Bono slated by New Internationalist

Terry · 01-12-2008 12:46PM

Bono. pfft.

The cheek of him being finacially astute and sauccessful the world over.
It sickens me to my very core.
Even more than this guy and his actions.

S.I.R · 01-12-2008 12:46PM

Bono is as useful as big tits on a nun - Fact.

there we go lads... Facts in the AH ?? :eek:

eth0_ · 01-12-2008 12:48PM

It's well known that U2 transferred a huge portion of their businesses outside of Ireland when the government changed the law about not taxing musicians and artists.

The man is a f*cking hypocrite.

Earthhorse · 01-12-2008 12:57PM

The-Rigger wrote: »

I don't think it's actually his name. :P

Paul David Hewson - Panda Should View

I think that says it all really.

super_furry wrote: »

You also get
boon
. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9c/Boon_series_1_title.jpg

Hi ho Silver!
You got me Lone Ranger!

Now that's a tune.

thebman · 01-12-2008 12:58PM

Terry wrote: »

I also heard that he eats African babies.

Would that some be the same some that other companies locate in Ireland to take advantage of our low corporation tax?

You don't have to move the entire company to take advantage of lower taxes for the entire company.

super_furry · 01-12-2008 01:01PM

Dell eat babies?

Terry · 01-12-2008 01:04PM

super_furry wrote: »

Dell eat babies?

Apparently so.

Insect Overlord · 01-12-2008 01:07PM

I heard Bono's periods attract bears!

Terry · 01-12-2008 01:09PM

Is there no end to this man's outrageous behaviour?

MizzLolly · 01-12-2008 01:32PM

The-Rigger wrote: »

Ah don't be so harsh on yourself.

Would you like to buy some magic beans btw? They're magic.

Oooh... how much? :P

Fratton Fred · 01-12-2008 01:40PM

Terry wrote: »

Is there no end to this man's outrageous behaviour?

He came from a normal background and has made a lot of money through a very successful music career as well.

Some say that is his biggest crime of all:eek:

Ruu_Old · 01-12-2008 01:44PM

Fratton Fred wrote: »

He came from a normal background and has made a lot of money through a very successful music career as well.

Some say that is his biggest crime of all:eek:

How convenient! Indeed! *holds braces*

He did get with them two lassies though.

MizzLolly · 01-12-2008 01:44PM

Ruu wrote: »

He did get with them two lassies though.

He's kinda 'hawt in that pic

:P

Terry · 01-12-2008 01:49PM

Fratton Fred wrote: »

He came from a normal background and has made a lot of money through a very successful music career as well.

Some say that is his biggest crime of all:eek:

Only in Ireland and if you're Irish.

Fanny Cradock · 01-12-2008 01:58PM

Although he can act like a tit some times, I like the guy (not the music, though). Geldof and himself have certainly done more to highlight the plight of Africa over the years than all the begrudgers combined.

That Bono (or his accountant) has decided to move his royalty income to The Netherlands says nothing about the private contributions he decides to give (either financially or in terms of his own time/ image) to charitable organisations. It's a pathetically weak argument to say that by not paying royalty tax in Ireland - something he is perfectly entitled to do - he is effectively guilty of hypocrisy, and is cheating the cause he trumpets on about so much. One wonders how much of this royalty tax would go to Africa if it remained in Ireland (I'm guessing a tiny percentage), or if more money is really the solution. Certainly the objectives of Live 8 were more nuanced than simply throwing more money at the problem.

That article is pure gutter journalism - myopic, negative, hateful and without any substantive message other then conforming with the tiresome 'I hate Bono' troop.

Terry · 01-12-2008 02:05PM

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Although he can act like a tit some times, I like the guy (not the music, though). Geldof and himself have certainly done more to highlight the plight of Africa over the years than all the begrudgers combined.

