3 ms·

When talking about "tax avoidance", it is important to be fair. There is only one question, "Is this illegal?", and that question has only two answers. Either i

When talking about "tax avoidance", it is important to be fair. There is only one question, "Is this illegal?", and that question has only two answers. Either it's not illegal, and the onus is on you to lobby for and define laws which achieve your goals, or to simply accept things as they are; or it is illegal, and the onus is on your prosecutors to prosecute. Avoiding taxes is the rational, moral, and fair thing to do. People should not be punished for playing by the rules, because then it becomes arbitrary.

anigbrowl 9y ago
When talking about "tax avoidance", it is important to be fair. There is only one question, "Is this illegal?", and that question has only two answers. Wait a minute....so it's important to be fair, but not to examine whether the behavior in question is fair? I get that you want to shift consideration to the rules, but as we all know the rules are up for auction by those willing to spend money on lobbying and financing campaigns. If we're going 'to be fair' - the standard you're asking for - then I think we need to include that factor in our assessment. Otherwise, it seems like you're appealing to people's instinct to support fairness as a diversion from the rather blatant rigging of the rules, and that doesn't seem fair at all. There's something disturbing about the prevalence of this rhetorical technique by so many posters whenever this subject comes up. Whether it's cynical or reflexive I don't know, but it is misdirection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlkQPiiLs6U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlkQPiiLs6U
_rpd 9y ago
I think the EU knows very well that it needs a uniform tax code. This faux outrage - "I am shocked—shocked—to find a tax haven in the channel islands!" - is just laying the political groundwork for the project.

3 ms·

When talking about "tax avoidance", it is important to be fair. There is only one question, "Is this illegal?", and that question has only two answers. Either i

by microcolonel 9y ago

anigbrowl 9y ago
When talking about "tax avoidance", it is important to be fair. There is only one question, "Is this illegal?", and that question has only two answers. Wait a minute....so it's important to be fair, but not to examine whether the behavior in question is fair? I get that you want to shift consideration to the rules, but as we all know the rules are up for auction by those willing to spend money on lobbying and financing campaigns. If we're going 'to be fair' - the standard you're asking for - then I think we need to include that factor in our assessment. Otherwise, it seems like you're appealing to people's instinct to support fairness as a diversion from the rather blatant rigging of the rules, and that doesn't seem fair at all. There's something disturbing about the prevalence of this rhetorical technique by so many posters whenever this subject comes up. Whether it's cynical or reflexive I don't know, but it is misdirection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlkQPiiLs6U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlkQPiiLs6U
_rpd 9y ago
I think the EU knows very well that it needs a uniform tax code. This faux outrage - "I am shocked—shocked—to find a tax haven in the channel islands!" - is just laying the political groundwork for the project.