My take on the Panama Papers.
Firstly, how refreshing it is to finally see people pointing the finger of blame for the economic disaster that has been the world economy since 2008 at the people who are actually responsible for it – the banks, high earners and corporations – instead of the innocent victims of the crisis (the poor and immigrants) who had nothing to do with it.
A relief too to see David Cameron squirming with discomfort for once in place of his usual “I can screw you over but you can’t touch me” stance. At last something is making him feel the effects of his policies.
That said, and I’m not the first to point it out, there are many names missing off these leaks. There are thousands of companies enabling the transfer of taxable income to tax havens, and a huge number of rich people benefitting – to the obvious (and deliberate) detriment of society.
We need laws in place NOW to stop this behaviour being possible. We need the banks and lawyers who make it possible to be prosecuted and penalised so hard it isn’t worth their while to risk it. We need full openness about the finances of the super-rich and their tax returns.
And most of all we need to stop aiming our anger at the sick, unemployed or muslim, when the real danger to society is greed-filled neoliberalism and deregulated capitalism.