Protest at U2's tax exile status

thelordofcheese · 25-02-2009 6:12pm

asdasd wrote: »

What? There is very little difference between leaving her off a debt, and letting her have some memorabilia which Bono is probably not going to wear, or want anymore anyway.

She stole stuff and tried to sell it. Now i'm no laywer, but isn't that, y'know, wrong?

Or does it not matter when the person you're stealing from is richer than you. I'm constantly amazed at the shitty justifications people give for why it was wrong of bono to try and have that stopped.

Tell you what, go find someone richer than you, take their shit and try to sell it. See how far you get.

thelordofcheese · 25-02-2009 6:19pm

Degsy wrote: »

First off where did you get the idea they were stolen?

because that was the verdict at the end of the court case?

That she had not been presented the items as gifts, therefore she pretty much had to have taken them (unless your think they followed her home of their own free will)

CamperMan · 25-02-2009 6:23pm

It's only their publishing business that has moved to the Netherlands, I take it U2 would still be paying TAX on their earnings from other business income within Ireland, like the hotel, etc...

If you could do what U2 are doing, you would also do it!!

I know I would

10000maniacs · 25-02-2009 6:28pm

Degsy wrote: »

There's one thing i hate and thats hypocrites.
HE tells the world to drop the debt,yeah?
Then he goes and sues somebody over a hat and a pair of shiity jeans worth paenuts.
He's a hypocrite in the fullest sense of the word.

Hypocrites, hmmmm.....
Ireland is full of them.
-Anybody who has driven up to Newry to buy their Christmas shopping. How many of them were protesting at U2's tax exile status?
- Anybody who has dowloaded the latest movies or Albums from illegal sites. How many of them were protesting?

kowloon · 25-02-2009 6:33pm

Not a fan or a Bono apologist, but if even a fraction of the tax they dodge went to a good cause it would be better spent than the whole lot squandered in the hands of the government.

CamperMan · 25-02-2009 6:37pm

kowloon wrote: »

Not a fan or a Bono apologist, but if even a fraction of the tax they dodge went to a good cause it would be better spent than the whole lot squandered in the hands of the government.

I agree!

asdasd · 25-02-2009 6:37pm

-Anybody who has driven up to Newry to buy their Christmas shopping. How many of them were protesting at U2's tax exile status?
- Anybody who has dowloaded the latest movies or Albums from illegal sites. How many of them were protesting?

Not the same. To be the same we would have to be

1) A Famous public figure who demanded that people shop in Ireland, and thought it ok for him to shop in newry, buying far more than the ordinary person.
2) A Famour Public figure who complained about illegal downloading who turned out to be a major downloader, and more than the ordinary person.

Quint · 25-02-2009 6:39pm

U2 are a business, they're soul purpose is to make money for themselves. Anyone that listened to the last few bland souless ****e albums that follow the exact same mainstream formula should realise this.
Nothing wrong with earning money for yourself.

Meeting polititians is great, it's a win win situation. Bonos fans think he's great cos he's helping world peace and hunger, and the polititian gets a photo op with bono.

asdasd · 25-02-2009 6:40pm

but if even a fraction of the tax they dodge went to a good cause it would be better spent than the whole lot squandered in the hands of the government.

Rubbish argument. What Bono wants is for Ireland to transfer 0.7% of GDP per year. So it doesnt go to the Government, it goes to Foreign Aid directly. If your problem is with the African Governments being corrupt then take that up with Bono, who doesnt suggest that we only give money in charity, but out of tax take.

gurramok · 25-02-2009 6:43pm

I wonder how many unemployed posters here defending U2 realise that the govt who get a tax take from the likes of U2 helps pays their wages?

Oh the irony.

ejmaztec · 25-02-2009 6:57pm

gurramok wrote: »

I wonder how many unemployed posters here defending U2 realise that the govt who get a tax take from the likes of U2 helps pays their wages?

Oh the irony.

I don't think that there are any unemployed Dutch people posting here. :P

Terry · 25-02-2009 7:19pm

Fratton Fred wrote: »

Classic. Please don't tell me an Irish government minister actually said that

I wonder if there are similar protests in Seattle? http://www.finfacts.ie/irelandbusinessnews/publish/article_10005150.shtml

Completely different situation.
Microsoft employ people here.
Oh, wait. Didn't that article mention something about U2 paying €21 million in wages last year? Miserable bastards.

asdasd wrote: »

Not the same. To be the same we would have to be

1) A Famous public figure who demanded that people shop in Ireland, and thought it ok for him to shop in newry, buying far more than the ordinary person.
2) A Famour Public figure who complained about illegal downloading who turned out to be a major downloader, and more than the ordinary person.

Or a bunch of keyboard warriors giving out about a smart business move and then doing a similar thing by shopping up North.

So these charities are protesting about U2?
Like that's the biggest ****ing problem in this country right now.
Nice to see they have their priorities in order.

