Web Extra: Swiss Secrecy

Bradley Birkenfeld, a former private banker with the Swiss bank UBS, claims to have done something never done before: reveal Swiss banking secrets and expose US tax cheaters.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• cbsepisode
• 60
• minutes
• swiss
• secrecy
• crack
• in
• the
• vault
• steve
• kroft
• birkenfeld

[GhostofCliffGullett]

This guy should be rewarded and he's doing time. Tragic.

[sk9utube]

I agree with you about Swiss sovereignty, but then again how can one define who "shouldn't have to answer". Greed is greed and generosity is generosity. I admire the Swiss for their patriotism, their formidability, and wish my ancestors never became mennonites and would have made North America a more habitable place to live more like the principles of the original Swiss Confederacy. Instead they've perverted it with corporations like Syngenta.

[whole27]

@sk9utube "extreme military defense"..mountains? lol..the bottom line is that UBS shouldn't have to answer to the US on their own banking policies as if the US does nothing wrong in their policies....we have one of the highest tax rates in the world outside of socialism and people should be able to keep more of their hard earned money. EVen if you live outside the US and are a citizen, u can never escape paying US taxes...that is Bullshit!

[sk9utube]

"Specific Person"? You mean "under investigation" on those individuals from countries with big political and military power (USA)? If it wasn't for Switzerland's extreme military defense and formidable mountains, Swiss bankers would never have have the kind of bribe money that makes them so wealthy and would never get away with being loyal to their client's confidentiality. I find this to be very expedient efficient and ruthless patriotism.

[fmelchner2]

Just to correct something: if a specific person is under investigation, Switzerland does share information with the government. It does not share automatically. There has to be an investigation on that individual.