That Bono (or his accountant) has decided to move his royalty income to The Netherlands says nothing about the private contributions he decides to give (either financially or in terms of his own time/ image) to charitable organisations. It's a pathetically weak argument to say that by not paying royalty tax in Ireland - something he is perfectly entitled to do - he is effectively guilty of hypocrisy, and is cheating the cause he trumpets on about so much. One wonders how much of this royalty tax would go to Africa if it remained in Ireland (I'm guessing a tiny percentage), or if more money is really the solution. Certainly the objectives of Live 8 were more nuanced than simply throwing more money at the problem.

That article is pure gutter journalism - myopic, negative, hateful and without any substantive message other then conforming with the tiresome 'I hate Bono' troop.

That's all well and good, but he eats African babies.

Fanny Cradock · 01-12-2008 02:07PM

Who doesn't?

eth0_ · 01-12-2008 02:11PM

Fratton Fred wrote: »

He came from a normal background and has made a lot of money through a very successful music career as well.

Some say that is his biggest crime of all:eek:

That's a silly argument. Why is it only Bono who is hated worldwide, not just by the Irish? You never hear the rest of U2 derided in the press.

And there are plenty of other Irish musicians who are respected by their fellow countrymen and women.

Why is it that a pious, self-righteous twit like Bono is unpopular? :rolleyes:

Slow Motion · 01-12-2008 02:22PM

Ruu wrote: »

How convenient! Indeed! *holds braces*

He did get with them two lassies though.

Two girls, one..................nah! Never mind!

Terry · 01-12-2008 02:23PM

eth0_ wrote: »

That's a silly argument. Why is it only Bono who is hated worldwide, not just by the Irish? You never hear the rest of U2 derided in the press.

And there are plenty of other Irish musicians who are respected by their fellow countrymen and women.

Why is it that a pious, self-righteous twit like Bono is unpopular? :rolleyes:

He's doing fairly well for someone so unpopular.

As for the article, that news is about a year or more old.

Fanny Cradock · 01-12-2008 02:25PM

eth0_ wrote: »

That's a silly argument. Why is it only Bono who is hated worldwide, not just by the Irish? You never hear the rest of U2 derided in the press.

And there are plenty of other Irish musicians who are respected by their fellow countrymen and women.

Why is it that a pious, self-righteous twit like Bono is unpopular? :rolleyes:

Hated worldwide! How do you know this? No doubt through your objective and exhaustive research on the matter. Anyway, I'm quite sure that you could find a few folks around the world who like him - probably one or two in Africa.

Yes, he can be a bit of a gas bag, but whatever pious and insufferably self-righteous speechs you have to listen to (I personally can remember the last time I heard Bono giving a speech, let alone a pious and self-righteous one) really isn't that bad in comparison to the good, life changing causes he tries his best to promote.

Fair play to the man.

Fratton Fred · 01-12-2008 02:29PM

eth0_ wrote: »

That's a silly argument. Why is it only Bono who is hated worldwide, not just by the Irish? You never hear the rest of U2 derided in the press.

that would be the rest of the band that not only support Bono's causes, but also played an equal part in moving their business to holland for tax reasons.

asdasd · 01-12-2008 02:44PM

It's a pathetically weak argument to say that by not paying royalty tax in Ireland - something he is perfectly entitled to do - he is effectively guilty of hypocrisy, and is cheating the cause he trumpets on about so much.

au contraire, the argument is impressively strong. How can accusing a hypocrite of hypocrisy be a weak argument?

One wonders how much of this royalty tax would go to Africa if it remained in Ireland (I'm guessing a tiny percentage), or if more money is really the solution. Certainly the objectives of Live 8 were more nuanced than simply throwing more money at the problem.

That kind use of percentages is misleading. We should look at the cost of Bono not paying taxes.

lets take U2. Lets assume that they earn 100 M a year in royalties. Lets assume we could tax that at 35%, thus we get about 35M. That 35M could go to Africa, deferring the need to tax the PAYE sector that 35M. How many taxpayers does it take to pay 35M?

Well, we take about 40% of a single worker's pay. The average industrial is about 40K. that's 16K per single average guy. So the 35M that U2 are not paying is equal to the entire tax take from about 2,100 single taxpayers, and more from all taxpayers. ( single taxpayers are taxed the highest).