Mod stuff: For the love of God Bono, please stop mentiioning MCD gigs.

marcsignal · 25-02-2009 7:25pm

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Where's Bob Geldof, maybe he can organise an "Ireland AID" concert for us.

we tried that in the RDS in 1986, called 'Self Aid'

and guess who gigged there, before they were fcuking loaded ??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3lLxXwV0n8

Fanny Cradock · 25-02-2009 7:48pm

gerry28 wrote: »

Not in the same why your average PAYE worker has to.

What has PAYE got to do with this?

ejmaztec · 25-02-2009 8:09pm

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

What has PAYE got to do with this?

Tax?

super_furry · 25-02-2009 8:29pm

10000maniacs wrote: »

Hypocrites, hmmmm.....
Ireland is full of them.
-Anybody who has driven up to Newry to buy their Christmas shopping. How many of them were protesting at U2's tax exile status?

What a stupid comparison. Somehow I don't think that Bono not moving his money to the Netherlands may be the difference between being to put food on the table or not - which in the case of at least two people I know that do their shopping in the North - it is.

javaboy · 25-02-2009 8:37pm

asdasd wrote: »

Rubbish argument. What Bono wants is for Ireland to transfer 0.7% of GDP per year. So it doesnt go to the Government, it goes to Foreign Aid directly. If your problem is with the African Governments being corrupt then take that up with Bono, who doesnt suggest that we only give money in charity, but out of tax take.

I think they were referring to the Irish government squandering the money, not an African government.

hurdehur · 25-02-2009 9:33pm

asdasd wrote: »

Rubbish argument. What Bono wants is for Ireland to transfer 0.7% of GDP per year. So it doesnt go to the Government, it goes to Foreign Aid directly. If your problem is with the African Governments being corrupt then take that up with Bono, who doesnt suggest that we only give money in charity, but out of tax take.

+1 euro (minus tax, income levy, prsi and pension contribution. Taxes Bloody Taxes!)

Jesus Wept · 25-02-2009 9:37pm

Bono tried to eat my child.
He's also a Nazi.

Degsy · 25-02-2009 9:46pm

hurdehur wrote: »

+1 euro (minus tax, income levy, prsi and pension contribution. Taxes Bloody Taxes!)

It goes some way to show how much bono knows or cares about the economic situation here that he's suggesting exporting tax money to africa.
The man is a halfwit.
Speaking of which,where's that dirtbag bob geldof now?Made a few quid out of Live8 for himself and now he's probaly at home rolling in the money.

Turd Ferguson · 26-02-2009 12:55pm

I dont know why these people are protesting. First they move their taxes to Netherlands and before long we'll be rid of those cunts forever!

thebigcheese22 · 26-02-2009 1:00pm

Turd Ferguson wrote: »

I dont know why these people are protesting. First they move their taxes to Netherlands and before long we'll be rid of those cunts forever!

Yeah I for one would be more than willing to banish them

Seriously tho, for people complaining bout us criticising them and we're all 'begrudgers' thats just bull****!
If anyone was dodging paying tax I'd call them a bunch of sneaky *****.

The fact that its this idiot who at the same time tries to always be on the moral high ground just infuriates me more :mad:

ODS · 26-02-2009 1:14pm

What about Bono's investments in war training :eek:

This was a Phoenix magazine cover story 2 years ago - disgusting stuff imo.

From "Phoenix" 2007 -

SIR BONO'S PROFIT FROM WARGAMES

WHEN NOT saving the world or relocating companies off-shore, Bono KBE (Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) has been busy recently in making interesting investments – with one such gambit being into a software firm which specialises in "extremely realistic videos to be used as training games for the US military".

The recently elevated knight has become part owner in Elevation Partners – a massive US-based investments company set up in 2005 where, along with five other non-U2 partners, Sir Bono has a one sixth partnership. But, regrettably the activities of this and related companies don't always seem to match the world-saving rhetoric of Hewson's finer words.

Only last August Elevation bought a substantial stake into Forbes Media, publisher of Forbes Magazine, which is responsible for printing various "Top 100" type lists – the best known being that of billionaires. Editor-in-chief Malcolm 'Steve' Forbes is, of course, well- known for his "traditional" US Republican agenda. Featuring on a variety of platforms such as his own TV show, "Forbes on Fox", Steve is known for being against gun control, pro death penalty, opposing pollution control, and a world perspective that promotes, as he succinctly puts it himself, a "US not UN Foreign Policy".

Happily the part acquisition of Forbes ran smoothly, with Elevation partner, Roger McNamee, telling the NYT that Bono "was attracted to the magazine because it has a 'point of view,' adding that Bono 'drove this part of the discussion and likes the fact that there has been a consistent philosophy throughout its history'".

