Part of the understanding a neutral country expects from everybody else is ‘you don’t mess in our affairs and we won’t mess in yours’. And, for the most part, foreign governments have kept themselves out of what goes on inside Switzerland’s borders. But with Italian police conducting raids on Swiss banks operating in Italy and other major European governments turning up the heat on their citizens hiding assets in Switzerland, this is as close the Swiss have come to a declaration of war in several hundred years. The stakes in this game are high.
According to KPMG, as much as 80% of the Europeans’ money in Switzerland is undeclared. In all, KPMG reckons that tax evasion could represent up to 25% of Switzerland’s total private-banking market.
Still, just because there is a lot on the line doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to hit the panic button. Typically some event happens which clearly signals a changing of the guard and that is the moment when people need to worry.
Such as this one.
Bank secrecy in itself cannot be a value proposition,” said Walter Berchtold, head of private banking at Credit Suisse, at a presentation recently. “It is important to clients, but the tax angle of it cannot be the driver.”
Greg, show some fucking interest in your job and chose a picture other than the first one you see.
-Tony Robbins
Greg -
When you were little, all the other kids at school would pick on you, and you would come home crying. It tore my heart out. I would ask you what was wrong, but you wouldn’t tell me. So I asked you to write it down. When I read your notes, I hated you too. You douche.
Love,
Mom
Greg your such a pussy that Switzerland would beat you in a war.
Enough with the Greg bashing. Jesus.
this pic is actually acceptable
@4/Greg – piss off
http://tinyurl.com/yfbktf9
@5
Of course it is, but some people seem to have developed pavlovian responses to Greg’s post. They see greg and make the same tired comments with minor rehashings on repetitive themes.
Ding.
Come get your treat little collies.
@5 you’re better than that to settle.
-1
@ 8 = Dennis Kneale
@7 – nice
The problem here is that everyone wants to be a global, universal bank.
If you are a Swiss private bank, STAY IN SWITZERLAND. Do not open foreign offices. Do not hire people who want to want to travel the globe.
“Gnomes of Zurich” does not imply branches in London, Manhattan, or Baden-Baden.
Remember: What gets secretly carried into Switzerland stays in Switzerland.
Gstaad.
@5 picture is unacceptable. If the article is suggesting the Swiss are about to fight a war, Greg should show a pic of the flamboyant (and by that I do mean gay-looking) Swiss Guards that protect the Pope. Unless Greg is saying that the DB reader is not smart enough to know about the Swiss Guard. Or perhaps Greg is not smart enough to know about the Swiss Guard.
Those Saint Bernards look soooo sensy.
Dennis Kneale
@ 10 FTW
@7 – FTW
What ever happened with that story where Don Johnson (the actor)was pulled over with 500mm in his car outside of SWITZERLAND?
@14
I’m noddiin’ my head like “Yeah!”
Movin’ my hips like “Yeah!”
@ 8, maybe you are right.
But maybe you are wrong and we genuinely dislike his posts.
We are entitled to an opinion just like you are…. shitheal.
Duffman!
I hear them out there, sharpening their multi-purpose knives and getting their ski’s ready. And where are the Olympics this year? Canada! The Swiss are going to ski down into the US during the games and take us over with nothing but some tweezers, a bottle opener, and a small cheese knife. I say we launch a preemptive strike using snowboarders, a soup spoon, and a tax accountant. Where’s Shaun White when you need him?
Yeah! Send in the Flying Tomato!!!!
Greg,
Don’t you dare comment on that pesky little ethics committee investigation. Also, it’s Friday and that means we need to see some titties.
Auntie M
Greg,
I am your father.
Dennis Kneale
@8
Agreed. This post was succinct and entirely comprehendible after just one reading. The sentences appear to have been confined to one thought each, expressed in less than a 100 words.
As demonstrated by comment 7, the picture could have easily been tweaked to make it humorous…although I think Greg was satisfied knowing he lobbed a softball to the thousands of Dennis Kneale wannabes that appear to have infested this site. It’s a solid base hit. Save the Greg bashing for when he’s earned it.
@14
If this page gets a couple hundred views, and we assume a modicum of intelligence (Collie fuckers and Greg’s mom notwithstanding) from each reader, I’m certain the collective creation of the commentariat can consistently clobber Greg’s work. The same thing can even be said of Bess’s scriptures (GASP!). That said, you’ll be please to know that there’s already a website where you can read more about the Swiss Guard and even edit the content if you see something not to your liking…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Guard
@26 – I want to make love to you.
@27 How’s that U of Texas B-School degree working out for ya?
@ 28, huh?
RLa8iK This is one awesome blog post.Much thanks again. Keep writing.