Germany Just Kicked Out The CIA’s Berlin Station Chief
Now she should kick out the US consulates in Germany, just as Canada is about to expel the Eritrean consulate. Why? For the same reason: the US collection of extra-territorial against alleged US citizens in other countries. The USA is a bad neighbor and a bad ally and has proven that with the imposition of FATCA on every nation in the world–with warlike sanctions as the consequence of not yielding to the demands FATCA.
Selected cajones. it would appear. If she dumps FATCA cooperation, then I will think she has a pair. However, I take the point of your post. 🙂
@Just Me, it is an interesting time in history, to be sure. We are watching the US hegemony that has reigned firm since WWII through relatively decent foreign policy deteriorate in the last few years in an exponential fashion. I doubt that Obama would ever be able to rally a coalition of the willing as Bush did in the rise to war against Iraq. He has lost so much good will among nations. Some think that Merkel is moving towards greater alliance with Russia, all while saying that she is against Russia. France is also really pissed off over the BNP fine.
So perhaps it would be fair to say Angela has one of them, while Stephen Harper is a full eunuch.
Would someone explain to me, in terms I can understand, how US spying ‘keeps Germany safe’? Or, for that matter, how collecting all my communications and those of the people I contact keeps me or them or anyone else ‘safe’?
It is not about security. It is about control.
Harper is not a eunuch. He has an agenda that – for now – means he will comply with whatever the US asks b/c he still thinks he can get what he wants.
I don’t think he realizes just how much he has given away or is jeopardizing but there is no reason to believe that Trudeau or Mulcair would be much different in terms of dealing with US demands. We are a tiny population compared to them. We are overly dependent on their economy and we haven’t the allies we need to stay independent of them in the long run.
Sometimes Trudeau will do or say something that gives me hope that he isn’t the conformist that I fear he is. Mulcair never does.
Elizabeth May has balls but she will never have the strength in Parliament and its pointless to pin any hopes on her.
The Germany situation is so very interesting. And the growing list of countries making deals to trade in Chinese currency is something to watch too. The UK in fact is positioning itself to be the financial seat for the Chinese yuan, which is a pretty bold move too.
Canada is behind the curve in terms of making a break. We are too focused on losing propositions like Keystone and worry about keeping our border from becoming a quagmire when we should be looking for workarounds and allies elsewhere.
Oh well, the chips are set to fall where they fall.
Yes, of course. ‘Safe’ is the new word for ‘under our control’. Orwell had a Ministry for language usage, as I recall. The USG must have a Department, at least.
I wonder if buying different currencies to store away would be wise. I think the world did nor follow W like his father in the 2nd Iraq war. They were already realizing the deceit of America. Threatening the economies of the world through extortion to collect other countries banking data is a powerful weapon. it will be interesting how this all plays out. We are in new times with instantaneous news of events as it happens. It is very hard to suppress and keep things quiet. At the same time it is just as easy to spread false or misleading news.
I worry communication cut off/ censorship is the next weapon.
I am heartened that there are more FATCA articles coming out.
We need a shirtless protest like Rob Ford is getting these days.
FATCA is a trade war. That it is unwitting, unforeseen and unplanned does not make it less an act of economic aggression and violation of international trade norms.
The actions taken by the rest of the worlds’ banks and financial institutions to exclude US persons is a retaliatory embargo and a quarantine. Escalation seems inevitable, unless the legal standing of FATCA is defeated in the courts of jurisdictions affected.
Wondering, I agree because their are many US officials who have publicly stated over the past few years that the US can and will use its financial sector to coerce and control other countries. FATCA is a weapon. USP’s are like sleeper agents in foreign countries.
It may be of interest to those in the UK, there’s a good possibility that if a dual citizen brings a human rights challenge against FATCA that Legal Aid would be available.
This was told to me by a UK Human Rights organisation.
So it may be possible for a UK resident dual citizen to get the UK Government to pay for a legal challenge against FATCA / IGA.
It’s possible this case could go all the way to the Europe Court of Justice. If the UK’s IGA was struck down, the other EU IGAs would probably be struck down as well.
@Don
It seems the snowball is starting to roll down the mountain. I am looking forward to seeing all the court challenges.
