WikiLeaks cables: US 'lobbied Russia on behalf of Visa and MasterCard'

[Turborama]

Source: The Guardian

US diplomats intervened to try to amend draft law so that it would not 'disadvantage' US credit card firms, cable says

Wednesday December 08 2010 14.30 GMT

The US lobbied Russia this year on behalf of Visa and MasterCard in an attempt to ensure the payment companies were not "adversely affected" by new legislation, according to American diplomats in Moscow.

A state department cable released this afternoon by WikiLeaks reveals that US diplomats intervened to try to amend a draft law going through Russia's Duma. Their explicit aim was to ensure the new law did not "disadvantage" the two US firms, the cable states.

The revelation comes a day after Visa – apparently acting under intense pressure from Washington – announced it was suspending all payments to WikiLeaks, the whistle-blowing website. Visa was following MasterCard, PayPal and Amazon, all of which have severed ties with the site and its founder Julian Assange in the last few days. The companies have justified their decision to stop donations on the grounds that WikiLeaks is acting "illegally". Each has quickly become the target of sustained online revenge attacks by disgruntled hackers, with mastercard.com paralysed today.

The cable, dated 1 February 2010, states that the Obama administration took up the companies' plight with senior Russian government officials. Earlier this year Moscow unveiled plans to create a new National Payment Card System (NPCS) that would collect all credit card fees on domestic transactions – depriving Visa and MasterCard of a major chunk of revenue.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/08/wikileaks-us-russia-visa-mastercard

---

Embedded links to the cables at the main article.

These releases seem to have exquisite timing. This one is probably the most perfectly timed so far, considering what Visa & Mastercard have done to WikiLeaks in the past couple of days. Seems like chips have been called in this week.

[xchrom]

1. lol -- so our goverment really does do what the corporations want.

and the year was 2010 -- remind me -- who was president then?

[Nihil]

21. It's down there in black & white for all the world to see ...

... yet still many (even here) will try to deny it ...

:shrug:

[Robb]

2. How is this fundamentally different than negotiating with Japan against auto tariffs?

Other than perhaps scale?

[Unvanguard]

9. We don't like credit card companies. n/t

[harun]

14. There are good reason's societies are against Usary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usury

[Unvanguard]

17. I'm not very fond of them either. n/t

[NashVegas]

15. We Don't Demand Detroit Refuse All Transportation To Activists

[No Elephants]

22. Not sure. Did we single out auto companies, too, or are Visa and MC our only 2 card companies?

"The US lobbied Russia this year on behalf of Visa and MasterCard to try to ensure the payment card companies were not "adversely affected" by new legislation, according to American diplomats in Moscow.

A state department cable released this afternoon by WikiLeaks reveals that US diplomats intervened to try to amend a draft law going through Russia's duma, or lower house of parliament. Their explicit aim was to ensure the new law did not "disadvantage" the two US companies, the cable states."

[BanzaiBonnie]

3. Why is our government working so hard for

corporations. And hardly working for we, the people?

I'm not happy with our government. It appears to be infested with rats.

[GliderGuider]

5. Those are very dangerous thoughts, Bonnie!

What if everyone started to think like that? What would we have then?

Freedom?

Tsk, tsk!

:hi:

[GliderGuider]

4. How rich! I love it!

We don't often get to watch such a high-level battle played out in full public view like this.

Treasure these days.

[kgnu_fan]

6. No wonder!!!!

[ronnie624]

7. "Lobbied"

That's corpo-speak for 'bribed'. I wonder what the price was.

[Unvanguard]

8. This is pretty standard. The US government looks out for US corporations.

You could probably make an "It helps the economy" argument, but it's a bad policy nonetheless.

[Robbien]

12. What should be standard is that the US government looks out for US citizens

All US citizens, not just the rich ones.

But that's not going to happen any time in the near future.

[No Elephants]

24. Some corporations? Please see Reply 22.

[jotsy]

10. So much dirty water they're willing to carry.

A sickening shame it is. How dare entities like MC and Visa bring up legal after the crap they've pulled with interest formulas and all kinds of other nasty tricks. If the rule of law can not be applied equally then it has little credibility and less clout; at least on the long haul.

[Arctic Dave]

11. More of that "invisible hand" of the market.

It is one thing to have the government work on a tariff issue, that is actually a government function, but to actually be an arm of a corporation is another.

[Matariki]

13. As a friend pointed out - Visa, Mastercard, Paypal will make payments to the KKK

[arikara]

16. It would be interesting to find out

who else they've stopped making payments to and the reasons why.

[Nihil]

20. The "why" part is easy ...

"Because our lap-dogs asked us very nicely and it didn't impact our profits."

[Nihil]

18. K & R for visibility of the reason *why* there is such a flap on ..

> The US lobbied Russia this year on behalf of Visa and MasterCard

> The revelation comes a day after Visa – apparently acting under intense pressure
> from Washington – announced it was suspending all payments to WikiLeaks, the
> whistle-blowing website. Visa was following MasterCard, PayPal and Amazon,
> all of which have severed ties with the site and its founder Julian Assange
> in the last few days.

Clear proof of corruption in the highest places.

Clear proof that the US government is controlled by corporations.

Any wonder that the alphabet soup agencies have been mobilised in a desperate
attempt to smother the truth?
:wow:

[defendandprotect]

19. Welcome to your corporate government ....

when they took out JFK, they also took out our "people's" government --

There is only one way the right wing can rise -- political violence which we've had

more than 50 years of out in the open -- stolen elections -- and lies.

[No Elephants]

23. "The Circle of Life"

Corporations lobby, contribute to, and ease life for, politicians in order to help corporations.

Politicians lobby on behalf of, and ease life for, corporations in order to make sure corporations continue to contribute to, and ease life for, politicians.

Remember when Obama hinted he would be different.


Change to bereave in.