Is 100M too high a figure? Maybe for U2. Not for all the people who tax exile themselves. Maybe its a billion in revenue.

It is also clearly ridiculous to demand that someone who earns 40K a year ( 0.4% of 100M) pay tax some of which has go to Africa because of the moral issue of the differential in wages between the West and Africa, but that the people on 100M a year don't have to.

It seems the principle of worldwide distribution of income is, like taxes, for the little people.

Terry · 01-12-2008 02:55PM

€100 million a year and that would all go to Africa?
Are you ****ing joking?

The band are worth about €400 million between them.
They would probably make about €10 million a year in royalties, if that.

They moved some, not all, some of their money to The Netherlands.

Anyone who honestly thinks that the government would set aside all taxes paid by U2 and give that money to African nations is as deluded as they seem to think Bono is.

That man does more good for charity than most of us put together will ever do.

Hypocricy? I say begrudgery.

Fanny Cradock · 01-12-2008 02:59PM

asdasd wrote: »

au contraire, the argument is impressively strong. How can accusing a hypocrite of hypocrisy be a weak argument?

I'm not overly impressed with playground debating tactics.

asdasd wrote: »

That kind use of percentages is misleading. We should look at the cost of Bono not paying taxes.

I never mentioned a number. You, on the other hand, have conjured the figure 100M from thin air and needlessly and emotively contrasted it against the finances of the ordinary, salt of the earth, punter. It all smacks of bitterness.

Slow Motion · 01-12-2008 03:05PM

Terry wrote: »

€100 million a year and that would all go to Africa?
Are you ****ing joking?

The band are worth about €400 million between them.
They would probably make about €10 million a year in royalties, if that.

They moved some, not all, some of their money to The Netherlands.

Anyone who honestly thinks that the government would set aside all taxes paid by U2 and give that money to African nations is as deluded as they seem to think Bono is.

That man does more good for charity than most of us put together will ever do.
Hypocricy? I say begrudgery.

Yeah but he's a shortarse and has a big nose! So there!

asdasd · 01-12-2008 03:08PM

er. It all smacks of bitterness.

Naw. I wouldnt give a **** if he were not lecturing me on paying more taxes. were this a thread about Elton John not paying tax my sole contribution would be "Fair play Elton".

€100 million a year and that would all go to Africa?

I said we could take 35%, so I got 35M. Ok so it is 3.5 M if they make 10M a year. Still a considerable sum. Instead of getting it from them, we get it from us.

Executive Steve · 01-12-2008 03:57PM

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

Although he can act like a tit some times, I like the guy (not the music, though). Geldof and himself have certainly done more to highlight the plight of Africa over the years than all the begrudgers combined.

That article is pure gutter journalism - myopic, negative, hateful and without any substantive message other then conforming with the tiresome 'I hate Bono' troop.

except that demanding that governments apportion a larger chuck of everybody else's tax contributions to any given cause while minimising your own tax exposure is still rankest hypocrisy.

Teferi · 01-12-2008 04:12PM

Bono held the world record for being the worlds largest crap until October 2007.

He likes the bitty.

walshb · 01-12-2008 04:15PM

And I thought I was the only one who could see thru Bono's act.

He's simply an egotist who is not in one bit genuine. He has to my
knowledge, given next to zero of his own vast fortune to help
alleviate any poverty ANYWHERE, including his own County Dublin.

And this crap of 'it's his own business and maybe he has given money' is crap.

As far as we know, he hasn't; because he has never said or never provided proof.

If he really wants to be taken serious as a 'SAINT,' then set a bloody example and
prove to the people that you are serious. Show us what YOU Bono have done personally
to alleviate poverty, apart from waffling and lecturing and meeting Pope's and Presidents and having your foto taken at every opportunity. That's all ego tripping and it doesn't fool me. Before you lecture my people and other countries people on how they should spend their hard earned tax; try pay your own bloody way; or donate a substantial portion of your wealth and record it and prove it; not just waffle and words!

Bono slated by New Internationalist

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