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Rogoff, in his book, The Curse of Cash indicates that the number is now believed to be closer to 40%. But even then I would think that the bills outside the US are more likely to be used for crime.

In time it will be eliminated. Just like the Euro $500 note will be. Most people conduct legitimate business using $20's or less. In fact, most people conduct business using interac and credit cards. While bitcoin and such may be a threat let's face reality: we all know that vast majority of their use is for illegal transactions which means they will never be accepted in the larger legitimate economy and governments will defend their currencies to ensure this. But it's simple: legalize soft drugs and prostitution and only have $5/10/20's as your paper bills. Most people will see no impact on their lives. Criminals and waiters and perhaps even contractors will hate it.

The elimination of the 500 euro note means that it has already begun. For that matter, the elimination of the $1,000 Cdn years ago also was a move towards this.

The fact remains: lower denominations means it is harder to conduct business for criminals while having little to no effect on legitimate business. Why not either eliminate the large bills over time if not all at once?

Well, you do have a point. Considering that something like $120 million in US $100 bills were being held in Russia by the anti-corruption dudes (I think for corrupt purposes - no surprise there it is Russia after all) well, that leaves about 99% of USD $100 bills in use for others (which, of course, many are also held almost permanently by other criminals - something like 40% of $100 USD bills are held overseas and likely most of it is used by criminals). So who knows. The point remains - transacting with $20's is much more difficult than $100's if only because it is five times heavier and five times more volume.

Ok, I was exaggerating. Although, at one time or another I do not doubt that any $100 bill you have touched will have been used in an illegal transaction or will be used in one after you have touched it (or perhaps even during your use of that $100 ).

1) With $800 billion (or whatever the number is) in US $100 bills outstanding and likely 99% of them being used in criminal activity it is an excellent idea to remove them from circulation by recalling them. 2) It is perfectly legal to do this - issue the recall, explain the reasoning behind it, the local mom and pop stores will immediately refuse to accept them (most don't accept them now anyway). 3) Sure, smaller bills will lead to alternative methods to transact criminal activity - that is the point. To make it more difficult since barter sucks as an exchange mechanism. 4) I agree about legalizing most drugs and prostitution. I have no problem with those "crimes." It is the tax evasion - the waiter and construction contractor who get cash tips and cash business who do not report it, the prostitute/drug dealer who conducts the cash business and does not report it (yes, legally they should be reporting it), the mafia/racketeers/money launderers who stay in business because the size of the bills is large enough to ensure a high enough profit margin to continue to conduct business.

Perhaps if you two demonstrated an interest in exploring discussion by asking pointed questions then I would grant you credibility on this. But you haven't so I don't. Ignore the thread and let the rest of us enjoy it quietly.

What can I say? The best way to tell Canada apart from the US is to visit Hanoi and Ho Chi Min (Saigon). Hanoi is Canada; Saigon is the US. You have to visit them both to understand.

Agreed. I had no idea until I saw Parts Unknown season 3 episode 6 about the Mississippi and then an episode of No Reservations on Kansas City: http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/anthony-bourdain/episodes/kansas-city There is no way we do BBQ on the west coast like that. Altough that may be a difference: we don't go over the top into excess like the Americans do?

I've quite enjoyed this thread. For example, rap is horrible even in other languages. Other than that, I can only listen and enjoy - not much to discuss really just like that other thread on music which is a mile wide and an inch deep. If you don't like the thread then how about ignoring it?

Yep: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16528

I like this idea: recall $100's and $50's bills and then audit all the criminals who bring them in: https://medium.com/@krogoff/james-s-henrys-important-early-approach-to-dealing-with-the-big-bills-problem-61a5c1274a40#.uct4lubbl

Ok, still working on those books above.... Have finished the audible version of this: It's a nice general overview of exploration around the world and into outer space. As usual, very enjoyable and has led to the addition of another dozen books or so to my wish list.

