This video from 2009 is called Dutch Bank [ING] Criticized for Investing in Nuclear Weapons. The anti-nuclear weapons protesters wear lions’ clothes.
Translated from NOS TV in the Netherlands:
Banks invest in nuclear weapons industry
Updated: Wednesday, 13 February 2013, 21:39
Seven banks and insurance corporations have purchased for their customers stocks and bonds of companies which make or maintain nuclear weapons. This is often done through mutual funds, Nieuwsuur TV show reports. In practice, customers often do not know exactly what is done with their money.
The largest investors according to the Fair Bank Guide are ING (658 million euros), Aegon (553 million), Rabobank (85 million) and ABN Amro (7.6 million).
Rabobank also has borrowed 6.3 million to the Indian nuclear weapons program. This direct loan was still under the old criteria and will finish after March 1, the bank said.
See also here.
This is not just a Dutch problem.
Don’t Bank on the Bomb; The Financing of Nuclear Weapons Producers: here.
Related articles
- The world’s nuclear powers (dawn.com)
- ANALYSIS : New Pakistani Tactical Nuclear Weapons – Implications and ramifications (dailyworldwatch.wordpress.com)
- Nuclear Weapons: Can They Be Made Strategically Obsolete? – Analysis (albanytribune.com)
Very frightening!
True. This should stop.
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Dear friends across Europe,
Right now big banks are free to hide billions in international tax havens. But tomorrow the European Parliament could push through a reform that makes them pay their fair share. Germany and the UK are blocking the proposal, and Parliament needs our huge public backing to stand strong and win this landmark reform. We only have 24 hours left — sign the petition:
Sign the petition
Big banks are hiding billions in tax havens around the world. In just 24 hours, the European Parliament can push through a reform to make them pay their fair share of tax on their already oversized profits — but to win they need our support.
Bankers are using complex accounting tricks to avoid paying tax like the rest of us, and they’re not even required to tell us where their money is. But now the European Parliament wants to shine a light onto their tax avoidance. It’s a no-brainer reform that expert economists widely support — but key governments including the UK and Germany are siding with rich bankers to kill the proposal.
Negotiations end in just 24 hours time, and allies in Parliament say that with massive public support, we can win this landmark reform to end banks’ tax dodging. Sign the petition and tell everyone — if we urgently raise 150,000 signatures from across Europe, MEPs will deliver our message right into tomorrow’s crucial meeting:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/bankers_pay_your_fair_share/?bHFhfab&v=22338
It’s crazy that when governments across Europe are strapped for cash, banks are free to squirrel away their money around the world without telling anyone where it is. Using accounting tricks that serve no one but themselves, they can set up their accounts so almost all of their profits are declared in tax havens where they don’t have to pay their fair share — even when those billions are earned here in Europe.
Experts say the European Parliament’s proposal is a key step in the struggle to hold tax avoiders to account — as it would require the banks to tell us where their money is and how much tax they pay, and make tax evasion more difficult. It’s called “Country by Country Reporting”, and means they have to break down their accounts by each country they operate in, rather than just provide one meaningless, global number.
But despite talking tough on tax avoiders, the British and German governments are leading resistance to the Parliament’s proposal. Let’s deliver 150,000 signatures in the next 24 hours and empower key MEPs to end this banker outrage – sign and spread the word:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/bankers_pay_your_fair_share/?bHFhfab&v=22338
We know that this can work. Last year, hundreds of thousands of us successfully pushed the EU to agree measures to put criminal bankers behind bars — with the EU Finance Commissioner crediting Avaaz with helping turn the tide. Now, let’s make sure we stop banks’ tax avoidance.
With hope,
Luis, Emma, Paul, Emily, Alex, Wen-Hua and the rest of the Avaaz team
SOURCES
European banks face tough disclosure rules (New Statesman):
http://www.newstatesman.com/business/business/2013/02/european-banks-face-tough-dislosure-rules
Country-by-country reporting is making progress despite the UK (Tax Research UK):
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2013/02/20/country-by-country-reporting-is-making-progress-despite-the-uk/
Barclays secret tax avoidance factory that made £1bn a year profit disbanded (Guardian):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/feb/11/barclays-investment-banking-tax-avoidance