"Dirty Money" Foundation of U.S. Growth and Empire

[Doug Henwood]

DMJ wrote:

>This is originally from La Jornada (http://www.jornada.unam.mx/), and
>translated in narconews (http://www.narconews.com).  The claim here seems
>to be pretty sweeping -- any of you economists care to comment?
>
>-d
>
>-------------------
>"Dirty Money" Foundation of U.S. Growth and Empire
>
>>From La Jornada, May 19, 2001
>By James Petras
>
>Size and Scope of Dirty Money
>Laundering by Big U.S. Banks
>
>There is a consensus among U.S. Congressional Investigators, former
>bankers and international banking experts that U.S. and European banks
>launder between $500 billion and $1 trillion of dirty money annually, half
>of which is laundered by U.S. banks alone.

Coupla things. The numbers do seem very big - and since the official 
U.S. numbers on balance of payments and suchlike pretty much add up, 
it's hard to see where all this money's going. Maybe the inflow of 
dirty money more or less matches the outflow (capital inflows from 
bigtime narcotics merchants to offset the outflows of cocaine and 
heroin buyers?). Also, while most lefties would be skeptical about 
the claims of cops and bankers on many other matters, why this 
eagerness to believe them on this?

Doug