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http://www.google.com/search?q=saipan+corruption
makes me feel like whatever the truth is, it's not exactly as described here. I'm not saying the guy hasn't done anything wrong, just that I suspect we're not getting the whole story.
I remember ComputerLand stores. Sounds like he was a hard working guy who earned his success. Saipan is one of the most corrupt backwards places on earth. As a US trust territory, for many years they had slave plantations that produced clothing for chinese companies which was labelled "Made in USA". Many workers were kept under brutal conditions, raped, beaten and killed. The Saipanese are mostly incredibly lazy and…
However, I will say that Millard knew all this about Saipan and still located there so he wouldn't have to pay his taxes. If they turn on him, that doesn't make him a hero, no matter how "earned" the money was to start with. It makes him a fool.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I am unfortunately familiar with the CNMI/Saipan and what you say was true 8 years ago; no reason to think it has improved. How the USA treats trust terriories is pretty shameful.
rdl: "what you say was true 8 years ago" // So you put your name to this? "> ...fundamentalist christian [sic] ignorant half retarded hillbilly sex fiend town... > Typical small town american [sic] fundamentalist hillbillies... > Southern Bible Thumping Fundamentalist > The fundamentalist missionaries infected them with the peculiar sort of madness, entitlement, laziness and corruption that comes with that belief sys…
I don't hate Saipanese people due to their ethnicity or anything, and I'm not opposed to Christians as a group (I know good and bad ones); it is just the way Saipan works that I hate.
A devotee of est, a faddish self-empowerment regimen of that era What is est ? Google and Wikipedia seem quite unhelpful. Edit: found it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erhard_Seminars_Training
I remember ComputerLand stores. Sounds like he was a hard working guy who earned his success. Saipan is one of the most corrupt backwards places on earth. As a US trust territory, for many years they had slave plantations that produced clothing for chinese companies which was labelled "Made in USA". Many workers were kept under brutal conditions, raped, beaten and killed. The Saipanese are mostly incredibly lazy and…
I didn't downvote you, while I don't think you did the best job of making your point, everyone who clicked downvote should take a minute and read the Wikipedia page on it Saipan because it does sound like a seriously messed up place. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saipan
However I did note:
'"These factories have all closed down. (See "Economy"). The CNMI came under Federal minimum wage regulations in 2007 and immigration law in 2008. In June 2009, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security takes over the CNMI’s immigration and border controls.'
Also it mentions nothing about Bugsy's "fundamentalist christian ignorant half retarded hillbilly sex fiend[s]" that he claims are running the shop and enslaving everyone.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mariana_Islands reads as a better less emotionally charged and leveller article. The talk there appears to indicate that the problems of slavery and poor worker conditions were brought on by criminal or unlawful factions operating in the society. This contradicts the tone of Bugsy's comments that seem to suggest there was a malevolent Christian organised and government sanctioned (by the US) use of slavery ...
I remember ComputerLand stores. Sounds like he was a hard working guy who earned his success. Saipan is one of the most corrupt backwards places on earth. As a US trust territory, for many years they had slave plantations that produced clothing for chinese companies which was labelled "Made in USA". Many workers were kept under brutal conditions, raped, beaten and killed. The Saipanese are mostly incredibly lazy and…
Structurally this article reads like one that has been "placed" by a PR firm. That combined with e.g. http://www.google.com/search?q=saipan+corruption makes me feel like whatever the truth is, it's not exactly as described here. I'm not saying the guy hasn't done anything wrong, just that I suspect we're not getting the whole story.
For instance, why are all these private law firms spending all this time and money chasing this guy around? Certainly not out of some kind of goodwill on their part. Do they get a cut of what's collected? Are they being paid by somebody? I don't ask because I want to impeach their motives -- it's just a critical part of any story. Any "chase" story has a chaser and a person chased. We're missing key details.
I would also want to hear from the guy in question. What's his side of the story? Even horrible wartime criminals end up on CNN telling us all their side of the story, but this guy gets nothing.
Plus, it's obvious that as a reader I am supposed to have a reaction. Something like "That cheap bastard! I hope they jack the jail up and put him underneath" or some such. Maybe it was just me, but I felt the author trying to push my buttons along those lines. I find being manipulated like that uncomfortable.
Not a quality article in my book. But heck, that's not saying the guy didn't do something wrong. From this article, I just don't know one way or another. All I know is that he has money and that people are chasing him for it.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
A negative outcome for all of us would be to have a 20+ year tax cheat end up owing nothing. You can bet the plutocracy will be watching this case closely.
Excuse me, but why do you believe Millard to be guilty of tax evasion? The fact that the WSJ claims him to be does not make it so. Here is some more information about Millard, you can find it by restricting your google search to items published before 9/1/11 - http://articles.latimes.com/1986-08-25/business/fi-16194_1_t... It seems there was more talk about the fact that Saipan was trying get his money by changing th…
Why wouldn't I believe it?
As you yourself mention, the WSJ said so.
At least one jury decided he did.
Judges have reviewed the facts and issued a number of gag order backed subpoenas.
50+ shell companies.
Disappears from view for 20 years.
etc.
Occam's razor, QED.
Cmon, you're going to bat for this guy with a 25 year old article that predates the "alleged" evasion?
Saipan is indeed one of the most corrupt backwards places on Earth. I know because I've actually been there and got to know some of the locals and politics of the place while there. To say more eloquently what bugsy was trying to express, while it is unclear if Mr. Millard did commit a crime, you must take into account that the people chasing him for supposed tax abuse are some of the most corrupt people on Earth. Mu…
I thought then when I was doing this project I was "helping" these folks who didn't have all we have. BS! I wasted my time and my life helping ungrateful people who ripped me off. I would not trust Saipan in any dealing with money involved.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
rdl: "what you say was true 8 years ago" // So you put your name to this? "> ...fundamentalist christian [sic] ignorant half retarded hillbilly sex fiend town... > Typical small town american [sic] fundamentalist hillbillies... > Southern Bible Thumping Fundamentalist > The fundamentalist missionaries infected them with the peculiar sort of madness, entitlement, laziness and corruption that comes with that belief sys…
Yes. They are an isolated small community which takes horrible advantage of people in their own society who can't defend themselves, and then they started importing even less empowered people to oppress. Similarly to how rich white plantation owners oppressed both other poor white people and imported African slaves. I don't hate Saipanese people due to their ethnicity or anything, and I'm not opposed to Christians as…
Just to be certain. You put this down to the work of Christian missionaries? (Your point that you know some good Christians is noted, irrelevant as it is to the current question).
Presumably either you or Bugsy know the names of these notorious sex fiend missionaries that have so transformed Saipan, I'm always curious about such reports.
As an aside WRT your note on "white plantation owners" I'm sure you know that black and coloured plantation owners too have exploited their slaves and workers.