Whoever leaked the Mossack Fonseca papers appears motivated by a genuine desire to expose the system that enables the ultra wealthy to hide their massive stashes, often corruptly obtained and all involved in tax avoidance. These Panamanian lawyers hide the wealth of a significant proportion of the 1%, and the massive leak of their documents ought to be a wonderful thing.
Unfortunately the leaker has made the dreadful mistake of turning to the western corporate media to publicise the results. In consequence the first major story, published today by the Guardian, is all about Vladimir Putin and a cellist on the fiddle. As it happens I believe the story and have no doubt Putin is bent.
But why focus on Russia? Russian wealth is only a tiny minority of the money hidden away with the aid of Mossack Fonseca. In fact, it soon becomes obvious that the selective reporting is going to stink.
The Suddeutsche Zeitung, which received the leak, gives a detailed explanation of the methodology the corporate media used to search the files. The main search they have done is for names associated with breaking UN sanctions regimes. The Guardian reports this too and helpfully lists those countries as Zimbabwe, North Korea, Russia and Syria. The filtering of this Mossack Fonseca information by the corporate media follows a direct western governmental agenda. There is no mention at all of use of Mossack Fonseca by massive western corporations or western billionaires – the main customers. And the Guardian is quick to reassure that “much of the leaked material will remain private.”
What do you expect? The leak is being managed by the grandly but laughably named “International Consortium of Investigative Journalists”, which is funded and organised entirely by the USA’s Center for Public Integrity. Their funders include
Ford Foundation
Carnegie Endowment
Rockefeller Family Fund
W K Kellogg Foundation
Open Society Foundation (Soros)
among many others. Do not expect a genuine expose of western capitalism. The dirty secrets of western corporations will remain unpublished.
Expect hits at Russia, Iran and Syria and some tiny “balancing” western country like Iceland. A superannuated UK peer or two will be sacrificed – someone already with dementia.
The corporate media – the Guardian and BBC in the UK – have exclusive access to the database which you and I cannot see. They are protecting themselves from even seeing western corporations’ sensitive information by only looking at those documents which are brought up by specific searches such as UN sanctions busters. Never forget the Guardian smashed its copies of the Snowden files on the instruction of MI6.
What if they did Mossack Fonseca database searches on the owners of all the corporate media and their companies, and all the editors and senior corporate media journalists? What if they did Mossack Fonseca searches on all the most senior people at the BBC? What if they did Mossack Fonseca searches on every donor to the Center for Public Integrity and their companies?
What if they did Mossack Fonseca searches on every listed company in the western stock exchanges, and on every western millionaire they could trace?
That would be much more interesting. I know Russia and China are corrupt, you don’t have to tell me that. What if you look at things that we might, here in the west, be able to rise up and do something about?
And what if you corporate lapdogs let the people see the actual data?
UPDATE
Hundreds of thousands of people have read this post in the 11 hours since it was published – despite it being overnight here in the UK. There are 235,918 “impressions” on twitter (as twitter calls them) and over 3,700 people have “shared” so far on Facebook, bringing scores of new readers each.
I would remind you that this blog is produced free for the public good and you are welcome to republish or re-use this article or any other material freely anywhere without requesting further permission.
“What if they did Mossack Fonseca database searches on the owners of all the corporate media and their companies, and all the editors and senior corporate media journalists?” Oh. Right. Those 1% overpaid journalists and editors? I am sure they will rush to set up a tax haven with their unjust riches. Now, really. That is beyond laughable. Owners? Sure, maybe, so long as what they own is a casino or a mine, and is not a newspaper… I’m thinking of Jeff Bezos. But his workers? Ha ha ha. Sure.
The journalists may not offshore their own money, but their jobs depend on the people who do.
Old Sir Mick has still got a head on his shoulders. Interviewed on Sky reluctant to state his position on BREXIT he suggested its not going to affect him (true enough) but then cautioned that in the immediate future exit would not be good though in the long term of 20 years it could be good.
20 years. He should (as Keiff said at the time) have held out for a peerage. Because we need long term thinking.
20 years. Yes. It’s a long time, but the world is bust anyway. I get “Brenda” now.
WOW Craig.
Who would have thought your opinion would have made it on to Hacker News.
The internet is listening!
