Page 177 - The Circle of Life
P. 177

ships are all leased thus transferring the risk from the operating company to the

               asset  owners.  Listed  company's  tend  to  be  the  owners  of  nothing  except  their
               name and shares which may or may not be bulls-t when (not if) the fan hits (you
               know  what).  That  fancy  high  rise  tower  with  their  name  so  proudly  on  it  is

               registered in an offshore tax haven company. Same with the shopping malls and

               other  assets  they  point  out  so  proudly  as  being  the  owner.  Their  subsidiary
               companies  may  be  the  owner  but  they  are  not  in  law.  Half  the  time  the
               subsidiary also owes so much money on the assets that it is useless to sell.


               Your  worst  enemy  however  must  have  by  law  a  certain  percentage  of cash as

               security  against  losses.  It  is  never  enough  and  Mr Average Joe always takes a
               loss and you see it on television every now and then. The reason being that your

               money  is  not  really  kept  in  a  safe  somewhere  and  given  back  to  you  on your
               request called a withdrawal or transfer of funds in real life! In simple terms it is

               mixed with the rest of the tens of thousands deposits and loaned out to whoever
               or  invested  wherever.  No  Bank  in  the  world  will survive if everyone withdraws

               their  money  at  the  same  time  even  if  they  complied  with  all  the  rules  and
               regulations  on  liquidity.  Your  money  is  not  safe  with  your  worst  enemy  when

               (not if) it crashes and you would be lucky to get 25% of it back. Often it is even
               less.


               Yes I know the Government (in some countries - not all) guarantees deposits but

               it is usually limited to 30g or whatever. It is not an open guarantee without any
               limits on. People are wiped out like that. Some commit suicide for after the crash

               the  liquidators  tries  to  sell  assets  to  recover you money but as you know they
               then  discover  that  the  assets  are  in  other  companies.  Even  if  you  are  able  to

               legally  lift  the  corporate  veil  (which  is  rather difficult in law) you routinely lose
               out  very  heavily.  Only  the  liquidators  make  money  in  a  sequestration  or

               insolvency. Liquidators of course are mostly specialist lawyers.

               Lifting the corporate veil


               Lifting  the  corporate  veil  is  explained  by  understanding  that  the  company  is  a

               legal  entity  entitled  to  act  on  its  own  and  thus be sued on its own without the
               shareholders being held responsible for what the company does or does not do.

               In simple terms the debts of the company are the company's debts and not the

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