uziq
Member
+492|3422
the major banks have been 'tools of crime', organized and international, for so long too and they've been allowed to continue.

is there any need to be so fucking conspiratorial about it?
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
Banks have checks and balances and liabilities, is the same true for bitcoin?
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
uziq
Member
+492|3422
banks as financial institutions launder money for drug cartels and turn a blind eye to incredibly shady purchases through shell companies or property management businesses. it’s all the same rotten system of criminal interests servicing their ill-gained proceeds.

so if banks have been doing it basically out in the open for ages, why does there need to be some high-tech KGB hacker subplot for inaction over bitcoin? nevermind the fact that regulating and punishing banks is 100x easier than trying to track blockchain transactions. why haven’t governments clamped down on HSBC for instance, knowing their dealings with criminals? oh well. better to mutter conspiratorially about russians and jews.
Larssen
Member
+99|1858

uziq wrote:

unlikely so long as bad actors don’t misuse it? LOL are you missing the fact that bitcoin was solely used for transactions on the dark web for the first 10 years of its existence?

the authorities went after satoshi, the inventor. they went after the owner of the silkroad. they infiltrated dark web markets. but as for bitcoin/blockchain ... it’s out there now. evidently the huge amount of state pressure on the mastermind behind the technology hasnt slowed it.

bitcoin was used solely to buy drugs, guns, child porn and even to hire hitmen (if the most salacious stories hold any truth) for all of its infancy. LOL. i spent about $250,000s worth of it myself. ‘so long as bad actors don’t abuse it’  

by the way you do know how AQ, the taliban and the bin ladens funded 9/11 right? hahahaha. yeah those funding channels and networks got shut down reallllly quick.
You're not telling anyone anything new. The thing is that so far it hasn't formally been labelled a security or outlawed. This would have happened if it were to assume the role I described, which it hasn't. The criminal activity surrounding bitcoin mostly concerns hacking and drug use, not on a scale so large or threatening it warrants a crackdown - the overwhelming majority of bitcoin transactions (95%+) are speculative investments in the crypto market rather than it being used for real world application. Your personally contributed 250k's worth is a drop in the ocean. Good for you that you participated so actively in the drug market.

So instead of a crackdown, so far you'll see many regulators have been adopting some ideas or tinkering away at their own versions of digital currency or other blockchain applications allowing the current cryptomarket to run in the background. If it were illegal for any serious or institutional investor to back the stuff it never would've taken off.
Larssen
Member
+99|1858

uziq wrote:

banks as financial institutions launder money for drug cartels and turn a blind eye to incredibly shady purchases through shell companies or property management businesses. it’s all the same rotten system of criminal interests servicing their ill-gained proceeds.

so if banks have been doing it basically out in the open for ages, why does there need to be some high-tech KGB hacker subplot for inaction over bitcoin? nevermind the fact that regulating and punishing banks is 100x easier than trying to track blockchain transactions. why haven’t governments clamped down on HSBC for instance, knowing their dealings with criminals? oh well. better to mutter conspiratorially about russians and jews.
Actually banks hardly do it these days, because it's all too traceable. Sophisticated drug trafficking operations usually collect the cash to send it to some 3rd world country and buy ungodly amounts of gold or other produce there, sending it back to the west and launder it by bringing the 'legal goods' in the market.

Last edited by Larssen (2021-04-29 07:21:42)

uziq
Member
+492|3422
the speculative phase of bitcoin is a relatively new one. as i said, it was the de facto currency of the online criminal underworld for all of its infancy. i just found it amusing that you said it’s fine ‘until it’s used by bad actors’. i guess buying weapons, child porn and huge quantities of drugs isn’t ‘bad acting’. and no, the drug market for bitcoin was not negligible. it was multi-billion per year for each market. silkroad had cartels and major crime organisations selling in bulk, direct.

