The name chosen by the ICIJ to describe the cache of 13m documents stolen from various sources including the offshore law firm Appleby tells you about the message they wish to send: secret paradise islands piled up with cash from the rich famous and powerful in society. It was designed to be irresistible to the world’s media and indeed that has been the case: it has been the lead story in most outlets since the Panorama programme last Sunday.
The story taps into a public mood for retribution for the individuals and institutions which were the perceived cause of the global financial crisis and the consequential period of austerity. For ordinary people there is a need for someone to blame: initially it was the bankers perhaps with some degree of justification and now it’s the ‘tax dodgers’ and the rich generally. There is a beguiling fantasy...
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