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>it's sad that the US government has so much ability to force other sovereign entities to bend to its will We're all sovereign entities, and we all bend. I don

>it's sad that the US government has so much ability to force other sovereign entities to bend to its will We're all sovereign entities, and we all bend. I don't see why the Republic of Ireland should be any different. That said, wasn't this more due to pressure from the EU, than the US?

mindcrime 12y ago
It isn't about the Republic of Ireland, it's about the US government and its excessive level of influence. My feelings would be the same if the other party had been Russia, Malaysia, Turkmenistan or Canada. It's not like this is the first time the US has thrown its weight around in a way that's detrimental to individual freedom. Look, for example, at how they made the Swiss cave in on reporting financial transactions in a way that the Swiss historically never did.
- anigbrowl 12y ago
  I'm Irish (although I live in the US now) and I thought this scheme was a hideous national embarrassment. I don't care for my home country to be associated with accounting shenanigans. If corporations who find the US tax regime unfair spent as much energy on lobbying for an alternative as they do in playing financial find-the-lady then we might enjoy a simpler and fairer tax code in the US. Also, I think your arguments about it being some sort of moral alternative to supporting the evil US government with tax dollars is patent nonsense. Ireland's motivations in offering this tax structure were purely mercenary; handing out subsidies in the form overly-generous tax treatment is an old-fashioned tactic that Irish governments have used many times in the past to attract foreign employers. On past form quite a few of those jobs will evaporate along with the expiration of the favorable tax treatment.
  - mindcrime 12y ago
    Ireland's motivations are irrelevant. I'm not taking issue with anything Ireland did, or didn't do. Again, this has nothing to do with Ireland per-se. What makes me sad is the way the US can seemingly dominate pretty much anybody (excepting maybe Russia and China, and I'm not even sure about that) and force other countries into following our policies. Just to reiterate... I'd be sad about this if the other party involved had been any other country... Trans-Dniester, Sealand, Syria, Zimbabwe, whoever.
    - anigbrowl 12y ago
      You still haven't presented any evidence for your claim that the US forced Ireland into abandoning this, and I'm inclined to think that you've let your imagination blind you to the facts. It was other EU countries that were pissed off about it. As evidence, I give you the European Commission's official notification of EU treaty enforcement over the issue: http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/cases/253200/253200_1582634_87_2.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/cases/253200/25320... ...but I'm sure you've got some theory about how the US made them do it, or something.

mindcrime 12y ago

It isn't about the Republic of Ireland, it's about the US government and its excessive level of influence. My feelings would be the same if the other party had been Russia, Malaysia, Turkmenistan or Canada. It's not like this is the first time the US has thrown its weight around in a way that's detrimental to individual freedom. Look, for example, at how they made the Swiss cave in on reporting financial transactions in a way that the Swiss historically never did.

anigbrowl 12y ago
I'm Irish (although I live in the US now) and I thought this scheme was a hideous national embarrassment. I don't care for my home country to be associated with accounting shenanigans. If corporations who find the US tax regime unfair spent as much energy on lobbying for an alternative as they do in playing financial find-the-lady then we might enjoy a simpler and fairer tax code in the US. Also, I think your arguments about it being some sort of moral alternative to supporting the evil US government with tax dollars is patent nonsense. Ireland's motivations in offering this tax structure were purely mercenary; handing out subsidies in the form overly-generous tax treatment is an old-fashioned tactic that Irish governments have used many times in the past to attract foreign employers. On past form quite a few of those jobs will evaporate along with the expiration of the favorable tax treatment.
- mindcrime 12y ago
  Ireland's motivations are irrelevant. I'm not taking issue with anything Ireland did, or didn't do. Again, this has nothing to do with Ireland per-se. What makes me sad is the way the US can seemingly dominate pretty much anybody (excepting maybe Russia and China, and I'm not even sure about that) and force other countries into following our policies. Just to reiterate... I'd be sad about this if the other party involved had been any other country... Trans-Dniester, Sealand, Syria, Zimbabwe, whoever.
  - anigbrowl 12y ago
    You still haven't presented any evidence for your claim that the US forced Ireland into abandoning this, and I'm inclined to think that you've let your imagination blind you to the facts. It was other EU countries that were pissed off about it. As evidence, I give you the European Commission's official notification of EU treaty enforcement over the issue: http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/cases/253200/253200_1582634_87_2.pdf http://ec.europa.eu/competition/state_aid/cases/253200/25320... ...but I'm sure you've got some theory about how the US made them do it, or something.