Tuesday, May 31, 2016

How can an athlete evade taxes?

How can an athlete evade taxes? Find out in an offshore adventure!

Welcome to the secret world of offshore. Your goal is to navigate this parallel universe and hide your cash away. Don’t worry! Lawyers, wealth managers and bankers are there to help you.


Juan Penalti
Soccer Player



You’re a soccer star!
It’s 2001. You are a famous international soccer player. Congratulations! Your agent negotiates a $5 million image rights sponsorship contract with a global fashion and sportswear brand. Instead of paying $2 million in taxes on the deal, you want to hide this money from the tax collector.
Open a bank account in Switzerland

Create an offshore company

Smart move – all the better to hide your money… Your bank registers the company SUNNY HEAVEN LTD in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Your new bank account will be in the name of Sunny Heaven Ltd, instead of your name.
To keep your identity secret, you are advised to name a friend or employ a nominee as the shareholder of the company. Or, you could try to keep the company ownership completely anonymous by using bearer shares.
Pick a
nominee shareholder

Register
bearer shares
With bearer shares, your name won’t appear anywhere. The shares will be owned by whoever physically holds them.
But in 2004, the British Virgin Islands passes the BVI Companies Act, which outlaws anonymous bearer shares.
Your lawyer advises you to change jurisdiction or opt for a nominee shareholder instead.
Pick a nominee

Go to another jurisdiction
The company that supplied you with Sunny Heaven Ltd provides you with a nominee shareholder whose name will appear on the company’s public documents.
But the bank wants to know the identity of the ultimate beneficial owner of the Sunny Heaven Ltd account for their own records. The bank asks for a copy of your passport.
Hand over a copy of your passport

Pick a nominee

You win.
A British citizen in Panama will act as the beneficial owner, also known as natural person nominee, of your company. This will cost more than $15,000 a year, but keeps your tax liability hidden from authorities … for now.
With the money you saved, you buy yourself a sleek Bugatti yacht. It’s time to relax.
Play with another character



Source: https://panamapapers.icij.org/stairway_tax_heaven_game/

How can a politician hide her inheritance away?


How can a politician hide her inheritance away? Find out in an offshore adventure!

Welcome to the secret world of offshore. Your goal is to navigate this parallel universe and hide your cash away. Don’t worry! Lawyers, wealth managers and bankers are there to help you.


Polly Tissien
Politician


Your political star is on the rise!
After years spent climbing the ranks of your party as a member of Parliament, you have finally risen to prominence as a key political player and potential future leader.
Sadly, your father passes away. A controversial political figure in his own right, he leaves behind a small fortune amassed quietly during his years in the pharmaceutical industry after his years as the industry’s advocate in Parliament. His estate includes a secret multimillion-euro Swiss bank account which he bequeaths to you. After careful consideration, you decide not to disclose this secret account lest it raise questions about your connections to your father’s controversial past...
Continue
 It’s 2005. A bill called the European Savings Directive (ESD) comes into effect. Banks are now legally obliged to withhold taxes from the accounts of their European customers.
No need to worry just yet – Switzerland refuses to reveal the identity of its banking clients, so your account will remain secret for now. But as a European citizen, you will have to pay tax on any interest you earn. Your financial adviser suggests two options.
Create an offshore company

Keep the bank account



Because of the new European legislation, any interest you earn from your secret multimillion euro account is now subject to a 35 percent withholding tax.
It gets worse. A few years later Switzerland is pressured by OECD countries to end bank secrecy. Your Swiss banker strongly advises you to transfer ownership of this account to an offshore company if you want your identity to remain a secret.
Create an offshore company

Tax bill dodged! The ESD applies to individuals, not to corporations. You register the company FAMILY SECRETS LTD in Cyprus.
The law firm handling your company’s affairs wants to verify your identity and run a background check process called “Know Your Client" (KYC) or due diligence.
If your identity as a prominent politician from a controversial family is revealed, the law firm might refuse to act as registered agent of Family Secrets Ltd.
They ask for a copy of your passport
Hand over a copy of your passport

WHEW! It’s your lucky day! Your registered agent misspelled your name while doing background research, and nothing shows up about your political career or your father’s checkered past. They keep doing business with you.
A few years pass and you decide to run for president. Congratulations, you win! Muckraking journalists and political opponents will now be looking closely into your finances.
Worried about what they might find, you decide to distance yourself further from your Family Secrets Ltd – but how? You could sell your shares to your husband, or you could pay to have a private foundation become the shareholder of the company.
Sell your shares

