Swiss party wants to punish U.S. for UBS probe

Reuters ^ | 02.21.09 | reuters

[dollarbull]

ZURICH, Feb 21 (Reuters) - The right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP) called on Saturday for retaliation against the United States over a U.S. tax probe into the country's biggest bank UBS that threatens prized banking secrecy.

[dollarbull]

Why are goldbugs so bad at math?

[SeeSharp]

I hate to see the Swiss give up their bank secrecy principle.

[RC2]

Freeze all Swiss accounts, including gold, until they agree with our government.

[Alter Kaker]

I hate to see the Swiss give up their bank secrecy principle.

Why? Soft spot for drug smugglers, terrorists and embezzlers?

[kittymyrib]

I’d love to see the names of all the tax-dodgers in the US, though. Of course, I’m still waiting for the list of Soviet spies in the USA during the Cold War that was discovered after the fall of the USSR. That would also be very interesting....

[dollarbull]

Freeze all Swiss accounts, including gold, until they agree with our government.

You do that and there will be a run on the dollar (against gold) that will drive gold well into 4 digits and the USDX to .40 (that's going to happen anyway, but you'll make it happen faster)

[SeeSharp]

Why? Soft spot for drug smugglers, terrorists and embezzlers?

My sympathies are for tax evaders.

[Regulator]

Maybe they think your money is none of the bureaucrat’s business, and that when you open a bank account it isn’t because you wanted to drop your shorts to the looter class.

[farlander]

Actually, this is a TAX probe. Not a criminal probe. Swiss privacy laws do not protect drugs smugglers and money launderers.

And -> there are far more amenable jurisdictions for hiding assets than the Switzerland.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Why are Gold Bugs so bad at math?”

We’re not. :)

[jimbo123]

For background on Obama’s cozy fundraising relationship with UBS US CEO Robert Wolf see:

http://cinie.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/whos-robert-wolf/

[Uncle Ike]

” I’d love to see the names of all the tax-dodgers in the US, though. “

“Paying taxes is a patriotic act”, huh

From your lips to Joe Biden’s ears.....

[gondramB]

>>The populist SVP, the country’s biggest party, said Switzerland should not take in any detainees from the U.S. prison for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, which the Swiss government said last month it could consider to help shut the camp down.<<

Fine.

>>Switzerland should also reconsider its policy of representing the United States in countries where it has no diplomatic presence, the parliamentary SVP said in a statement.<<

OK, that’s one of the few things that makes Switzerland important.

>>The SVP said gold stored by the Swiss National Bank in the United States should be repatriated and Switzerland should ban the sale of U.S. funds in the country to protect Swiss investors after the failure of U.S. regulators.<<

Cool, if they think their gold is safer between the Russians and Western Europe than in Fort Knox they can keep it wherever the hell they want to.

>>The comments came after UBS agreed on Wednesday to pay a fine of $780 million and to disclose about 250 names of U.S. clients it said had committed tax fraud to settle U.S. criminal charges that it had helped rich Americans dodge taxes.<<

If they are gonna help drug gangs and other criminals dodge taxes then f*** them.

[jimbo123]

Robert Wolf, CEO of UBS Americas, George Soros

The skeleton in Obama’s money closet

http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/4088

[jimbo123]

Obama Advisory Board Member (UBS’s Robert Wolf) Is Senior Exec With Firm Under Federal Investigation For Tax Scam

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/02/obama_advisory_board_member_is_senior_exec_with_firm_under_federal_investigation_for_tax_scam.php

[cbkaty]

Why? Soft spot for drug smugglers, terrorists and embezzlers?

Wow....and then they swept freedom and privacy out the door....fools are born every minute.

On can claim an unborn life with privacy but not a gold coin...go figure. The rode to Hell is paved with you style of good intentions.

[Beowulf9]

Never should’ve named their country after a cheese with holes.

[jimbo123]

Bin Laden had access to Swiss bank account (UBS)

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article488064.ece

[ketelone]

EEK! Not the Swiss! Watch out, or we’ll be executed by having molten cheese poured down our eye sockets, in the tradition Swiss manner!

Just kidding, this news bothers me about as much as... oh wait, it doesnt bother me at all.

[Dr.Syn]

I think they are mad because the Justice Dept. made a deal with USB to pay a fine and disclose 17,000 names and, in return, Justice would call it a day.

Immediately after they got the 17,000 names and the money, I believe that Justice turned on the deal and filed an action against USB which is exactly the action that the Swiss government and USB thought they were avoiding when the made the settlement.

I may be wrong here but it looks as though the Swiss are pissed because the US lied to them.