From: Bill Stewart <stewarts@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 1997 10:33:22 +0800
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
Subject: Re: Cato forum tomorrow: should money laundering be a crime?
In-Reply-To: <199712072343.PAA22192@sirius.infonex.com>
Message-ID: <3.0.3.32.19971207182750.0068c8f4@popd.ix.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
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>>Almost every mainstream news article and regulatory report repeats 
>>the littany that Money Laundering, that is the movement of money to disguise 
>>it origin (even if there are no predicate offenses) must remain illegal 
>>because it damages or is a threat to the world banking and financial system 
>>(not just the tax take of governments), but I have yet to see any 
>>explanation of how and why.  Anyone care to comment?

Because the major news services are Politically Correct,
not in the anti-humorless-leftist sense but in the sense of
generally supporting what the Political Class wants them to,
and generally believing what they're told to believe,
and they'll often go for the easy story rather than thinking up their own,
especially because it leaves them well-connected for doing future
stories on the Political Class and whatever the Political Class wants.
And the Political Class very badly wants to control Money Laundering
1) They want to control your money.
2) They want to control you.
3) They want you to help them control their opponents, and
	laundered money helps their opponents keep operating
4) Money Laundering lets Politically Incorrect Vegetable dealers
	hide their activities and avoid getting caught,
	and the Political Class gets a lot of power from the
	War On Vegetables.
5) Money Laundering helps people evade and avoid taxes.  Clear enough?
6) The State needs Enemies to justify its power.  This'll do.
7) Following The Money helps them know who's doing what.
				Thanks! 
					Bill
Bill Stewart, stewarts@ix.netcom.com
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