Opt for a foundation

You create the BEHIND CLOSED DOORS FOUNDATION, which becomes the shareholder of Family Secrets Ltd.
The public face of your private foundation is a council filled with nominees provided by the law firm handling your company’s affairs, ensuring your name will not appear on any public documentation.
But your political opponents catch wind of a Swiss account left by your father and tip off a reporter about your secret stash of cash.
Come clean

Deny
You win.
Thankfully for you, private foundations offer robust ways to hide your identity. The law prevents your registered agent from revealing the true owner of the Behind Closed Doors Foundation, even to authorities.
Your secret is safe! You use that money to buy a villa in the Antilles, where you sip prosecco and watch the children play from the palm-shaded veranda.
Play with another character



Source: https://panamapapers.icij.org/stairway_tax_heaven_game/

How can a businessman bribe his way into Africa?


How can a businessman bribe his way into Africa? Find out in an offshore adventure!

Welcome to the secret world of offshore. Your goal is to navigate this parallel universe and hide your cash away. Don’t worry! Lawyers, wealth managers and bankers are there to help you.



Edmund von Kronen
Business Executive



You’re a successful business executive.
You made your reputation in real estate but are now eyeing opportunities for new ventures. Your gaze falls on Africa, where there appears to be a fortune literally waiting to be dug up… After all, how hard could running a mining company be?
Unfortunately, your lack of experience in the industry could work against you when it comes to winning an exploration permit.
You’ve heard that bribing a head of state could help influence the permit process. But how will you go about transferring a large amount of money without leaving a trace?
Use cash
 
Use an offshore company


You register the company MINERAL ADVENTURES LLC in Delaware.
The head of state you are negotiating with guarantees you that you will be granted the exploration permit once the “special payment” is processed. To make sure the terms of the agreement are clear, he asks you to sign a document that details the exchange.
You accept
 
You refuse


You negotiate and convince him to forget about the signed document. Your ”special payment” is accepted with a handshake, and your signature is nowhere near the bribe.
You now have to decide how to pay the bribe without getting caught by international authorities. You could make the president a shareholder in your new mining company, Mineral Adventures. Or you could transfer the money through a series of third-party offshore companies – a process called escrow.
Use escrow
 
Give shares


The law firm handling Mineral Adventures’ business agrees to help route the money in such a way that it will be nearly impossible to link the “special payment” back to your company.
You are in the middle of negotiating the technicalities of the cash transfer when an associate of yours is arrested on an unrelated matter. The law firm gets spooked by the unexpected legal attention to your businesses and no longer wants to be associated with you in any way. They send you an email resigning as registered agent for Mineral Adventures.
Call them and negotiate
 
Take your business elsewhere


You decide to create a new company called SECOND CHANCE in Panama and find a new registered agent to help.
Your new law firm – which needs to check your identity to comply with “Know Your Client" (KYC) or due diligence rules, asks to see a copy of your passport.
Hand over a copy of your passport
 
You refuse


You send a copy of your passport, hoping the new registered agent won’t find out about the arrest of your associate.
Unfortunately, the arrest was too juicy for the press to ignore, and a few searches on the Internet easily reveal the links between you and your associate. The law firm refuses to do business with you.
Call them and negotiate




You win.
It worked! With your expert business negotiation skills and the promise of more fees, you convince your registered agent to keep doing business with you. The company helps with the money transfer, and you become the proud owner of the exploration permit n°AFR9082. You can commence operations – and start making more money – in no time!
Play with another character




Source: https://panamapapers.icij.org/stairway_tax_heaven_game/


Don't waste your time looking back

Sunday, May 8, 2016

In defense of the Panama Papers






So what?

You would do the exact same thing if you were in their situation.

Nobody like to get screwed by the government.



Gun Control?

