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markpkessinger

(8,401 posts)
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 03:33 PM Apr 2016

Panama Papers: Obama, Clinton Pushed Trade Deal Amid Warnings It Would Make Tax Evasion Worse

[font size=6]Panama Papers: Obama, Clinton Pushed Trade Deal Amid Warnings It Would Make Money Laundering, Tax Evasion Worse[/font]

Years before more than a hundred media outlets around the world released stories Sunday exposing a massive network of global tax evasion detailed in the so-called Panama Papers, U.S. President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushed for a Bush administration-negotiated free trade agreement that watchdogs warned would only make the situation worse.

Soon after taking office in 2009, Obama and his secretary of state — who is currently the Democratic presidential front-runner — began pushing for the passage of stalled free trade agreements (FTAs) with Panama, Colombia and South Korea that opponents said would make it more difficult to crack down on Panama’s very low income tax rate, banking secrecy laws and history of noncooperation with foreign partners.

Even while Obama championed his commitment to raise taxes on the wealthy, he pursued and eventually signed the Panama agreement in 2011. Upon Congress ratifying the pact, Clinton issued a statement lauding the agreement, saying it and other deals with Colombia and South Korea "will make it easier for American companies to sell their products." She added: "The Obama administration is constantly working to deepen our economic engagement throughout the world, and these agreements are an example of that commitment."

Critics, however, said the pact would make it easier for rich Americans and corporations to set up offshore corporations and bank accounts and avoid paying many taxes altogether.

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Panama Papers: Obama, Clinton Pushed Trade Deal Amid Warnings It Would Make Tax Evasion Worse (Original Post) markpkessinger Apr 2016 OP
George Carlin was right - it's a big club and we're not in it. Initech Apr 2016 #1
Hell yes.... daleanime Apr 2016 #2
Exactly why I support Bernie Ferd Berfel Apr 2016 #21
Nice looking legacy you had going the big O maindawg Apr 2016 #3
If this is what happens to a person when you #feelthebern, I'm glad I don't. ashtonelijah Apr 2016 #6
Do you support the people who hide the money offshore? Android3.14 Apr 2016 #25
HOPE AND CHANGE..... SammyWinstonJack Apr 2016 #8
Bingo! sublimecabbie Apr 2016 #9
yep. m-lekktor Apr 2016 #15
This assertion is the biggest joke accusation yet against Clinton and Obama stevenleser Apr 2016 #4
That is no refutation of what the Panama FTA does. It does, in fact, berni_mccoy Apr 2016 #13
He signed it maindawg Apr 2016 #16
Oh the drama!!!!!!!!! leftofcool Apr 2016 #27
Historical Frame for stevenleser. Octafish Apr 2016 #33
Newsflash: Hindsight isn't 20/20 Blue_Tires Apr 2016 #5
When a large chunk of the electorate are screaming christx30 Apr 2016 #7
Well when one Senator TM99 Apr 2016 #26
Establishment! 86derps Apr 2016 #10
This is perfect DEmocratic Party "Centrism" ... nikto Apr 2016 #11
Probably. But could be extraordinary bad judgment, again. Which every, we NCjack Apr 2016 #19
Neoliberalism - the new Democratic Party LiveLong101 Apr 2016 #12
Nothing to do with politics maindawg Apr 2016 #18
I swear, if Neoliberals had been in charge in WWII ... nikto Apr 2016 #22
Plutocracies are a hell of a drug, however the conglomerates are not there yet. Rex Apr 2016 #14
I looked around here, but couldn't find mention of it on GD. Can't believe this Gabi Hayes Apr 2016 #17
Another home run maindawg Apr 2016 #20
found a couple in the primary thread, where I almost never venture. Gabi Hayes Apr 2016 #23
here: Gabi Hayes Apr 2016 #24
If EdwardBernays Apr 2016 #30
precisely.....and how're mom and the uncle doing? Gabi Hayes Apr 2016 #34
Very cool article EdwardBernays Apr 2016 #35
And falling farther behind. leftofcool Apr 2016 #28
here's the very ugly truth EdwardBernays Apr 2016 #29
+1000 either Obama is a smart, capable guy or he isn't noiretextatique Apr 2016 #31
a-f'n-men EdwardBernays Apr 2016 #32
It's all about the Benjamins: Gabi Hayes Apr 2016 #36
That play EdwardBernays Apr 2016 #37

Ferd Berfel

(3,687 posts)
21. Exactly why I support Bernie
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 06:06 PM
Apr 2016

I'll never be in the same club as the Clinton's - even is she pretends I can be

ashtonelijah

(340 posts)
6. If this is what happens to a person when you #feelthebern, I'm glad I don't.
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 05:19 PM
Apr 2016

Calling President Obama a criminal? Tacky. Go have a Tea Party.

 

Android3.14

(5,402 posts)
25. Do you support the people who hide the money offshore?
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 06:30 PM
Apr 2016

That's cold. No wonder you don't feel the Bern.

 

sublimecabbie

(14 posts)
9. Bingo!
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 05:34 PM
Apr 2016

So happy to see real liberals and progressives figuring it out, governments and their leaders around the world don't give a flying titty about us everyday people.

This is the revolution.

 

berni_mccoy

(23,018 posts)
13. That is no refutation of what the Panama FTA does. It does, in fact,
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 05:48 PM
Apr 2016

Make prosecution of tax evasion more difficult and enables new companies to commit evasion and laundering without scrutiny.

