
Republican control of US Congress may bring tort reform. LINK:
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/17/business/yourmoney/17TORT.html
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GOLD PRICE RISES; HEDGING CUT BACK
Gold's Midas touch leaves financing banks cold. LINK:
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT
/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1035873370123
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GERMAN SOCIALISTS IMPOSE CAPITAL GAINS TAX
BERLIN: Promises of tax cuts forgotten; 15% CGT planned. LINK:
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT
/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1035873370874
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* PRIVACY & RIGHTS *
US COURT BANS WARRANTLESS PC SEARCHES
Police hacking into PCs without a warrant violates 4th Amendment.
LINK: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-965926.html
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ANTI-TERRORIST POLICE CAN START WIRETAPPING
US Appeals Court upholds USA Patriot Act expansive powers. LINK:
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/front/RTGAM/200211
18/wtaps1118/Front/homeBN/breakingnews
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OFFICIAL DEFENDS TREATMENT OF CIVIL LIBERTIES
Asst. US Atty Gen claims some American respect for liberty is just 'custom and convenience.' LINK:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archiv
e/200211/NAT20021118a.html
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