The Mind of a Dictator

An Overview of Dictators, Dictatorships,
&
the Mind of A Dictator
DICTATORSHIP
DICTATORSHIP
A system of government where the person who rules is not restricted by a constitution,
laws, or opposition
Re...
WHY DICTATE?
More than just desire for power
Some may see needs in a
government they believe is
important
May want to forc...
FAMOUS DICTATORS
IN HISTORY
One of the earliest –
King Herod the Great
Commonly known for
mass murder of all male
children...
FAMOUS DICTATORS
IN HISTORY
Others include:
Attila the Hun – invaded
Western & Eastern
Roman Empires and
other countries
G...
FAMOUS DICTATORS
IN HISTORY
Probably the most well-
known: Adolf Hitler
Become known through
newspaper interviews
while in...
CONTROL
Many kinds of control
dictators use
What they fear most is their
own citizens
There are some forms of
control toda...
WAYS OF CONTROL
Law down rules and regulations that specifically
target opposing groups
Deploy tax collectors or health in...
WAYS OF CONTROL
Do not want their people to be ‘free’
Those with unrestricted liberty are free
to organize against their d...
USE OF MILITARY & POLICE
One of the most effective
People rely on military and police for protection
Control them, and con...
USE OF MILITARY & POLICE
Discourage any kind of group
assembling
Are the ‘eyes’ of the dictator
Put restrictions on any ‘u...
USE OF MILITARY & POLICE
Arrest majority of opposition leaders
Arrest those who complain
Set groups against each other
Div...
USE OF PROPAGANDA & MEDIA
Use propaganda to keep population loyal
Let people know the government is
accomplishing good
Lea...
USE OF PROPAGANDA & MEDIA
Control and manage what comes out through media
Set up fake anti-government sites that plant mal...
LIFE UNDER DICTATORSHIP
Can vary
Miserable and difficult under
restrictions and regulations
Some may not know their life
i...
LIFE UNDER DICTATORSHIP
Alina Fernandez, Fidel Castro’s
daughter, grew up in Cuba
under his dictatorship
Fled Cuba in 1993...

WHAT MAKES
PEOPLE
PSYCHOPATHIC?
Extended amygdala
– regulates fear, rage,
emotional memory,
and other feelings
Node that m...
WHAT MAKES
PEOPLE
PSYCHOPATHIC?
Low activity in
frontal lobe – prone to
impulsive or
psychopathic
behavior
When frontal lo...
FACTORS AND PEOPLE
Other factors can include abusive and unhappy childhoods
Loss of important caretakers or guardians such...
CONCLUSION
Dictatorships still exist in the world today
Control is always important, whether it be laws, police, or media
...
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Connolly, Sean. Dictatorship. Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2013. Print.
Dobson, William J. The Dictator's ...


