Panama - Update #2

The "business as usual" is definitely setting in.

• The Panama Papers do not reveal a problem with the global finance system or tax evasion. No, the problem is government corruption.

• Likewise, there is no problem with the system because the countries that actually respect the rules don't show up on the leak - e.g., USA.

• We're still getting plenty of people from the "Them" club. The last I saw mentioned Azerbaijan.

• From the "Us" club, we get plenty of "celebrities" I've never heard of, and those that are actually, you know, celebrities, are inconsequential.

• All the banks that were/are used to get "Them" to move "their" money to "our side" have, obviously, denied any wrong-doing. And since they say so, it must be true.

I particularly enjoy the argument in point 2, as it uses a tactic that I've known for a long time - the Conspiracy Theory. You see, if you suspect something (e.g., no one "respects the rules"), but can't prove it's actually true, therefore it must be False (perfect "logic", obviously). And if you raise the point that "unknown" is not the same as "false", you're just one of those fellows conspurcating the Wonderful World Around Us with your Filthy Conspiracy Theories.

It's pointless debating with someone who goes for this tactic, because they know two things:

1. They have no arguments.
2. They are Right(TM).

And don't bother mentioning Snowden, Volkswagen, or horsemeat, unless you want to hear some Non-Filthy Conspiracy Theories that the Anti-Conspiracy Theorist just knows is True.

Anyway, as far as the Panama Papers are concerned, I expect this will be it. Plenty of smoke, and nothing else.