Last edited by uziq (2021-04-29 07:27:00)

uziq
Member
+492|3422

Larssen wrote:

uziq wrote:

banks as financial institutions launder money for drug cartels and turn a blind eye to incredibly shady purchases through shell companies or property management businesses. it’s all the same rotten system of criminal interests servicing their ill-gained proceeds.

so if banks have been doing it basically out in the open for ages, why does there need to be some high-tech KGB hacker subplot for inaction over bitcoin? nevermind the fact that regulating and punishing banks is 100x easier than trying to track blockchain transactions. why haven’t governments clamped down on HSBC for instance, knowing their dealings with criminals? oh well. better to mutter conspiratorially about russians and jews.
Actually banks hardly do it these days, because it's all too traceable. Sophisticated drug trafficking operations usually collect the cash to send it to some 3rd world country and buy ungodly amounts of gold or other produce there, sending it back to the west and launder it by bringing the 'legal goods' in the market.
very naive. banks are supposed to file a specific sort of form whenever a suspicious transaction takes place, but they sit in piles by the 100 and are seldom audited in any serious way. it’s one of the huge unspoken truths of the industry, like how oil refineries in residential areas still use lethal hydrofluoric acid but relabel it as ‘modified’ to stall off the regulatory bodies. (and said regulatory bodies are capable of giving fines which are teensy in comparison to the profits from, er, money laundering.)

the U.K. has only recently introduced a novel law whereby any large purchases or assets can be seized if the owner can’t provide transparent book-keeping. and that is seldom used and has only been in force for 1-2 years now. the vast majority of it, like all the drugs whizzing around in your postal system, goes unchecked.

Larssen wrote:

Sophisticated drug trafficking operations usually collect the cash to send it to some 3rd world country and buy ungodly amounts of gold or other produce there, sending it back to the west and launder it by bringing the 'legal goods' in the market.
lol. because going to 3rd world countries with hundreds of millions of dollars in cash to buy gold bullion is totally discreet and reliable. drug dealers love filing customs and paying tax! i haven't heard about money launderers buying gold since the vatican stopped funding the IRA.

The DoJ said that the bank [HSBC] had laundered at least $881 million in money for Mexican and Colombian cartels, and another $660 million in sanctions-avoiding transfers with Iran, Cuba, Sudan, Libya and Burma. Some of the details concerning the drug money were lurid. Drug dealers deposited hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash at HSBC in Mexico, and to facilitate matters, even designed special boxes to hold the cash that made an exact fit with the holes in the bank tellers’ windows. As part of the deferred prosecution deal, the bank agreed to have an independent monitor inside the bank, checking on its compliance, for the next five years – an unprecedented arrangement for a British bank. Also unprecedented was the size of the fine: $1.92 billion.
Through Mexico’s Access to Public Information Law, Quinto Elemento Lab obtained the comprehensive files prepared between 2007 and 2012 by the National Banking and Securities Commission (Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores – CNBV) which, across more than 20 volumes and some 10,000 pages, established how HSBC Mexico’s top management committed serious mistakes, such as:

- Deliberately failing to report suspicious transactions.
- Permitting the exponential growth of bulk dollar shipments on armored trucks bound for the US.
- Deliberately delaying the issuance of client reports with unusual and suspicious transactions.
- Maintaining business relationships, until the last possible moment, with people, businesses and currency exchange houses used by drug traffickers to acquire aircraft.
https://insightcrime.org/news/analysis/ … e-collars/

Last edited by uziq (2021-04-29 07:49:03)

Larssen
Member
+99|1858
Do you have any idea how enormous of an industry illegal mining is. The drug lords are actively exploiting the global poor in both south america and africa here. It's a multi billion scheme. The cash helps pay the workers and allows them to bribe officials. It's easier and cheaper.

Yeah so HSBC was slapped with a billion dollar fine and now their AML and KYC divisions are probably the size of small countries. Which is the case for most banks these days. The drug trade is looking for and finding alternatives. Thx for funding them with 250k+.
uziq
Member
+492|3422
i bought pharmaceuticals from small labs, not cartel drugs. even in 2010 you'd have to be insane to buy cocaine from cartels on the dark web.
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690
Buying drugs in general in retrospect is a very bad idea. I mean pot is fairly safe even if the it was sprayed daily with pesticides. At least you can tell something is or is not pot. But if I gave you a baggie of white powder and said it was heroin and to go inject it into your veins you would have to be stupid to trust me.

