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Sorry, that wasn't really the intention of my example, which was to show the range of government spending. Ultimately, though, it boils down to this: Google isn

by bonaldi 16y ago

Sorry, that wasn't really the intention of my example, which was to show the range of government spending. Ultimately, though, it boils down to this: Google isn't doing anything with this money, except earning less than 1% interest on it. Google can afford to pay taxes in the countries in which it operates. That it does not, while obviously legally defensible, reflects poorly on the other work it does. Public plumbing: the US infrastructure is badly out of date, and unable to meet most projected demands for expansion. The US Geological survey projects that 1.7 trillion gallons of water are lost through leaks in the system each year -- about $2.6bn in value. http://www.epa.gov/awi/distributionsys.html http://www.epa.gov/awi/distributionsys.html

kragen 16y ago
I don't know why you think paying taxes is morally commendable. So far Google hasn't, as far as I know, invaded any countries or funded any coups. $2.6 billion per year is about US$9 per person. Another point of comparison, if you're worried about conservation of fresh water, is that the Mississippi River discharges 110 trillion gallons of fresh water per year into the Gulf of Mexico, where it turns brackish. So the plumbing doesn't sound like a disastrous problem to me, particularly compared with problems like 1% of the adult US population being imprisoned, companies being raided for selling chemistry kits to kids, a decaying passenger train system that commonly delivers passengers several hours late, and government bailouts to pay the bonuses of the bankers who wrecked the economy.
nitrogen 16y ago
The fact that Google isn't doing anything with the money doesn't mean the money isn't being put to use. If the money is in standard banks, it is being used to fund mortgages and credit cards. If it's invested in the market, it is being used by other companies to expand their businesses. If it's invested in municipal bonds, it is allowing cities to develop infrastructure. If it's in various countries' treasury bonds, it is funding those governments directly (since many countries are funding themselves on debt instead of or in addition to raising taxes).

by bonaldi 16y ago

kragen 16y ago

I don't know why you think paying taxes is morally commendable. So far Google hasn't, as far as I know, invaded any countries or funded any coups. $2.6 billion per year is about US$9 per person. Another point of comparison, if you're worried about conservation of fresh water, is that the Mississippi River discharges 110 trillion gallons of fresh water per year into the Gulf of Mexico, where it turns brackish. So the plumbing doesn't sound like a disastrous problem to me, particularly compared with problems like 1% of the adult US population being imprisoned, companies being raided for selling chemistry kits to kids, a decaying passenger train system that commonly delivers passengers several hours late, and government bailouts to pay the bonuses of the bankers who wrecked the economy.

nitrogen 16y ago

The fact that Google isn't doing anything with the money doesn't mean the money isn't being put to use. If the money is in standard banks, it is being used to fund mortgages and credit cards. If it's invested in the market, it is being used by other companies to expand their businesses. If it's invested in municipal bonds, it is allowing cities to develop infrastructure. If it's in various countries' treasury bonds, it is funding those governments directly (since many countries are funding themselves on debt instead of or in addition to raising taxes).