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"Bono, the self-styled Robin Hood of rock, has defended Ireland’s controversial policies on business taxes.
The U2 frontman said he believes large companies that avoid paying billions in taxes bring prosperity, rather than harm the economic growth of the country."
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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Of course he also said “We are a tiny little country, we don’t have scale, and our version of scale is to be innovative and to be clever, and tax competitiveness has brought our country the only prosperity we’ve known. We don’t have natural resources, we have to be able to attract people.”
But let's eliminate the context and try to apply his words to the US, a country that has both scale, natural resources, and NO problem attracting people, eh?
Of course he also said “We are a tiny little country, we don’t have scale, and our version of scale is to be innovative and to be clever, and tax competitiveness has brought our country the only prosperity we’ve known. We don’t have natural resources, we have to be able to attract people.”
The U.S. doesn't adequately use its natural resources to its advantage. It therefore also has to be innovative and clever, which isn't happening. That's precisely why Apple made a tax deal with Ireland.
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But let's eliminate the context and try to apply his words to the US, a country that has both scale, natural resources, and NO problem attracting people, eh?
You don't seriously think that the millions of impoverished and undereducated illegal aliens flooding the border are going to help the economy, do you? They're going to drag our economy even lower, as the cost of the multiple public assistance programs required to support them is going to be sucked out of what could have been put towards economic growth.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InformedConsent
The U.S. doesn't adequately use its natural resources to its advantage. It therefore also has to be innovative and clever, which isn't happening. That's precisely why Apple made a tax deal with Ireland.
You don't seriously think that the millions of impoverished and undereducated illegal aliens flooding the border are going to help the economy, do you? They're going to drag our economy even lower, as the cost of the multiple public assistance programs required to support them is going to be sucked out of what could have been put towards economic growth.
What I think is you're cherry-picking and attempting to use Bono's thoughts on Ireland and what might work there, and I don't believe I've ever read his credentials as an economic expert, and he's certainly a biased commentator on this issue given his $$$ tie-in to Apple, to make a case for once again giving corporate America a free ride.
What I think is you're cherry-picking and attempting to use Bono's thoughts on Ireland and what might work there, and I don't believe I've ever read his credentials as an economic expert, and he's certainly a biased commentator on this issue given his $$$ tie-in to Apple, to make a case for once again giving corporate America a free ride.
I'm not buying.
Hmmm... More Americans in poverty than ever before. Meanwhile, Ireland courts and wins American companies, taking away American jobs. Looks like you're foolishly ignoring facts.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,330 posts, read 54,428,613 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by InformedConsent
Hmmm... More Americans in poverty than ever before. Meanwhile, Ireland courts and wins American companies, taking away American jobs. Looks like you're foolishly ignoring facts.
Looks like you're foolishly comparing Ireland to the US and conveniently ignoring the wild ups and downs the Irish economy has endured over the last 50 years or so. Why don't you take a look at just how well some of those American businesses they've attracted have done for them? Look at their history with DeLorean for example. And while you may claim more Americans in poverty you ignore the fact it wasn't all that long ago American corporations were known to be sitting on record piles of ca$h so spare us the CEO crying "I'm hungry" while holding a sandwich in each hand, eh?
Looks like you're foolishly comparing Ireland to the US and conveniently ignoring the wild ups and downs the Irish economy has endured over the last 50 years or so. Why don't you take a look at just how well some of those American businesses they've attracted have done for them? Look at their history with DeLorean for example.
Wow, you had to reach WAY back for that example.
Meanwhile, currently, Apple moves thousands of American jobs to Ireland because Ireland doesn't stifle Apple with punitively high taxes.
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And while you may claim more Americans in poverty you ignore the fact it wasn't all that long ago American corporations were known to be sitting on record piles of ca$h
That's exactly the point. American corporations AREN'T investing in our economy because the Obama Admin has made the business environment so bad.
It's not that U2 has evaded taxes in the legal sense. But in 2006, after the Irish government decided to cap the income level that would qualify for tax-free earnings for artists, the band moved some of its business to the Netherlands. It is easy to understand why: The Mail reports that last year, with an income of 80 million pounds ($131.5 million), U2 members were the highest paid musicians in the world.
Please don't idolize famous people who say what they feel you want to hear when they fail to follow up on it themselves.
Bono is one of those sad individuals that want everything conceivable paid for but he wants others to pay for them.
Exactly.
"But I'm a musician, not a greedy corporation. When I shelter my money to save on paying taxes, that's different than some corporation. I'm cool while corporations are not. People love me, not corporations. I'm Bono, I'm Bono, I'm Bono!!!!"
We don't need a ruling from the European Fecal Standards and Measurement. We know how many courics Bono weighs.
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