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It's voluntary the same way people work shitty jobs "voluntarily". If they don't, they'll starve, but they always have that option I suppose. The beauty of the
by saubeidl 1y ago
It's voluntary the same way people work shitty jobs "voluntarily". If they don't, they'll starve, but they always have that option I suppose.
The beauty of the free market - either do what the capitalist class does or die, freely.
- loloquwowndueo 1y agoNone of those big conpanies would die by paying more tax in Germany; so much so, that I bet they’d prefer to call the bluff and leave the country entirely rather than pay more taxes. The move then becomes “your government is evil and is forcing us to deprive you of our awesome service/product, call your elected representative”.
- saubeidl 1y agoI believe American Big Tech greatly overestimates their popularity in Europe, especially in Germany. This move would backfire dramatically.
- attendant3446 1y agoHowever, WhatsApp is the default messaging app in Germany (second only to fax /s). Facebook is the default platform in Sweden. I think other EU countries also rely heavily on US big tech.
- likis 1y agoI think they would just pay the taxes but increase their prices so their bottom-line looks about the same. In the end it would be the consumers in Germany that paid the price.
- saubeidl 1y agoThat assumes that demand would stay the same with price increases.
- luckylion 1y agoIt's voluntary the same way you can voluntarily pay the amount of money the state decides you owe for income tax.
- saubeidl 1y agoExcept the state is your elected representation in a democracy. The market is just what moneyed interests want.
- luckylion 1y agoThat changes nothing about how "voluntary" that "voluntary commitment" is, that you can, at your own will, choose instead of paying the same amount in taxes. If I point a gun at you and ask for your wallet, you can voluntarily give it to me, but that doesn't make it less of a robbery.
- deleted 1y ago[deleted]
- yard2010 1y agoThe homeless have the freedom to sleep under the bridge.
- saubeidl 1y agoThere's a beautiful German song that deals with the abusive use of the term "freedom": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Zj-S-OdZs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4Zj-S-OdZs Here's a (somewhat clumsy, but still gets the point across) translation of the lyrics https://lyricstranslate.com/en/meine-freiheit-deine-freiheit-my-freedom-your-freedom.html https://lyricstranslate.com/en/meine-freiheit-deine-freiheit...
- pyrale 1y agoLaw, in a concern for equality, prohibits the rich as well as the poor from sleeping under bridges, begging, or stealing bread.