Andre Glucksmann describes how the French no is the manifestation of a movement that cuts to the heart of Europe The victory of Euro-nihilism
Eye on Politics & Law Lords: Big end of town caught in tax raids
Raids on 85 homes and offices in four states have netted the big end of town and crushed a $300 million tax fraud scheme. Wealthy, high-profile Australians have been raided in their homes, and files and computer records seized from their tax advisers, in an unprecedented combined operation by the Australian Crime Commission, the Tax Office and the Australian Federal Police
The Crime Commission said in some cases deductions were claimed for payments for fictitious expenses and services, while in others, income derived overseas was not accounted for in Australia. The Tax Office said the income was secretly returned to Australia disguised as a loan, an inheritance, a gift, or through credit and debit cards
• The decision to make an unannounced visit … was taken by a senior officer Fat cat tax raids ['High rollers' linked with tax scam Google: Raids in four states target tax fraud ; Michigan restaurants raided as part of tax and immigration probe Police raid Great Wall, 16 other Chinese businesses; Regina Hackett and Michelle Nicolosi of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer found that millions of dollars in purchases by Washington art collectors have gone untaxed, and that an agent’s effort to collect that revenue was squelched by upper management at the state Department of Revenue, then suspended late last year Untaxed Art ]
• · The medical marijuana ruling is legally and morally flawed. Judicial federalism gets really interesting: What were those Justices smoking? ; Tom DeLay's former employees have brought the House majority leader power rivaling that of Boss Tweed Meet The DeLays
• · · John Brenkman on how EU leaders must inspire their citizens with their vision of a democratic Europe Europe does not inspire even its own creators ;The Cuban regime's apparatus of self-legitimization rests on the notion that political freedom has to be sacrificed for the sake of national sovereignty and social justice Is Cuba a fair country? ; A look at Official Portraits, a Unique collection of world leaders
• · · · Bert Dalmer of the Des Moines Register analyzed a list of Iowa’s “critical assets” in need of defending, finding that it “includes casinos, family farms and landing pads, but few if any skyscrapers, courthouses or banking centers.” List of 'assets' has some surprises ; Even now, after the demonstrators shouting and the finance ministers whizzing around in their limousines, after all the fussing about Iraq war architect Paul Wolfowitz taking over last week, who really knows what the World Bank does? World Bank's Loan Rangers
• · · · · Osama's Road to Riches and Terror Golden Chain: The Bin Laden family ; Deep inside the historical relationship between Islam and China, India and Southeast Asia. An account every student of politics and religion shoul read sooner rather than later Asia and Islam — A Historical Perspective
• · · · · · James R. Carroll of the Louisville Courier-Journal examined congressional travel records for Kentucky and Southern Indiana to show that “in a little more than nine years, the cost of privately paid trips for lawmakers in the area and their aides totaled nearly $1.5 million.” Private money pays for lawmakers' trips ; Debate about a new plan for Sydney has opened a hornet's nest: Locally and globally, vision is the key Here's the future ... if we dare