Um, go ahead and find my posts gushing about Assange in the past... Make up whatever nonsense you want to create whatever straw man narrative you need but the point is there is a place for hackers in this world to the extent that they bring light to truly awful terrible things. But to play such an obvious and biased hand automatically leads to most people ignoring the leaks, and possibly ignoring even valuable leaks. That is, wikileaks is doing a huge disservice to whistleblowing and are part of the problem leading to less transparency than more. One would not have known of this development at the start so it is certainly understandable for people, at the beginning, to buy into the now known to be false narrative of wikileaks as good guy. But now we are talking about hindsight bias and you have proven over time to not comprehend this bias as you display this bias the most amongst your posts.

I agree that many people are discounting the wikileaks information. Part of it is that it is not giving us anything explosively revelatory and new. Part of it is just the stupidity or cowardice of wikileaks itself. Whether it is ideology or Assange's fear of getting radiation poisoning from the Russians, or revenge on the US/Clinton's or all of the above, wikileaks lacks credibility. Anytime I hear about a wikileak I groan and think "oh, another leak conveniently timed and intended to weaken democracy around the world." I mean, if they came out with some dirt about the crap Russia and China do then they would actually regain some credibility. But, of course, can't attack the hand that feeds/holds the gun to their head thus wikileaks becomes irrelevant and discounted by many as just another propaganda agent for the west's enemies.

John Cleese on Twitter: heard a new American word yesterday: Trumph. It's the complete opposite of a triumph.

Being high risk means paying higher interest rates which costs more money. So, Trump's cost of capital is higher than other owner operators therefore no wonder he must buy Chinese steel and not pay his contractors (and pay higher legal fees as a result). So smrt!

I'm curious as to how you travel and from where? The flights from Vancouver to Sydney or Ho Chi Min or Munich or Lima all seem to be within similar dollar amounts and amounts of time. Certainly some of these places are more convenient from Toronto or Montreal so mileage will vary but it seems to me that the world is pretty small no matter where you choose to go.

People travel, or not, for lots of reasons. Some good, others not. I've been up and down the west coast of Canada/US from Port Hardy to San Diego and over to Maui and Honolulu. Nice places, nice to live in this area, it's boring as hell. Been through the CDN Rockies to Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg. Still boring as hell. Been to Europe and find the Mediterranean nice (Greece) otherwise France, Holland, and Germany are like an older version of home with better food/wine/museums. Ecuador was fine but it too is like visiting Europe although the wildlife is cool. SE Asia is where I feel most at home: a combination of similar outlook on life, good food, pleasant surroundings....the wine is always too warm, the beer isn't very good ... It's always a trade off between new cultures, new food, new/unfamiliar this vs old/familiar that etc... and warm or cold, adventurous or laid back, etc etc.... My father has taken a cruise to Alaska and thinks I'm nuts getting all my vaccines so I can travel to Cambodia. I think he's boring for wasting his time on Alaska. To each their own.

But but but, if they answer "yes, it's possible" then they also must embrace that the world is far more complicated than their petty little answers (at least so far) allows for. This means allowing for complications beyond the "money grab" and the "suck it up, princess" attitudes. What next? Are you expecting that real world solutions will be sought to prevent jurors in the future to avoid such scenarios? How dare you! How dare you treat this world as complex and in need of further comprehension beyond the knee jerk responses! Oh and /sarcasm.

Better yet, if one really does want to get a sense of his qualifications, read his answers to the questionnaire itself: http://www.fja-cmf.gc.ca/scc-csc/nominee-candidat-eng.html Now, I know this is work compared to reading what the MSM tells you about him but hey, there it is, a primary source for the initiated.

No picture with the official release: http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2016/10/17/prime-minister-announces-nomination-mr-justice-malcolm-rowe-supreme-court-canada Of course the media can use whatever pictures they get their hands on. I've seen fishing Rowe and judicial Rowe so it's whatever the media prefers to show those who consume tee vee newz.

Your MO is anti-intellectualism. We get it: the elites suck.

Oh, and he is a Newfie. Born there, raised there. What? Don't think NFLD has white collar workers? Don't think a lawyer/judge likes to fish with fishing buddies? Some of his buddies may even be real live EI recipients.....