However the really cool move by Elevation is over on the US west coast, where it invested a reported $300 million in 2005 on a company called Pandemic/Bioware Studios. As reported in the Boston Globe, Pandemic is currently preparing to launch a product called 'Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, "a violent video game in which players become hired mercenaries who invade Venezuela, where a tyrant has tampered with the country's oil supply" – in other words the opportunity to re-run the CIA's failed 2001 coup attempt in cyberspace, except this time there can be victory.

Not surprisingly, this has not impressed a number of parties including the Venezuela Solidarity Network and the Boston Bolivarian Network, who last July first wrote to Bono to protest.

Helpfully Venezuela Network issued a release stating "Pandemic is a sub-contractor for the US army and the CIA funded Institute for Creative technologies which uses Hollywood techniques to mount war in California's high dessert in order to conduct military training. Pandemic's target market is young men of military recruitment age and indeed this is not Pandemic's first military adventure. Micro Soft NBC reported that the videogame Full Spectrum Warrior was created through the Institute for Creative Technologies in Marina Del Rey, California, a $45 million endeavor formed by the Army five years ago to connect academics with local entertainment and video game industries. The institute subcontracted work to Los Angeles based Pandemic Studios."

Despite the fuss, 10 months on, with the product due out this autumn, there's still no word from the new KBE about the ethical criticisms of his investments. This hasn't stopped a head of steam building up in the meanwhile. One petitioning letter by US clerics Reverend David A Bos, Rabbi Michael Lerner, and Pax Christi USA Ambassador for Peace, Fr. Joe Nangle OFM, has secured further signatures from the US Fellowship for Reconciliation and other religious organizations.

BTW apparently he since sold on the shares - at a profit. So much for "bullet the blue sky"...

RonMexico · 26-02-2009 1:17pm

Just wondering - We all know Bono likes to raise awareness about Africa and poverty but does anyone know what projects and charities have U2 helped here in Ireland?

Has Bono done anything for his own community? Every day I see neglected kids on the streets with **** all facilities or encouragement. I often think that if some of these areas had a few decent facilities then some of these kids might have a future.

vinylbomb · 26-02-2009 1:43pm

This is amusing enough, there's one thing for certain about the little fella, for a small package he's divisive!

Have to get my tuppence in about this though

10000maniacs wrote: »

Hypocrites, hmmmm.....
Ireland is full of them.
-Anybody who has driven up to Newry to buy their Christmas shopping. How many of them were protesting at U2's tax exile status?
- Anybody who has dowloaded the latest movies or Albums from illegal sites. How many of them were protesting?

This is twaddle. Totally. And misses the point of the argument on an individual level.
The tax take difference off a €200 euro shopping trolley is not why people go north. Its because the prices are that much cheaper in real terms. If it was a case of a 5% real difference in price then people wouldnt bother, they would pay the tax, simply cos we are a lazy shower.

Now, in the case of U2, the PAYE take from €100 million could be 30-odd million. Average randomers don't have the luxury of being able to move around the globe to the most favorable regime. Most people don't give a **** where U2 do their shopping, but they do care about the band showing flagrant disregard for PAYE (distancing themselves from the general populace in the process), then touting themselves as average joes.

I have no personal issue with their decision on a business level, it makes sense. I'm trying to paint the situation objectively.

Bono's mock piousness does my head alright, but thats for a different thread!

Highsider · 26-02-2009 2:28pm

I would do the same myself if i had money like that.Goverments fault anyway's. P.S. There music has being ****e for years now.

kowloon · 26-02-2009 4:55pm

asdasd wrote: »

Rubbish argument. What Bono wants is for Ireland to transfer 0.7% of GDP per year. So it doesnt go to the Government, it goes to Foreign Aid directly. If your problem is with the African Governments being corrupt then take that up with Bono, who doesnt suggest that we only give money in charity, but out of tax take.

I never said corrupt African governments were good causes.
I also never said U2 would actually donate anything.
Just having a jab at our government for their reckless and irresponsible usage of the tax harvest.

deadhead13 · 26-02-2009 5:05pm

twinytwo wrote: »

As if u wouldnt do the exact same thing in his shoes... once again get over yourself

No I wouldn't - having so much money already, the thought wouldn't even cross my mind. Utter greed.

meglome · 26-02-2009 5:09pm

I can't even say how tired I am about listening to people's over the top opinions on U2. Seriously you'd think they'd been heavily involved in ritual baby killing if you listen to some of this utter ****e. I personally don't like them moving their money out of the country but I'd say two things on that: 1. It's their money to wipe their arses with if they want. 2. There's many many more like them, and most of these have never done a damn thing for anyone else which cannot be said about U2.

STBR · 26-02-2009 11:15pm

Can't blame them exactly.

I mean, I'd do it in their position.
Only one life, not point using more money than necessary to fund the crooks in Government and bailout dodgy banks.

Protest at U2's tax exile status

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