Corporate Media Gatekeepers Protect Western 1% from Panama Leak (craigmurray.org.uk)!
374 points by kushti 23 hours ago | 91 comments
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11417867
You are now officially tech-nerd Cool. 🙂
🙂
“You are now officially tech-nerd Cool.”
But unfortunately without substance. Where is Craig’s evidence to back his claim that there is some kind of cover up happening? He must either present his evidence (if he has any) or retract the claims he can’t substantiate.
To be fair, he has put forward a hypothesos and made a prediction.
Which has already been falsified.
In what way?
Claim: “There is no mention at all of use of Mossack Fonseca by massive western corporations or western billionaires – the main customers.”
Reality: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-04/australian-company-wilson-linked-to-hong-kong-corruption-scandal/7291178
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-05/australians-identified-in-mossack-fonseca-panama-papers-leak/7297964
http://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/04/tory-donors-links-to-offshore-firms-revealed-in-leaked-panama-papers
http://www.theguardian.com/news/2016/apr/04/bhp-owned-companies-triggered-high-risk-alert-at-panama-law-firm
http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/ato-gets-fresh-list-of-australian-rich-tax-skirters-20160404-gnxwud
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Hundreds-of-Israeli-companies-and-shareholders-listed-in-Panama-Papers-450203
http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/1.712497
Conclusion: I see people and corporations mentioned by name. Craig Murphy’s claims are false.
excellent piece of writing, the more we delve into the working of so called democratic states the more we realize that there is no ruling party and opposition rather all political parties protect the interests of the ultra wealthy, against the interests of the common citizen.
How could they not have known that 6 corporations control media? It’s apparent that Western media has its own agenda.
Think the Russians did this? RT: Personal data of 50 million Turkish citizens, incl Erdogan’s reportedly leaked online:
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Excellent points made in the article. But also, why go after just one firm, when there are dozens and dozens of such firms around the world? Dozens of tax havens… Who are their clients and what are they hiding?
Eoinhiggins.com has a piece on how its not strange but entirely understandable why Americans don’t feature in the Panama Papers, namely they have learnt to avoid Panama when avoiding taxes because it just doesn’t work for them.
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Also, Craig asks: What if you look at things that we might, here in the west, be able to rise up and do something about? And what if you corporate lapdogs let the people see the actual data?
Well, we all know what would happen: Americans, British, and French, to name a few, would have to admit that their countries are just as corrupt as Uganda, Panama, and Syria. Which would be sweet.
Who knows, if enough pressure is put, couldn’t someone sue in the West to make the data public?
We need to take the entire database and put it on wikileaks! 🙂 Now that would be a good leak scandal!
I totally agree about Russia and Putin and he don’t need Mosack and Fonseca. Pure stupidity. But my personal reaction is how much money is controlled by M&F. It’s a shell. A company that is registered with an banking account. What are the possibilities that M&F are doing a scam. After 40 years there are like 214000 companies involved. Every country and their tax offices will claim the money from the people that are involved.. Banks will be punished. What is it left for M&F. Their business is not in legal. So far. They are just a provider.. The whistle blower is also interesting since just provide some information.
I have absolutely no idea what you agree about Putin and Russia because you don’t say. You are just another western mouthpiece indoctrinated by the ‘Blame Putin’ meme.
I’m trying to find one iota of sound evidence for this meme. All I can find is hot air, bigotry and slavery to western MSM propaganda.
My thoughts exactly, from California.
George Osborne and Ed Balls attended the secretive Bilderberg Group meeting of bankers, politicians and directors of big businesses (EU/US) in Austria last year. They wheel and deal behind closed doors without accountability. Google attended that meeting, Osborne tried to persuade people that the deal he struck with them was a success, when in reality no where near the amount they should pay in corporate tax. The European jigsaw puzzle, are not showing the whole picture. Secret fraternities can breed corruption, cover ups etc…
I remember when the mainstream media, to the extent they covered the Bilderberg Group at all, tried to convince us that it was a figment of the imagination of conspiracy theorists. Until it had to be admitted that it existed.
Something to bear in mind today when you hear them talking about conspiracy theorists.
“Whoever leaked the Mossack Fonseca papers appears motivated by a genuine desire to expose the system that enables the ultra wealthy to hide their massive stashes”
Given we have no idea what exactly was leaked, how it was obtained and by whom, you are remarkably generous.
