how banks help the super rich hide over $20 trillion in off shore accounts

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http://www.alternet.org/economy/how-banks-help-super-rich-hide-over-20-trillion-offshore-accounts

James, thank you so much for joining us today.

JAMES S. HENRY, SENIOR ECONOMIST, TAX JUSTICE NETWORK: Thank you.

PERIES: James, you specifically named John Podesta, who is counsel to the president as a lobbyist for Credit Suisse. What did you mean to say?

HENRY: Well, what we do know is that they hired John Podesta's brother and Podesta Group to lobby for them from 2009 on. I think it's not surprising that the White House is a little bit sensitive right now about HSBC. I mean, their attorney general nominee is up before Congress, and her nomination's being held up over her handling of this matter.

We don't know what John Podesta's connection to Credit Suisse really is while he was counselor. We do know that his brother Tony was hired by Credit Suisse, his lobbying firm, called Podesta Group, which John Podesta founded. But it may well be that John has no financial interest in that firm, and we do know only that Credit Suisse hired Podesta group in 2009, 2010.

PERIES: Podesta Group that is now being run by his brother Tony Podesta.

HENRY: As far as we know. And they have quite a few corporate clients. They have about $25 million a year of lobbying income. Credit Suisse has paid them about 1.4 million. But we really don't want to get distracted by this Credit Suisse story. I mean, all of these Swiss Banks have lots of other channels of influence beside their particular lobbyists. Credit Suisse, HSBC, and UBS have spent $103 million in the last ten years on U.S. lobbying and political contributions. So they're not without alternatives.

[marym625]

1. seriously just don't know how we can beat these people

Money is it. Money is all. It's all about, and always about, the money. And now the government has pretty much given them carte blanche.

How do we fight that? Money has more power than people in the US. Republicans that aren't part of the 3% should be as upset about this as we are. But as usual, they either don't care, don't understand or think they're actually going to be part of the top one day. Like anyone at the top of the food chain would allow a regular Joe blow in.