South Dakota: Avast, Ye [financial] Pirates!


Ah, Gov. Kristi...


In case you missed it, there’s been another hacked mountain of documents released to journalists by some mysterious Internet Wizards. This one comes on the heels of the Panama Papers and is called “The Pandora Papers.” These reveal all sorts of juicy info about how the Rich and Powerful use offshore (and sometimes semi-criminal) institutions to avoid taxes and other unpleasant things.(1)


One of the “offshore” places that performs such Swiss Bank-style services isn’t offshore at all. In fact, it is a place that doesn’t have any seashores period. Specifically, it is South Dakota, which enacted a variety of banking and trust services that put the state very much into the covert financial markets business a few years back.(2)


To which one has to say…no. No. Not really? Surely a state that has as its governor a Covid-denying, Liberal bashing, Trump-worshipping Deplorable like Kristi Noem…she’s the one, you’ll remember, who gave Trump a bronze bust with his head imposed on Mt. Rushmore (3)…could never possibly be involved with anything as shady as tax avoidance on an industrial scale!


Why, I’m shocked. Shocked! That anyone would even suggest it!


Ah…


Okay, maybe not that shocked.


Maybe not even remotely surprised.


But I won’t mention it if you won’t.


~mjt



*


Copyright©2021 Michael Jay Tucker



Sources:


1. Among many other stories currently in the press, see “The United States of Dirty Money,” by Casey Michel, The Atlantic, Oct 5, 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/how-south-dakota-became-haven-dirty-money/620298/


2. “Biggest tax haven in U.S.? South Dakota, says Pandora Papers investigation,” by Irina Ivanova, CBS News, October 5, 2021, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pandora-papers-tax-haven-south-dakota/


3. “SD governor gave Trump bust with face on Mount Rushmore,” by Stephen Groves, AP, Jan 21, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-south-dakota-kristi-noem-25bfcb43be782fda020d6a759d7c6ead

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