The Most Powerful Woman on earth, Angela Merkel, is hell bent on challenging the Happiest Countries on Earth, such as Costa Ricca, Columbia, Vanuatu, Dominica and Panama. Countries which always seem to feature high on the Happiest Planet Index.

In late Aug 2008, Forbes Magazine announced their 11th annual list of the top 100 most powerful women in the world. The magazine’s criteria for power is based on a composite of how much financial clout the women wield, public profile and how often the women were mentioned by the paparazzi. Women in general however, hold only 15% of the top corporate jobs. Less than 3% of USA’s largest companies have women chief executives and only one out of six company directors are female.

The magazine estimates the women on the list, control in the vicinity of $26 trillion dollars. These women are are defined by their jobs, rather than by who they are.  It is said that some take home an annual pay of $11 million plus. They are women who took advantage of every Blue Moon Opportunity (opportunities that change peoples lives), that came their way.

Past career accomplishments, job title and the amount of money the woman controls, are taken into account by Forges magazine. The magazine then draws comparisons between the different financial realms the women work in, in an attempt to assess the women’s position on a level playing field.

• Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, tops the list in 2008 for the third time in a row
• Second was Sheila Bair, head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp
• PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi came in third, gaining two positions over last year
• Angela Braly head of the health insurance WellPoint retained fourth position, same as last year
• Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State came in seventh
• Ho Chin, Temasek Holdings and wife of the Prime Minister of Singapore, was No. 8, dropping from 3rd place last year
• Gail Kelly, head of Australian Wetspac Bank came in No. 11
• Hilary Clinton, with the highest media profile, ranked 28, dropping three places from last year
• Oprah Winfrey ranked 36, dropping all the way from 8th position last year
• First Lady Linda Bush ranked 44

Angela Merkel, nicknamed the ‘Iron Lady’, is following in the footsteps of ex British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, even down to having a similar kind of agenda. Vice Premiere of the People’s Republic of China, Wu Yi, who held third place last year, is also known as the ‘Iron Lady’.  Wu Yi, having been in the top rankings, since 2004, has finally dropped from view this year.

Merkel is crusading to get governments around the globe, to join a Tax Cartel, so that a heavy-handed fist can be brought to bear on all tax havens. The recent purchase, by Merkel, of confidential client data of alleged tax evaders, stolen from a Lichtenstein bank, has highlighted Merkel’s tax-crusade. It is said the Lichenstein bank sold the same material several times over, netting the bank a tidy profit.

Tax havens play an important role in driving the tax rate down in high-taxed countries. Merkel’s crusade could cost the world more than her crusade is worth. Without the availability of alternative competition, afforded through tax havens, taxes would soar.

We live in Vanuatu, one of the tax havens the Iron Lady would like to close down. We sincerely hope Angela’s crusade dies in the traps.

You can find out more about the author and a genuine Blue Moon Opportunity at http://winaresort.com