The Ultimate Mini-Guide to Dictatorship

  1. 1. An Overview of Dictators, Dictatorships, & the Mind of A Dictator DICTATORSHIP
  2. 2. DICTATORSHIP A system of government where the person who rules is not restricted by a constitution, laws, or opposition Relies on fear and power to exist First kings were ambitious people who seized power and forced others to obey them Form by overthrowing a current ruler or form of government, and replacing it with themselves. Form by getting elected fairly and taking advantage of the power
  3. 3. WHY DICTATE? More than just desire for power Some may see needs in a government they believe is important May want to force their beliefs upon others Need a reason, target a specific enemy to fight
  4. 4. FAMOUS DICTATORS IN HISTORY One of the earliest – King Herod the Great Commonly known for mass murder of all male children under the age of two Slaughtered many of his ‘would be’ successors Did not want anyone to succeed him
  5. 5. FAMOUS DICTATORS IN HISTORY Others include: Attila the Hun – invaded Western & Eastern Roman Empires and other countries Genghis Khan – leader of the Mongolian Empire and conquered parts of central Asia & China Julius Caesar – conquered and expanded his empire, self- proclaimed dictator
  6. 6. FAMOUS DICTATORS IN HISTORY Probably the most well- known: Adolf Hitler Become known through newspaper interviews while in prison His target or enemy – Jews Slaughtered millions of men, women, and children “The Jews have infected culture and German politics with their views…The only way in which Germans who have become infected with Judeophilia can be saved is by labeling everything un-German Jewish.” –Adolf Hitler
  7. 7. CONTROL Many kinds of control dictators use What they fear most is their own citizens There are some forms of control today that are more subtle than forms in the past
  8. 8. WAYS OF CONTROL Law down rules and regulations that specifically target opposing groups Deploy tax collectors or health inspectors to shut groups down Fill their speeches with references to justice, liberty and law “…law, regulation, and procedure can be a dictator’s most effective tools for strangling an opponent, precisely because these weapons appear to be benign, apolitical, and objective.” – William J. Dobson
  9. 9. WAYS OF CONTROL Do not want their people to be ‘free’ Those with unrestricted liberty are free to organize against their dictatorship Instill fear with threats A fearful citizen will then avoid speaking out and becoming a target
  10. 10. USE OF MILITARY & POLICE One of the most effective People rely on military and police for protection Control them, and control the people Helpful with dealing with riots and opposition Trained to ‘keep the peace’, and spot anyone who disagrees with you Can conduct searches without warrants or notification
  11. 11. USE OF MILITARY & POLICE Discourage any kind of group assembling Are the ‘eyes’ of the dictator Put restrictions on any ‘unauthorized’ gatherings Arrest opposition leader and break up rallies Declare curfew or enforce martial law
  12. 12. USE OF MILITARY & POLICE Arrest majority of opposition leaders Arrest those who complain Set groups against each other Divides and weakens a nation Encourage conflict within opposing parties
  13. 13. USE OF PROPAGANDA & MEDIA Use propaganda to keep population loyal Let people know the government is accomplishing good Lead people to think former beliefs are false and need to adjust to a new belief
  14. 14. USE OF PROPAGANDA & MEDIA Control and manage what comes out through media Set up fake anti-government sites that plant malware onto computers who leave comments on sites Require names and email addresses for online blogs Target the younger, restless generation, are easily manipulated
  15. 15. LIFE UNDER DICTATORSHIP Can vary Miserable and difficult under restrictions and regulations Some may not know their life is under dictatorship
  16. 16. LIFE UNDER DICTATORSHIP Alina Fernandez, Fidel Castro’s daughter, grew up in Cuba under his dictatorship Fled Cuba in 1993 Childhood was different “A blindfolded man was standing in front of a wall with his hands tied…his white shirt got covered with red spots…killed by those same long sticks the hairy men had brought…that made a rat-a-tat sound. It was an execution, someone said. It was sad.” – Alina Fernandez
  17. 17. THE MIND OF A DICTATOR Most dictators share several similar traits and characteristics Military background Studies and research on traits and dictators show that: “…are usually charming, charismatic, and intelligent. They brim with self-confidence and independence…are also extremely self-absorbed, masterful liars, compassionless, often sadistic, and possess a boundless appetite for power.” – Professor James Fallon Comparable with qualities of the typical psychopath
  18. 18. WHAT MAKES PEOPLE PSYCHOPATHIC? Extended amygdala – regulates fear, rage, emotional memory, and other feelings Node that mediates ‘animal instincts’
  19. 19. WHAT MAKES PEOPLE PSYCHOPATHIC? Low activity in frontal lobe – prone to impulsive or psychopathic behavior When frontal lobe is injured, amygdala takes over and controls behavior
  20. 20. FACTORS AND PEOPLE Other factors can include abusive and unhappy childhoods Loss of important caretakers or guardians such as parents People see dictatorships with the idea of Good vs. Evil When really, the trained specialists sent to eliminate dictators may also be no different than their target
  21. 21. CONCLUSION Dictatorships still exist in the world today Control is always important, whether it be laws, police, or media Methods and techniques have changed and will most likely continue to change and adjust, due to the growing advancement of technology Recognized similarities with dictators and psychopaths Most likely continue in the future “When dictatorship is a fact, revolution becomes a right.” – Victor Hugo
  22. 22. BIBLIOGRAPHY Connolly, Sean. Dictatorship. Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media, 2013. Print. Dobson, William J. The Dictator's Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy. New York: Random House, Inc., 2012. Print. Dolot, Miron. Execution By Hunger: The Hidden Holocaust. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc., 1987. Print. Fallon, James Ph.D. The Mind of A Dictator: Exploring the Minds of Psychopaths and Dictators. 11 November 2011. Web. 9 February 2015. Fernandez, Alina. Castro's Daughter: An Exile's Memoir of Cuba. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. Print. Garner, William. Who Really Owns Your Gold: How the Jesuits Use Gold Economics to Control Humanity. Siesta Key: Adagio Press, 2014. Print. How to Become A Dictator. 2014. Web. 14 January 2015. Marx, Karl. The Communist Manifesto. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1848. Print. Nelson, Ken. Government Teacher. Shaira Caldwell. 9 February 2015. Interview. Rank, Michael. History's Worst Dictators: A Short Guide to the Most Brutal Rulers, From Emperor Nero to Ivan the Terrible. Five Minute Books, 2014. Print. Steadman, Ian. Study: people without brain's 'fear centre' can still be scared. 4 February 2013. Web. Picture. 10 February 2015. Wood, Randall and Carmine DeLuca. The Dictator's Handbook. Gull Pond, 2012. Digital Print. Yeager, Carolyn. A Jew Interviews Adolf Hitler, 1931. 4 January 2013. Interview. 4 February 2015.


http://www.slideshare.net/elysianheart15/dictators-dictatorship-and-the-mind-of-a-dictator

The World according to Donald Trump

Saturday, May 7, 2016

Kevin Nash supports Donald Trump

6'10" ex-WWE pro wrestler Kevin Nash sports a Donald Trump T-shirt
6'10" former WWE / WCW pro wrestler Kevin Nash
sports a
Donald Trump 'Make America Great Again!' shirt.