I feel like DARE in school would have worked better if they didn't send Chad cops and pig men to try to scare kids with obvious melodrama but instead told kids straight out 'pot and liquor is fine when you are old enough but stay away from stuff you need to sniff, inject, or was made in a laboratory."

LSD was so fun but I will not touch that stuff until it is sold in stores.
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
uziq
Member
+492|3422
reagent tests are plentiful and cheap. you can verify what you have bought very easily. most nightclubs and music festivals here have an area where you can have your drugs tested without legal consequences.
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690
Anyway, Investment

I was signing up for summer and fall graduate classes like a minute ago. I checked Youtube afterward and this stupid video showed up in my recommended. Clearly Google is spying on me but whatever. John Stossel and Mike Rowe, the dirty jobs guy, are still out here telling people to not go to school. Video is dated from Tuesday.
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690
Should we end unemployment benefits in order to force people back to work?
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
DesertFox-
The very model of a modern major general
+794|6655|United States of America
It is their go-to argument that all these people with student loan debt and underemployment woes clearly majored in gender studies. I've yet to run across it in the wild with all my experience of people in science who were also put through the ringer. Can't chalk it all up to SJW Millennials making bad calls.

On another note I ran across this article in the sidebar spotlight of Google News. It's baffling to me the amount of people who commented, and even the author who say the dude can afford the purchase. The dude is well set up for retirement, but only has a relative pittance of liquid cash. Even if he spent it all, it's still nearly a $1000/mo payment at 0%. From a risk perspective, it seems super ill-advised, even without knowing the guys cost-of-living expenses.
RTHKI
mmmf mmmf mmmf
+1,736|6707|Oxferd Ohire
At 80k its used. Lowest I saw on some used car sites was 65-70k
He might have just enough in savings to cover a year of expenses. Why he didn't build any up for this car duno
He's probably fine.
https://i.imgur.com/tMvdWFG.png
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690
Being a used sports car. Big yikes.
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
RTHKI
mmmf mmmf mmmf
+1,736|6707|Oxferd Ohire
Little different when it costs 100k new

But also why? happens all the time. Any different than a base civic that might have been redlined constantly?

Last edited by RTHKI (2021-05-09 19:05:45)

https://i.imgur.com/tMvdWFG.png
unnamednewbie13
Moderator
+2,053|6742|PNW

SuperJail Warden wrote:

Should we end unemployment benefits in order to force people back to work?
Leading question and Republiganda, to be honest.

The Montana governor is a multimillionaire and SC's is comfortably in the hundred thousands. Neither of those assholes are in danger of homelessness, starvation, no health care, etc.

Canceling benefits even with unemployment on the rise. Completely out of touch with the people. What was it like $300 a week? If that's what's keeping people home then it's more damning against businesses who pay the starvation wages when they could afford to pay more. Doesn't In & Out pay $17/hr to start? I seem to recall that from a recent meme. You can't tell me a major chain can't afford that.

For generations, US companies in general haven't been making a very good case for fostering employee loyalty. People can be raised with all the work ethic in the world, but they're as disposable as anyone else. "Maybe get a higher class job?" Imagine being a college educated programmer and getting laid off as soon as your team is done working overtime for the final stretch to finish a product, basically camping out at the office. The executive officers pocket huge bonuses. Screw. That.

Completely understandable seeing an American worker put in the bare minimum of effort.
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
Its funny how the same theories say erks deserve zero hour contracts but the execs should have multi-year guaranteed incomes and lump sums whether or not they destroy the company.

My current CEO is still a big fan of Jack Welch, whose theories were junked well over a decade ago and whose legacy is turning an engineering conglomerate into a loan-sharking operation.
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX

DesertFox- wrote:

It is their go-to argument that all these people with student loan debt and underemployment woes clearly majored in gender studies. I've yet to run across it in the wild with all my experience of people in science who were also put through the ringer. Can't chalk it all up to SJW Millennials making bad calls.

On another note I ran across this article in the sidebar spotlight of Google News. It's baffling to me the amount of people who commented, and even the author who say the dude can afford the purchase. The dude is well set up for retirement, but only has a relative pittance of liquid cash. Even if he spent it all, it's still nearly a $1000/mo payment at 0%. From a risk perspective, it seems super ill-advised, even without knowing the guys cost-of-living expenses.
My thoughts, bearing in mind  don't give a shit about cars

- Why is it really anyone's dream to own a specific car? There are one or two I wouldn't mid for nostalgia, but all cars are pretty similar to drive really

- What does this guy think buying it is really going to do? Seems its useless for normal life, apart from track days why?

