Wikileaks given data on swiss bank accounts

Link

Am I wrong to think this is going to be a field day for the IRS?

• wrings hands* this is going to be fun!

Whatever your opinion on Assange, this is a good deed.

[[youtube:eYDkGJmSfy0&feature=related]]

I know Swiss Finance Paradise is a Dead Horse Trope already, but it seems we can get waaaayyy too many laughs from this.

The most interesting part: the IRS is now "these Wikileaks guys are awesome! We should support them!"

I haven't met anyone concerned about this development. The IRS cannot bypass our legal institutions, which would rightfully stymie any more state-theft.

edited 17th Jan '11 6:54:40 PM by Tsukubus

I thought the IRS already got almost all of the tax money illegally hidden in Swiss bank accounts via a whistle blower? It was on 60 minutes...bah, too lazy to find a link.

Of course the funny/terrible part about that story is that the guy who blew the whistle is the only one in the whole fiasco who is going to jail...but he could also be entitled to 1/3 of the millions in taxes he recouped via his action.

Oh each Swiss Bank probably has a CIA source in there somewhere anyway.

Of course that doesn't mean the CIA give it to the IRS. Probably the opposite. They don't want their operation tracking funding for several satellite countries going bottoms up because the IRS stick their noses in.

Got less lazy

Fascinating.

And like I've said in all the other threads about Wikileaks, this is a brilliant organisation. All the people bashing it keep thinking about how they're hurt, well the thing is, you're doing something wrong it SHOULD hurt. This is hardly some privacy issue, this is people hiding stuff that the public should know about.

With any luck there will be something really politically damaging. Like Sarah Palin getting big pay offs by BP. I should go get the marshmallows now actually.

This is just further proof that Wiki Leaks is the best internet prank EVER.

Hmm, I don't think Assange needs to worry about American hitmen being his biggest threat now, the Swiss take that shit seriously, like it's sacred, seeing as it's their livelihood.

I don't approve of this particular aspect of Wikileaks' actions. The entire point of a swiss bank account is that under any and all circumstances, that information is private, how the fuck do you adequately hide something anymore? Fucks sake. If I were the Swiss, I'd be recreating smokin aces with Julian Assange right about now.

You are aware that Swiss banks were used to commit billions of dollars in tax fraud, right? Or that they deliberately trained their employees to deceive customs and the IRS and such? You should read that article I posted up there.

Of course the funny/terrible part about that story is that the guy who blew the whistle is the only one in the whole fiasco who is going to jail...

Sadly, this is often the case with whistleblowers. And when it isn't, they tend to not have such good prospects due to legal fees and pressure, and suspicion on future employers' part.

And weren't Swiss mercenaries the cream of the hired fighting crop back in the day? Assange is in trouble if the Swiss get pissed off.

I don't approve of this particular aspect of Wikileaks' actions. The entire point of a swiss bank account is that under any and all circumstances, that information is private, how the fuck do you adequately hide something anymore?

Why should disgustingly rich people be entitled to conceal the quantity, disposition, origin, and use of their money? And why shouldn't states be entitled to the tax money that people who live in, visit, or do business with them are obligated by their laws to pay? People have an obligation to support the societies they live and and do business with. People who are rich have an especially strong obligation due to the fact that they have so much disposable money that could be used to help so many people. Tax evaders disgust me. Hell, it's not just tax evaders. I bet a lot of illicit money gets laundered through Swiss bank accounts.

edited 18th Jan '11 12:06:39 AM by WoolieWool

No one has an obligation to support their society or their fellow man in any way shape or form. Ever.

Unless the Swiss government is asking for the records, I don't see why the Swiss banks would even be obligated to respond.

As awesome a movie assassinating Assange would make, it would be a terrible way to get revenge or terrify people into stop leaking any more bank information. It would make Assange a martyr, inspiring dozens, hundreds more leaks, DDOS reprisal attacks and a huge increase in support for the organisation.

Far better to trash the guy's reputation and hope to dirty Wikileak's image by association. Find some crime he may or may not have done, say, alleged rape of two girls, and nail him with it by fair means or foul. Maybe that's the mission those fabled mercenaries will be going on.

^^

The latter sentence is what I'm getting at, what those rich individuals are doing is wrong, but those swiss banks have the rights to that information, and have the client-business privilege to not release it. I'm just not very comfortable with the idea that even in the most secure place in the world, you can't hide your information. I like hiding shit.

Fucking internet, there's times I wish we could go back to the simpler times where we didn't have it.

edited 18th Jan '11 4:18:49 AM by Barkey

I'm afraid the only thing I can really say is that you can't keep anything secret anymore unless its done entirely in meatspace, and even then its unlikely. Sorry Barkey.

Except you never could actually hide shit in Swtzerland. You think you can have an account there? Just get the government of one of the Powers on your ass, and you'll wake up one day to find out your account is void and cancelled. Or do you really think those banks would say "no" to the Three Letter Agencies?

No one has an obligation to support their society or their fellow man in any way shape or form. Ever.

Objectivist?

edited 18th Jan '11 6:58:59 AM by RawPower

The latter sentence is what I'm getting at, what those rich individuals are doing is wrong, but those swiss banks have the rights to that information, and have the client-business privilege to not release it. I'm just not very comfortable with the idea that even in the most secure place in the world, you can't hide your information. I like hiding shit.

Fucking internet, there's times I wish we could go back to the simpler times where we didn't have it.

I like privacy as much as the next guy but you yourself said that were you in a position and ordered to commit an illegal act you would refuse it. I would too. I cannot in good conscience do a job and willingly perform illegal acts simply because I was ordered to do so by a manager. This man was ordered to commit tax fraud on behalf of these people and he, disgusted with it, blew the whistle.

It has nothing to do with Swiss banks willing or unwilling to give up information. They were committing crimes and one of their employees refused to go along with it.

No one has an obligation to support their society or their fellow man in any way shape or form. Ever.

500 years of modern philosophy and every single government on the face of the earth would strongly disagree with you. Just by being born and living in a society long enough to reach maturity, you have received a staggering amount of financial, material, and service support from the society around you (IIRC for a Western country it's at least $250,000 by age 18, usually a lot more), and even after you continue to rack up more and more just by living in a society and enjoying its services. Basically you owe society for taking care of you, and it's the collective responsibility of all the people living in a society to help contribute to its upkeep. The rich are in a unique position to provide a much greater degree of support than others, and they tend to use more of society's resources, so their obligation is multiplied. Without these interlocking obligations, society and civilization cannot exist.

And if you don't like it, you can always move to some patch of wilderness in Central Asia or Africa. If you're lucky you might last six months before starving, going mad from the lack of social interaction, or being preyed upon.

The latter sentence is what I'm getting at, what those rich individuals are doing is wrong, but those swiss banks have the rights to that information, and have the client-business privilege to not release it. I'm just not very comfortable with the idea that even in the most secure place in the world, you can't hide your information. I like hiding shit.

edited 18th Jan '11 10:07:32 AM by WoolieWool

Swiss banks in the news again? Interesting.