 

maindawg

(1,151 posts)
16. He signed it
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 05:55 PM
Apr 2016

He knew what's up. I did not know what's up. That's because he did not say what it was he lied and he fucking signed the trade deal so the billionaires can expand their crimes. You think he was ignorant ,unaware , of the deal ? Why did he sign the bill , make this crime legal ? He did it. He's like Reagon with his crimes . the difference is Reagon was a fucking moron. Big O knows he was turning the ruling class loose to extract what wealth there was left in 2009 in the USA by these greedy criminals. Governments are falling. Wars may result. Obama signed it.

christx30

(6,241 posts)
7. When a large chunk of the electorate are screaming
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 05:21 PM
Apr 2016

that you're making a huge mistake, and you go ahead because you know better, that's not hindsight. It's just ignoring facts.
Hindsight is when everyone is saying it's a good idea, and it turns out bad. "I should have known that punching that cop wasn't a good idea. Oh well. Hindsight and all..."

 

TM99

(8,352 posts)
26. Well when one Senator
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 06:49 PM
Apr 2016

who just happens to be running for president calls this one accurately years before, called the Iraq War & the birth of ISIS before it occurred, and called the damage that NAFTA would produce in the 1990's a decade before we saw the actual damage, foresight is apparently a trait one candidate has and the other sorely lacks.

 

86derps

(44 posts)
10. Establishment!
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 05:35 PM
Apr 2016

Of course Obama and Hillary were and are for trade agreements. They benefit their, and other establishment politicians, donors. This is what is wrong with establishment democrats. Blue Dog democrats. Third way democrats. They are bought and paid for and will not fight for the reforms our country needs. If Hillary supporters don't see that now, you will see that if she is elected. By then, however it will be at least four years until we can vote a real progressive candidate in to office.

 

nikto

(3,284 posts)
11. This is perfect DEmocratic Party "Centrism" ...
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 05:40 PM
Apr 2016

Centrists pat the average citizen on the back with 1 hand,
while picking our pockets with the other.

NCjack

(10,279 posts)
19. Probably. But could be extraordinary bad judgment, again. Which every, we
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 06:00 PM
Apr 2016

can afford to continue suffering the results.

 

nikto

(3,284 posts)
22. I swear, if Neoliberals had been in charge in WWII ...
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 06:10 PM
Apr 2016

They would have converted our gov't to Nazi, just to declalre a "win"
for America.

Win by losing.

 

Rex

(65,616 posts)
14. Plutocracies are a hell of a drug, however the conglomerates are not there yet.
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 05:49 PM
Apr 2016

They will need private armies the size of some national armies. That will cost a lot and so will relocation. The POTUS doesn't run the show, he just executes policy and makes diplomatic overtures. Wall Street runs the show, they did when FDR was in office and they will be running the show until people stand up to the system that robs the working class blind.

And when ya work 60 hours a week, that is never going to happen.

 

Gabi Hayes

(28,795 posts)
17. I looked around here, but couldn't find mention of it on GD. Can't believe this
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 05:58 PM
Apr 2016

isn't a discussion topic:

Who said this?

In 2011, as the United States prepared to confirm a trade deal with Panama Bernie Sanders raised a red flag.

“Panama is the world leader when it comes to allowing wealthy Americans and large corporations to evade US taxes by stashing their cash in offshore tax havens,” he said in a speech on the Senate floor. “And the Panama Free Trade Agreement would make this bad situation much worse.”


http://qz.com/655212/in-a-2011-speech-bernie-sanders-predicted-the-revelations-of-the-panama-papers/

here's the whole speech:

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/senate-speech-by-sen-bernie-sanders-on-unfettered-free-trade

 

Gabi Hayes

(28,795 posts)
23. found a couple in the primary thread, where I almost never venture.
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 06:18 PM
Apr 2016

you should see the way the Clinton supporters are trying to spin it.

EdwardBernays

(3,343 posts)
30. If
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 07:02 PM
Apr 2016

We had any sense at all we'd raise enough money to run that vid as an ad on TV in New York. It's definitive proof that good judgement trumps experience every single time in politics.

EdwardBernays

(3,343 posts)
35. Very cool article
Tue Apr 12, 2016, 04:43 AM
Apr 2016

Great link... That deserves an OP all it'd own!

This paragraph at the end sums up how many countries like China think:

'In this 1925 work, Lippmann belittled what he saw as the nostrums of American democracy held so dear by so many in our country. "A false ideal of democracy can lead only to disillusionment and to meddlesome tyranny. If democracy cannot direct affairs, then a philosophy which expects it to direct them will encourage the people to attempt the impossible; they will fail, but that will interfere outrageously with the productive liberties of the individual. The public must be put in its place… so that each of us may live free of the trampling and the roar of a bewildered herd."'

In fact many old post Soviet states wonder what good democracy has brought them, as they're often now worse off and still feel - like many Americans - that their system is neither controlled by the masses or benefits the masses.

EdwardBernays

(3,343 posts)
29. here's the very ugly truth
Tue Apr 5, 2016, 06:54 PM
Apr 2016

Democrats are as big a part of the financial corruption as Republicans, in some cases a much bigger part... and yeah, that includes Obama... until we open our eyes about this it'll just keep getting worse and worse...

noiretextatique

(27,275 posts)
31. +1000 either Obama is a smart, capable guy or he isn't
Wed Apr 6, 2016, 04:43 AM
Apr 2016

So he knew what he was doing, and so did Clinton. Until we start holding D's accountable, instead of making excuses and attributing deserved criticism to "hate," we will keep getting what we deserve. Citizenship is not about being a cheerleader or an ostrich.

EdwardBernays

(3,343 posts)
37. That play
Wed Apr 13, 2016, 07:15 PM
Apr 2016

Looks really interesting. It's a kinda cool idea at the very least.

It seems like it might be a better read than experience though.

It still amazes me how ignorant people are about Bernays.

If you've never seen this you should, as should every American:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2d29tf_the-century-of-the-self-part-1-of-4-happiness-machines_school

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