- Anyone buying a used sports car for 80% of the new price is a nut, it could have been caned to death already, either buy a new one or don't bother

- Finance costs nothing at present, if you want it now and can lock it in might as well use finance.

I'm guessing this guy has never really owned any fast cars and this dream will be a horrible surprise when he actually drives it.
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690

unnamednewbie13 wrote:

SuperJail Warden wrote:

Should we end unemployment benefits in order to force people back to work?
Leading question and Republiganda, to be honest.

The Montana governor is a multimillionaire and SC's is comfortably in the hundred thousands. Neither of those assholes are in danger of homelessness, starvation, no health care, etc.

Canceling benefits even with unemployment on the rise. Completely out of touch with the people. What was it like $300 a week? If that's what's keeping people home then it's more damning against businesses who pay the starvation wages when they could afford to pay more. Doesn't In & Out pay $17/hr to start? I seem to recall that from a recent meme. You can't tell me a major chain can't afford that.

For generations, US companies in general haven't been making a very good case for fostering employee loyalty. People can be raised with all the work ethic in the world, but they're as disposable as anyone else. "Maybe get a higher class job?" Imagine being a college educated programmer and getting laid off as soon as your team is done working overtime for the final stretch to finish a product, basically camping out at the office. The executive officers pocket huge bonuses. Screw. That.

Completely understandable seeing an American worker put in the bare minimum of effort.
Republicans are mostly using using small businesses as the example of places unable to meet the wage equivalent of UI + $300. Restaurant owners specifically. These places say they can't operate while also paying $15 an hour or whatever UI + 300 is when broken down into hourly rates.

Okay, my opinions on small businesses is already well known but of all small business owners, the ones who most fit the "petty tyrant" stereotype are restaurant and bar owners. And while I don't like when liberals say "if you can't pay a fair wage, you shouldn't be in business", America has enough places to buy food.

Basically the push for abolishing the expanded UI in order to help save small businesses proves what I have been saying about the American fetishizing of small businesses for awhile. "Support small businesses" is like "Support the troops" or "Support the police". It's a feel good slogan tied to a political program. And the political program today is in favor of ending extended UI.
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg
Dilbert_X
The X stands for
+1,810|6076|eXtreme to the maX
If your only selling point is you pay your staff less than your competitor you probably shouldn't be in business.
Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй!
RTHKI
mmmf mmmf mmmf
+1,736|6707|Oxferd Ohire
You guys really know nothing about cars or car people.

Like, you know mechanics can look at a car and see damage

Last edited by RTHKI (2021-05-10 07:20:59)

https://i.imgur.com/tMvdWFG.png
DesertFox-
The very model of a modern major general
+794|6655|United States of America

RTHKI wrote:

At 80k its used. Lowest I saw on some used car sites was 65-70k
He might have just enough in savings to cover a year of expenses. Why he didn't build any up for this car duno
He's probably fine.
He's fine for retirement. He's probably not exactly fine if he dumps all his liquid cash into a down payment. Then he's one small unexpected expense away from being underwater unless his CoL is super low.

I make a decent fraction of the guys salary, but basically wouldn't take on more than about 20k for financing a car (which I know is on me. My first car has a payment of <$200 at 0% for 60 months and I got used to that despite the avg US payment being like 500). I actually have been saving for a down payment on accomodations, so I even have a lot more available than him right now in addition to a solid retirement outlook. It seems he'd definitely be able to afford it if he saves for a bit longer, but it's a riskier proposition right now.
SuperJail Warden
Gone Forever
+634|3690

RTHKI wrote:

You guys really know nothing about cars or car people.

Like, you know mechanics can look at a car and see damage
Dude, I literally used to work on cars before I became a forensic investigator for a medium sized west coast city.

People beat on sports cars and then trade them in after a little while. Seen it a bunch of times.
https://i.imgur.com/xsoGn9X.jpg

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