Laundering the Panama Papers

3 years ago the Panama Papers threatened to be the biggest scandal in the History of the World. A couple sacrificed heads and a little over a $Billion token money later, the biggest trophies still go unmounted.

Many of the World's Most Powerful have been implicated. They yawn. One more bother. Untold 100s of $Billions or $Trillions go unaccounted for. What some describe as the biggest criminal enterprise in History has largely been unaffected.

Some of the things exposed by the Panama Papers are truly shocking. North Korea's nuclear weapons program advanced by arms deals facilitated by Money Launderers in Panama. The World's largest Drug Cartels. Leaders of dozens of Countries from the King of Saudi Arabia and Royal Family of Spain to the Prime Ministers of Great Britain and Australia.

And scores of the Rich and Famous.

One Reporter has been assassinated by car bomb. These are some of the World's most dangerous People and Organizations. And that's where the problems start. Vladimir Putin's closest Oligarch Allies and the Family of China's Xi Jinping. All around the World, Countries had their most Powerful and their Friends, Advisors, Family wrapped up in the grey workings of "Offshore" Companies.

It should be noted, that Law Firms often are involved in some of the most questionable activities. Law Firms represent Tobacco Companies, Arms Dealers, Private Armies. Often the work they do becomes highly questionable to the average Person. Yet is considered standard in legal circles.

This is essentially the argument the Principles of Mossack-Fonseca are making.

Somewhere along the lines though, when your Clients are Drug Cartels and Individuals or Countries deep under International Sanctions, there must be lines that even Lawyers won't cross. On the surface, it's hard to find that line here.

In the case files or in the time since.

A Global force of Investigative Journalists, extensive information leaked and dozens of Governments doing their own major Investigations. Yet the fallout has come far more from Courts of Public Opinion that actual Courts. Civil or Criminal.

Especially where some of the "biggest fish" enter.

That's what many have called the operation at the center of the Panama Papers. But the scope is so enormous, it's difficult to wrap the mind around it. Even more difficult to understand is how little has actually been covered. Think for a minute how much coverage topics that interest Media in America receive. It doesn't take a minute. The answer is around the clock well past the point that most have begun tuning out because of over-saturation.

Yet here we have something so enormous, it encompasses most of the World's Rich and Powerful. It involves more money than all but a couple Countries' GDPs. It involves Drug Cartels and Weapons Traffickers. It involves arming some of the World's most notorious Regimes and Individuals. It involves hiding money for Countries, Individuals under International Sanction.

But we hear very little about it. Even in Great Britain we don't hear much and it involves a Prime Minister and the Royal Family. It's as if the whole topic has a Media Blackout surrounding it. Despite thousands of Journalists carrying the torch.

Is it possible that this is so massive that the "Biggest Crime in History" isn't what's in those 11 million pages of documents. But the effort, including killing one Journalist, to keep it as quiet as possible? Is it possible that taking the information leaked to its ultimate conclusion could literally disrupt the entire Global Order? What happens when nearly 50 Countries are in Legal and Political Crisis at once?

We don't know because we've never experienced anything like this before.

What lengths have we gone to keep Rogue Regimes in power, despite all of the problems, because they were known problems? And the fear of a Country in chaos was too terrifying.

How about a dozen Countries in chaos at once? Because this is what we could potentially face.

What makes Panama so special? There are lots of "Tax Havens". But there's one thing they don't have.

The Panama Canal.

This canal has been at the center of controversy since before it ever existed. And while being a symbol of opportunity. It has also been one of misery and suffering. 30,609 died during the building of it. And it's less than 48 miles long.

But Teddy Roosevelt knew that the canal would open up massive trade. And it did. And still does. Now it's expanded and can take some of the World's largest ships. And the canal has become of great interest again. Especially to China, which is trying to replace the United States as the most important to the Panamanian Economy.

Why among all of the places on Earth that could have been the Center of World Corruption, did it end up being Panama? Because Panama is at the center of Geo-Political Re-Positioning.

Will we ever see an end? Personally, I think we're only seeing the beginning.

I've talked with folks about some of the other problems with corrupt practices in Panama. Including, literally, Land Swindles & Little Old Ladies.

Stay Tuned...