Puppet MastersS


Pirates

Banks used tax schemes to steal €55 billion from Europe's treasuries - And they're still at it


France24
Thu, 18 Oct 2018 12:00 UTC
bank stock
Two closely-related tax schemes have helped banks and investors avoid tax or even siphon cash directly out of European treasuries totalling billions more than previously thought, an investigation by 19 media revealed Thursday.

So-called "cum-ex" and "cum-cum" deals -- complex stock transactions around the days when companies pay out dividends -- have cost taxpayers as much as 55 billion euros ($63 billion) in lost revenue or outright fraud since 2001.

The schemes were first uncovered in Germany in 2012.

But beyond Europe's largest economy, Thursday's investigation found evidence of the practices in France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Finland, Norway and Switzerland.

Accounting for the bulk of the total at 46 billion euros, technically legal "cum-cum" tax avoidance exploits varying treatment of domestic and foreign shareholders.

Comment: When financial institutions make more money from gaming the system than investing in production, is it any surprise Western economies are in a downward spiral?

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Chess

Jamal Khashoggi's murder is another test for the West?

Yehia Hamed
Middle East Eye
Sat, 20 Oct 2018 00:00 UTC
Western countries supported the military coup in Egypt and chose not to intervene in Syria. Are they about to fail another test of humanity?
Khashoggi entering Saudi embassy in Turkey
© AFPKhashoggi was killed shortly after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul on 2 October
Western diplomacy is facing a new challenge from the Middle East. This time that challenge comes from one of its anchors in the region, Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom was always considered a partner and strategic ally, and the connections with Western Europe and United States have always been strong. The policy towards the kingdom has always been stable. Strong diplomatic relations were buttressed by tens of think tanks and research groups.

Comment: See also:

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Quenelle

Show us the proof! Washington judge orders Mueller to prove Russian company meddled in US elections

Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
Sat, 20 Oct 2018 00:00 UTC
Judge Dabney Friedrich
Judge Dabney Friedrich
A Washington federal judge on Thursday ordered special counsel Robert Mueller's team to clarify election meddling claims lodged against a Russian company operated by Yevgeny Prigozhin, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Bloomberg.

Concord Management and Consulting, LLC. - one of three businesses indicted by Mueller in February along with 13 individuals for election meddling, surprised the special counsel in April when they actually showed up in court to fight the charges. Mueller's team tried to delay Concord from entering the case, arguing that thee Russian company not been properly served, however Judge Dabney Friedrich denied the request - effectively telling prosecutors 'well, they're here.'

Comment: See also:

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Arrow Down

Kiev 'Patriarch' prepares to seize Moscow properties in Ukraine


The Duran
Sat, 20 Oct 2018 00:00 UTC
Although Constantinople besought the Kiev church to stop property seizures, they were ignored and used, or perhaps, complicit.
Kiev Monastery of the Caves
Kiev Monastery of the Caves
The attack on the Eastern Orthodox Church, brought about by the US State Department and its proxies in Constantinople and Ukraine, is continuing. On October 20, 2018, the illegitimate "Kyiv (Kiev) Patriarchate", led by Filaret Denisenko who is calling himself "Patriarch Filaret", had a synodal meeting in which it changed the commemoration title of the leader of the church to include the Kyiv Caves and Pochaev Lavras.

This is a problem because Metropolitan Onuphry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church which is canonically accepted and acts as a very autonomous church under the Moscow Patriarchate has these places under his pastoral care.

Comment: Faith, power, money: How Western meddling is corrupting Ukraine's Orthodox Church

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Russian Flag

Putin lays down the law to the Davos crowd at this year's Valdai conference

Tom Luongo
Gold, Goats 'n Guns
Fri, 19 Oct 2018 00:00 UTC
Putin at Valdai
Every year Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the Valdai Economic Forum. And each year his talk is important. Putin isn't one to mince words on important issues.

With tensions between Russia and the West reaching Cold War levels, Valdai represented the first time we've heard Putin speak in a long-form discussion since Helsinki and the events thereafter - IL-20, Khashoggi, etc.

So, this talk is worth everyone's time. And when I say everyone's I mean every single person who could be affected by the breakdown of the U.S. political system and how that spills over onto Russia's shores.

In other words, pretty much everyone on the planet.

Because what Putin did at Valdai was to lay down the new rules of conduct in geopolitical affairs. He put the U.S. and European oligarchs I call The Davos Crowd on notice.

Comment: For more on Putin's statements at this year's Valdai forum, see:

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People

Who's financing the "spontaneous" migrant caravan trekking towards the United States? Here are some clues

JD Heyes
Natural News
Sat, 20 Oct 2018 02:00 UTC
border trash
On his nationally syndicated talk show Wednesday, Rush Limbaugh discussed the growing migrant "caravan" currently making its way towards the United States.

In particular, Limbaugh talked about what it would take for hundreds and thousands of people to make such a long journey on foot, and through a number of countries after the caravan originated in Honduras.

Where would the migrants sleep? How would they eat? Where would their water come from?

He also discussed issues like personal hygiene; where would they shower or bathe? Where would they go to the bathroom?

And if you look at pictures of the migrants you'll see, many are carrying very small backpacks, so they can't have much food with them, let alone toiletry items, tents/shelter, and extra clothing - all of the things you'd normally associate with someone trekking cross-country and hundreds of miles. Some don't have a backpack at all.