We are not sleeper cells, though the US would like us to be. We are more like Trojan Horses, though we will not willingly slaughter the Trojans. I personally think many of us are more like Jake Sully or John Dunbar and will fight against our former country because we’ve gone native:
http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/04/19/who-is-the-real-peter-dunn/
Of note on my local news this morning:
“…The survey found that 74% of companies plan to increase their trade with China over the next 12 months. This is much higher than the global average of 59%. The good news, said HSBC, is that more Canadian companies do plan on transacting trade in RMB going forward. More than one-in-three respondents – 37% – said they expect to start using the Chinese currency in the future. This is five percentage points above the global average of 32%.”
http://www.biv.com/article/20140709/BIV0102/140709940/0/SEARCH/canadian-companies-are-losing-out-by-not-using-chinese-currency-when
Petros, the Trojan Horse things only works if one thinks of USPs as willing participants in the destruction of the countries they live in. The Greeks in the original Trojan horse were eager to dispatch the unsuspecting residents of Troy. Sleepers, in movies anyway, often became so enmeshed that they didn’t want to help with whatever nefarious plan they were asked to participate in.
Don, thanks for pointing out Legal Aid as a possible help to pay for a legal challenge for the UK FATCA IGA.
This is generally the course of Legal Aid funding for Canada, so perhaps less useful here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/legal-aid-underfunding-protested-by-b-c-lawyers-1.2698745
The possibility of that avenue for all or partial funding legal challenges against US FATCA IGAs should be pursued, wherever.
I view USP’s as a whole as being the Trojan Horse, as the horse was neutral but a means by which the soldiers (IRS) could invade another country.
U.S. in sanctions talks with Commerzbank and Deutsche:
“Commerzbank, Germany’s second-largest lender, is 17 percent owned by the German government, and the settlement talks could further strain ties between Berlin and Washington, already at a low ebb due to allegations that a German man had worked as a double agent for U.S. intelligence.
Commerzbank is accused by U.S. authorities of transferring money through its U.S. operations on behalf of companies in Iran and Sudan and could pay at least $500 million in penalties, according to the New York Times.”
http://www.srnnews.com/u-s-in-sanctions-talks-with-commerzbank-and-deutsche-source-7/
$500 million in penalties, that’s nothing compared to what the French got!
If the USG doesn’t watch it the rest of the world will gang up against it.
Harper may have “nuts” YogaGirl, but I suspect you’ll agree with me when I say he’s spineless. Frankly told him that via twitter:
Wildlife Photog @pro_photog1970
@HonJohnBaird @pmharper @cbcnews Re: castigating Eritrea. Should have said same thing to US Ambassador. You ARE SPINELESS #FATCA
The_Animal, I think that all Canadian politicians have an acute blindness where the US is concerned. It’s odd b/c Canada exists b/c our founders did not want to be Americans and didn’t trust them not to just take us and our country by any means necessary, but today, it’s like “yeah, come and co-opt us”.
Yeah kick out the 90 pound weakling, and keep the 800 pound gorilla proves the 800 pound garilla is a bully
@Yoga Girl
All countries who signed FATCA did a CHAMBERLAIN. They signed an appeasement. They surrendered.
@Northstar
On 30 September 1938, British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned from negotiations with Germany and uttered his famous example of poor judgment and unforeseen consequence:
“My good friends, for the second time in our history, a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Go home and get a nice quiet sleep.”
It is important to remember that in the 1930, many British and American politicians had no concern about Hitler’s ascending power. In his brilliant essay “Imagining Hitler”, Christopher Hitchens noted:
“It’s important to remember that many people, before the war, could look at Hitler and see a man with whom business could be done. Winston Churchill, in a 1935 essay from his book Great Contemporaries, had this to say: ‘It is not possible to form a just judgment of a public figure who has attained the enormous dimensions of Adolf Hitler until his life work as a whole is before us. Although no subsequent political action can condone wrong deeds, history is replete with examples of men who have risen to power by employing stern, grim, and even frightful methods, but who, nevertheless, when their life is revealed as a whole, have been regarded as great figures whose lives have enriched the story of mankind. So may it be with Hitler.'”
http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/1999/02/hitchens-199902
What lessons does history teach? Policy can only be judged by long-term outcomes. What will be the long-term consequences for Canada of the Harper government’s FATCA capitulation? The Government refuses to discuss this in terms of consequence.
Even a brilliant statesman and strategist like Churchill could be utterly wrong as to long term consequence. Can we expect better from the far dimmer lights of the Conservative caucus?
As the consequences pile up (and I believe that most Canadians to be affected by FATCA are still unaware of it), it’s important that Canadian voters NEVER FORGET who sold them out!
@Wondering.
Excellently written.