The 2.6 TB could be the residue from say 26 TB of data after information relating to the real cooks has been filtered out. We do not know the provenance of the material at all. Given the nature of the organisations and individuals (specifically associations with USAID, Open Society and NED) who received the supposed 2.6 TB, I have my doubts.
As “revealing” as these leaks might appear, Nicholas Shaxon’s ‘Treasure Islands’ does a good enough job in telling that story. Most interestingly, however, is that the story, or various stories, are hitting the headlines now and, as you rightly indicate, “the selective reporting” is already beginning to stink.
Can you please go to Suddeutsche Zeitung for the full document, do the search and report the results?
Barbara They haven’t published the full documents. And are not going to.
Has anyone found links to the Rothschilds, Rockefellers, US and Canadian elite, Australian 1%? What is the link to download all this information?
We would greatly appreciate if third world dictators’ ill-gotten fortunes are exposed. These high robbers have stolen the money generated from local resources ,”international aid and financial loans given to the third world countries with devastating consequences of poverty, lack of social services, malnutrition and wars.
Awful.
Get real! Don’t you mean the 0.0001%?
I agree with some of the thrust of this, however on a worldwide scale I am also pleased by some of the initial nature of the findings.
One distortion of late has been the constant (and justified) exposure of some of the rottenness at the core of the Western World, however we never get to see the leaks of an ‘Edward Snowdonski’ or his Chinese equivalent – perhaps for rather obvious mortal reasons. I see some who should know better, lauding regimes with despicable hearts, as if they are some form of idealised way forward, rather than just the same gangsters and power elite in different clothing.
Anything these papers do to redress that balance, and globalise public distaste, is a good thing in my eyes. I fervently hope the Chinese citizenry for instance, get to hear about this over the immediate firewall that has risen.
Although this doesn’t provide an incontrovertible smoking gun, it does add to the body of evidence, including the Snowden and Wikileaks revelations, confirming a global collusion of the power elite to defraud and exploit the masses. Even though the western media will not publish the self-indicting details, social media is broadcasting this, loudly and clearly, for all who care to know.
So the American media bettter release the f…..ing name of US political leaders who had the off-shore hidden account. Where are those friggin’ names people!!!!
I think you should watch the Australian ABC Four Corners report on this. It does expose Putin and his cellist friend, but goes on to uncover many shay deals done in Australia.
“As it happens I believe the story and have no doubt Putin is bent.” Really? Based on what? Ford Foundation, Carnegie Endowment, Rockefeller Family Fund, W K Kellogg Foundation, Open Society Foundation (George Soros), USAID (CIA – US State Department) sponsored “leak” designed specifically to target Putin?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limited_hangout
http://off-guardian.org/2016/04/03/panama-papers-cause-guardian-to-collapse-into-self-parody/
+ The Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Foundation ( Goldman Sachs )
http://off-guardian.org/2016/04/04/panama-papers-revealing-details-live-in-the-gaps-between-the-lines/
Iceland is mentioned because economic interests are still mad that they sacrificed the banks and not the people in the aftermath of 2008.
After reading the files last night, I came to the same conclusion.
Either SD and the Guardian are holding back in data, or the leak has kept them from these specifics.
Thank you sir, for writing it down so well!
It seems incumbent upon those who leaked the documents to do so again, this time in an open medium not controlled by interest groups. Let the people sort through the data freely. I recognize we are talking a massive amount of data but I am sure there are people who thrive on this kind of project. This kind of information needs to be public, needs to be transparent. I hope the original leakers take it upon themselves to try again, in fact I beg them to.
Why won’t 1% of Western names be released?
Why won’t 1% of Western names be released?
The world is becoming such a small place that hoards, for whatever reason, are not morally acceptable in our little world. Segments of the capitalist governments will pass laws to protect these hoarders and pass the reasoning as it is good for the economy, while all that is being accomplished is misery for the whole of humanity. Money is no more than a capitalist invention that only causes misery in the masses. No amount of money will save our world from the will of man. It is only an object causing contention, no matter how much we’ve been convinced that it is a necessary part of human life. It is destroying the very world we think we’re buying. Even to a simple person as myself it is obvious that priorities have to switch from making money to helping human life on earth survive. I apologize for the boring simple, dialogue