The Paradise Papers, like the Panama Papers that came before, tell the stories of the secret offshore empires, the other worlds of wealth and privilege that exist in an international law that is practically non-existent, riddled with holes, specifically crafted so that the ultra-wealthy may do as they wish. The secrecy jurisdictions for hiding and accumulating wealth include Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Labuan (say what?), Lebanon(really, Lebanon?), Malta, Marshall Islands, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent, Samoa, Trinidad & Tobago, Vanuatu. These are just a few of the elaborate web of places to stash money outside of the public system that pays taxes for the public infrastructure, health, environment, defense, research and development and so much more a civilization depends on. The current system of hidden companies and shells is part of an oligarchical anarchy where wealth accumulates to a pinpoint at the top and the equality of opportunity for the rest be damned.
The good news is that at some point all these imaginary, absconded, and inflated digits can someday be wiped away when the new millennial leadership can develop a new equitable and blockchain based financial ecosytem after the next colossal financial apocalypse.
Peace @ClumsySilverDad
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/nov/05/what-are-the-paradise-papers-and-what-do-they-tell-us