The Contributions of AIG in Perspective, Who Wrecked Them

I just spent an hour today going through American International Group’s last twenty years of Annual Reports, finding out how much tax AIG has paid over the last 20 years, working out estimates of how much tax its employees have paid on their incomes and how much has been remitted to the Treasury on dividends paid by AIG to shareholders on previously-taxed income.

The numbers I come up with are $35 billion of income taxes paid until the company tumbled into loss for its 2008 fiscal year. Taxes on salaries and dividends through 2008 I estimate at another $20 billion, for a total tax rake-off of around $55 billion.

What I cannot work out as easily is how much tax has been paid by service providers, lessors and so many others who prospered when AIG prospered. It would also take study to quantify the other economic benefits conferred on the cities and towns in which AIG operates, and the contributions AIG made to all the good causes it has supported so generously down the years.

As black as the company is now painted by career-making politicians, including some who now advise AIG personnel to commit suicide out of shame, one must try to remember that there were many benefits of AIG’s rise and rise and rise. Far from being a criminal enterprise or a ship of fools, AIG was one of the greatest American companies, right up until it was wrecked by the incompetents brought in after that great man of the people, Eliot Spitzer, made it his special project to destroy Hank Greenberg and the company he built.

Are You A Terrorist?

You may have heard of the report of the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC) called “The Modern Militia Movement.” The MIAC is “fusion center”, combining the Department Of Homeland Security with local organizations. It has created a stir because there are a few people who resent being called domestic terrorist suspects. Who knows, even you may even qualify. You might want to check before you go to Missouri. With involvement by DHS, the same is likely in other states. It just hasn’t been leaked to the press yet.

The Missouri State Police have been issued the report to make them more aware of what to look for to determine potential domestic terrorists. They include characteristics such as Christian religious ideology, anti-abortionist, tax resistance or anti-immigration beliefs. It’s comforting to know that you may be joined on that list of terrorists by some very well known and respected citizens.

According to the report, those who have concerns about the new world order should be watched carefully. They may have terrorist tendencies. Indeed, President Bush, the elder, must be one of the top suspects, because almost two decades ago, he discussed openly and publicly about the “New World Order”, or NWO, and has been pursuing the idea actively. He has been joined by many national and international politicians in discussing the idea of a NWO over many years. Of course, he will be a leader of the new order, so he probably won’t be harassed too much.

There are countless ways to qualify, however. If you don’t like President Obama, you may qualify as a white supremacist. If you resent the idea that the president refused, and continues to refuse, to present a valid birth certificate to prove that he is eligible for the presidency, you may be a terrorist.

If you believe that “President Obama is tight on gun control” and may enact firearms confiscations, or if you happen to think that the strong correlation between gun control laws and violent crime might be worth considering, you may be a dangerous criminal. If you think that the Ammunition Accountability Act is an abuse of power, you may have latent terrorist tendencies. President Obama’s chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel will have to be tagged as a potential terrorist, because he definitely believes gun control and confiscations are coming, and is actively working to make it happen.

If you believe that there may be a severe economic and political crisis that may cause violence, be careful what you say, you may be watched. If you are concerned with the plans for the formation of a North American Union by former Assistant Secretary of State, Strobe Talbott, all of the intellectuals of the Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations and countless other organizations and politicians, you are probably a crazed lunatic. None of that wild talk of the Amero unified currency or the NAFTA Superhighway through the heart of America. Robert Pastor and Andres Rosenthal, contributors to the book “The Future Of Integration”, have said “NAFTA is not enough” and the integration will “create the most powerful, single economic entity on earth.” Bush the younger and the presidents of Canada and Mexico can also be added to the list of suspects for their silly talk about the Union in their planning session.

Your unfounded concern that the government may institute mandatory national service may land you on the list also. You should be joined there by the 535 congressmen who are presently attempting to pass the euphemistically named “Generations Invigorating Volunteeerism and Education (GIVE) Act”, which directs the study of the feasibility of mandatory service requirements. It is a goal stated by the president and various administration officials, so theoretically, they should also be on the list.

If you exercised your political rights but had the bad judgment to support politically incorrect presidential candidate Ron Paul or third party libertarian candidates Bob Barr or Chuck Baldwin, the jigs up. You had better scrape those bumper stickers off your car.

It’s a good thing for us non-terrorists that we are being protected against all of those wacko people who don’t adore the politicians or believe that they may be corrupt and sell out the citizens of this country to the highest bidder. We won’t have to worry about all of those crazy Christians and patriotic constitution-lovers. The police are now aware of all of those dangerous bible toting thugs and freedom loving patriots. There now, don’t you feel safer?

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