Panama Papers

[Martinus]

I hate to take Marty's defense here (believe me, I do!), but having an offshore account is not the same as not reporting your taxable income.  These documents tell us who has an offshore account in Panama, not the reasons they have one.  And there is also the (admitedly, very small) possibility some of them did declare such account to the proper fiscal authorities of their country.

It's tax avoidance vs. tax evasion. Good explanation here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27372841

I think Viper's point is that you may want to have an offshore account even if you have paid all the requisite taxes. For example, when you live in a country that does not respect private property.

Well, for the part of DNB's Norwegian customers, it was all for tax avoidance purposes. And illegal.

Well, I guess Norwegian justice system can fire all the police and the judges, because Norgy is able to decide whether something is illegal or not just on the basis of a sketchy press article. Yay.

[Valmy]

Yeah, that's pretty extreme. There's plenty more gaming girls than when I started playing in the late 80s, though. It was a pretty closed male territory back then so I can picture why things like the ones Brazen relates could happen.

Maybe. But sitting around with my male friends describing graphic sex? How creepy and awkward would that be?

[Martinus]

I am not saying it is not criminal behaviour, I am saying it is not terrorism. It's like with all those words for bad things like racism, fascism or nazi - they have become meaningless thanks to people who broaden their definition so much they cover entire ranges of behaviours ranging from simply bad to genocidal and attrocious (and ending up depriving these words of their power and making it less possible to defend against actual terrorism, racism, fascisms or nazis).

Well there is such a thing as a 'terroristic threat'.

But not every threat against a person is terroristic. If a robber threatens you with a gun so you would give him your money, it is not terrorism (even though by that article's definition it would fit the bill).

[Martinus]

Yeah, that's pretty extreme. There's plenty more gaming girls than when I started playing in the late 80s, though. It was a pretty closed male territory back then so I can picture why things like the ones Brazen relates could happen.

Maybe. But sitting around with my male friends describing graphic sex? How creepy and awkward would that be?

I know. I played my fair bit of roleplaying games both as a teenager and an adult and never even encountered anything close to that. And we had women in the group.

[Valmy]

But not every threat against a person is terroristic. If a robber threatens you with a gun so you would give him your money, it is not terrorism (even though by that article's definition it would fit the bill).

The intent here is obviously to generate fear and terror though. The Robber doesn't care about that, he or she just wants my money.

[Martinus]

That's like saying that a school bully threatening to beat up a kid unless he cuts his long hair is also engaging in terrorism.

The bottom line is that we have tools and laws to combat terrorism. They are agreed on the basis of the extreme danger posed by actual terrorism and the consensus that you need special tools (often suspending or limiting civil freedoms) to do that. Extending that definition to include what is effectively schoolyard or online bullying puts the entire system on its head.

[celedhring]

Yeah, that's pretty extreme. There's plenty more gaming girls than when I started playing in the late 80s, though. It was a pretty closed male territory back then so I can picture why things like the ones Brazen relates could happen.

Maybe. But sitting around with my male friends describing graphic sex? How creepy and awkward would that be?

Lots, no doubt about that. But I can see it happening. Males being juvenile and not giving a damn about women feeling uncomfortable around them is sadly not particularly novel.

[Martinus]

Yeah, that's pretty extreme. There's plenty more gaming girls than when I started playing in the late 80s, though. It was a pretty closed male territory back then so I can picture why things like the ones Brazen relates could happen.

Maybe. But sitting around with my male friends describing graphic sex? How creepy and awkward would that be?

Lots, no doubt about that. But I can see it happening. Males being juvenile and not giving a damn about women feeling uncomfortable around them is sadly not particularly novel.

Yes. It is also not terrorism.

[Brazen]

But not every threat against a person is terroristic. If a robber threatens you with a gun so you would give him your money, it is not terrorism (even though by that article's definition it would fit the bill).

The intent here is obviously to generate fear and terror though. The Robber doesn't care about that, he or she just wants my money.

And with the intent of intimidating a sector of society to do or refrain from doing an act; in this case women (and in the examples also given also girls and people from ethnic minorities) to refrain from gaming.

[Valmy]

Man who knew nerds were so horrible? I will now root for the jocks in all those 80s movies.

[Legbiter]

Here's the original blog entry in question which I posted on my FB wall: http://latining.tumblr.com/post/141567276944/tabletop-gaming-has-a-white-male-terrorism-problem

lol

Typical attention-whoring SJW tumblrina. But by all means tip your fedora, good sir.

[Martinus]

Anyway, back to the topic after Solmyr derailed the thread - three Poles in the Panama Papers: one politician and two business people. None of them a criminal.

[Solmyr]

Also, getting hung up on what exactly is or is not terrorism is not really the point and simply distracts from the actual problem. A problem that is likely far more urgent for most Western women than Islamic or whatever kind of terrorism.

[Martinus]

Also, getting hung up on what exactly is or is not terrorism is not really the point and simply distracts from the actual problem. A problem that is likely far more urgent for most Western women than Islamic or whatever kind of terrorism.

Really???? 

[Solmyr]

Also, getting hung up on what exactly is or is not terrorism is not really the point and simply distracts from the actual problem. A problem that is likely far more urgent for most Western women than Islamic or whatever kind of terrorism.

Really???? 

What do you think women in the west suffer more from every year, Islamic terrorism or rapes and sexual harassment?

Not that you have any experience with women, of course.