Tuesday, May 29, 2012

IMF Director Christine Lagarde orders Greeks to pay their taxes while doing nothing to close down tax havens either as French Finance Minister or head of the IMF

IMF head Christine LaGarde's orders to Greeks to do their duty and pay their taxes ring pretty hollow coming from a woman who is the former French Finance minister. In that role she did pretty much nothing to close down tax havens in the EU (Switzerland, the Channel Islands, etc) or former French or British colonies and dependencies; and as head of the IMF she has done pretty much nothing in that regard either. Unless she's willing to close down the tax havens to stop the wealthiest and big banks and firms from avoiding tax, she has no leg to stand on in telling ordinary Greeks to pay theirs. Most of them already do. (1)

(1) = Guardian.co.uk 28 May 2012 'Christine Lagarde's Greek comments provoke fury', http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/28/christine-lagarde-greek-comments-fury

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