Gaming the system
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> “<span word="gaming">gaming</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="system">system</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span>: <span word="Obama">Obama</span> <span word="criticizes">criticizes</span> <span word="offshore">offshore</span> <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="havens">havens</span> <span word="for">for</span> ‘<span word="gaming">gaming</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="system">system</span>’.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="tax">tax</span> <span word="havens">havens</span> (<span word="regions">regions</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="allow">allow</span> <span word="foreign">foreign</span> <span word="corporations">corporations</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="avoid">avoid</span> <span word="taxation">taxation</span>) <span word="are">are</span> <span word="rapped">rapped</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="President">President</span> <span word="Barack">Barack</span> <span word="Obama">Obama</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="colluding">colluding</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="international">international</span> <span word="companies">companies</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="allow">allow</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="latter">latter</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="evade">evade</span> <span word="taxes">taxes</span>.</p><p><span word="Gaming">Gaming</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="literally">literally</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="system">system</span>, <span word="game">game</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="in">in</span> “<span word="play">play</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="basketball">basketball</span>”. <span word="Game">Game</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="mostly">mostly</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="noun">noun</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="verb">verb</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="sounds">sounds</span> <span word="unusual">unusual</span> <span word="and">and</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="William">William</span> <span word="Safire">Safire</span> <span word="points">points</span> <span word="out">out</span> (<span word="see">see</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="articles">articles</span> <span word="below">below</span>) <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="column">column</span>, <span word="sinister">sinister</span>. <span word="It">It</span> <span word="gives">gives</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="rakish">rakish</span> <span word="connotation">connotation</span>”.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="play">play</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="amuse">amuse</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="fun">fun</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="right">right</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="game">game</span>” <span word="sounds">sounds</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="as">as</span> “<span word="to">to</span> <span word="gamble">gamble</span>” <span word="and">and</span> “<span word="to">to</span> <span word="swindle">swindle</span>”.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="game">game</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="cheat">cheat</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="cheat">cheat</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="game">game</span> <span word="itself">itself</span>.</p><p><span word="All">All</span> <span word="games">games</span>, <span word="be">be</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="playground">playground</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stock">stock</span> <span word="market">market</span>, <span word="have">have</span> <span word="systems">systems</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="rules">rules</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="regulations">regulations</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="ensure">ensure</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="integrity">integrity</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="games">games</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="played">played</span>, <span word="making">making</span> <span word="sure">sure</span> <span word="things">things</span> <span word="proceed">proceed</span> <span word="smoothly">smoothly</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="everyone">everyone</span> <span word="involved">involved</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="treated">treated</span> <span word="equally">equally</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="fairly">fairly</span>.</p><p><span word="Needless">Needless</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="system">system</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rules">rules</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="regulations">regulations</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="govern">govern</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="system">system</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="imperfect">imperfect</span>, <span word="such">such</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="we">we</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="in">in</span>.</p><p><span word="Put">Put</span> <span word="plainly">plainly</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="system">system</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="loopholes">loopholes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="try">try</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="advantage">advantage</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="loopholes">loopholes</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="personal">personal</span> <span word="gain">gain</span> <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="finding">finding</span> <span word="ways">ways</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="close">close</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="holes">holes</span>, <span word="then">then</span> <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="gaming">gaming</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="system">system</span>.</p>
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