That led Limbaugh to logically conclude someone - or some organization(s) - must be helping the migrants, to include the governments of Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico, all countries they have passed through or will be passing through.
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Pirates

Macedonian legislators vote to change country's name in subservience to NATO & EU after failed referendum


RT
Sat, 20 Oct 2018 00:45 UTC
Macedonian parliament
© Reuters / StringerMembers of the VMRO-DPMNE opposition party boycott the parliamentary vote.
Barely eking out the required majority and casting aside the failed popular referendum, Macedonia's parliament has approved the country's name change for the sake of a "brighter future" reserved for NATO members.

The Macedonian population largely boycotted the referendum, despite the best efforts of its US-backed government, which tried to entice voters by phrasing the question as innocuously as possible: "Are you in favor of membership in the European Union and NATO by accepting the deal between the Republic of Macedonia and Republic of Greece?" Only 36.9 percent of eligible voters participated, rendering the referendum invalid.

Opposition MPs facing terrorism charges were reportedly offered amnesty if they voted with the ruling party to amend the Constitution, and the release of one of those MPs on bail lent weight to suspicions their votes were being bought.
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Bad Guys

Flashback Meet Nellie Ohr: Corrupt Never-Trumper with Stalinist sympathies

Jim Hoft
The Gateway Pundit
Sat, 11 Aug 2018 00:00 UTC
Bruce Nellie Ohr Fusion GPS Trump dossier
© Fox NewsBruce and Nellie Ohr
America is going to soon know the name Nellie Ohr. Americans will also learn she was a communist sympathizer more connected to Russia than President Trump ever will be who did all she could to overturn the candidacy and Presidency of President Trump.

Diana West, the author of American Betryal, wrote this at the American Spectator on Nellie Ohr, who they call "the "dossier" spying scandal's woman in the middle." -
To one side of Ohr, there is the Fusion GPS team, including fellow contractor Christopher Steele. To the other, there is husband Bruce Ohr, who, until his "dossier"-related demotion, was No. 4 man at the Department of Justice, and a key contact there for Steele.

As central as Nellie Ohr's placement is, her role in the creation of the "dossier" remains undefined. For example, the House Intelligence Committee memo on related matters vaguely tells us that Nellie Ohr was "employed by Fusion GPS to assist in the cultivation of opposition research on Trump"; the memo adds that Bruce Ohr "later provided the FBI with all of his wife's opposition research." Senator Lindsey Graham more sensationally told Fox News that Nellie Ohr "did the research for Mr. Steele," but details remain scarce.

Comment: See also:

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Black Cat

Pepe Escobar: The Jared of Arabia-Bonesaw connection?

Pepe Escobar
Facebook
Sat, 20 Oct 2018 21:19 UTC
Mohamed bin Salman jared kushner
Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and U.S. Presidential advisor Jared Jushner
Once again my best House of Saud-connected source RE-CONFIRMED Mohammed Bone Saw (MBS) received direct info on CIA assets in Saudi Arabia from his close whatsapp pal Jared of Arabia.

Jared could only have access to this top secret info because of his high clearance. That led to the Ritz-Carlton jail saga - and other arrests.

The CIA protégé Mohammed bin Nayef - who was previously made Crown Prince by the CIA itself - was also arrested and is still under house arrest. The CIA was grooming Nayef be King.

The CIA managed to elevate Nayef by plotting to get rid of Bandar Bush - who was fired by then King Abdullah. When King Abdullah died, Nayef continued to be Crown Prince until ousted by the new King Salman bin Abdulaziz to the benefit of his son.

Big mistake.

Comment: Pepe is probably a little too sure it couldn't have happened without MbS's approval. He may have been involved and it escalated further than he approved, (as Scott Adams theorizes), or it could've been a rogue operation. Mohammed bin Salman has made enough enemies within the sprawling Saudi royal family with last year's "anti-corruption purge", that more than one faction would be happy to pin the assassination on him

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Cards

Russian Deputy FM: Ludicrous 'meddling' charges an excuse for more sanctions and to play 'Russia card' ahead of midterm elections


RT
Sat, 20 Oct 2018 11:59 UTC
protest Washington DC
© Brian Snyder ReutersA protest in front of the White House in Washington, DC.
Washington is concocting ludicrous charges against a Russian national for alleged election meddling merely to find reasons for new sanctions and to play the 'Russia card' ahead of the midterms, a top Kremlin official has warned.

The US is bringing up "ludicrous accusations" with a "laughable 'body of proof'" simply to slap Moscow with a new round of sanctions, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said in a statement on Saturday. He added that "certain" US politicians hope to use charges against Russia to gain the upper hand in "interparty brawls" ahead of the midterm elections, slated for November 6.

Ryabkov made his remarks after the US Department of Justice officially leveled charges against Russian national Elena Khusyaynova, who allegedly served as the chief accountant for 'Project Lakhta.' The officials suspect her of handling the funds used to pay online trolls for posting comments to "sow discord in the US political system," and to "undermine faith" in US democracy. These alleged activities were part of what Washington calls Russian strategic efforts to meddle in the 2016 US presidential race and as well as the upcoming midterms.

Comment: See: US Justice Dept. charges Russian national for alleged election meddling

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