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Ballmer Threatens To Pull Out of the US
theodp writes "Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is threatening to move Microsoft employees offshore if Congress enacts President Obama's plans to curb tax avoidance by US corporations. 'It makes US jobs more expensive,' complained billionaire Ballmer. 'We're better off taking lots of people and moving them out of the US as opposed to keeping them inside the US.' According to 2006 reports, Microsoft transferred $16 billion in assets to secretive Dublin subsidiaries to shave billions off its US tax bill. 'Corporate tax is part of the overall advantage of doing business in Ireland,' acknowledged Ballmer in 2005. 'It would be disingenuous to say otherwise.'"
MS would not be about to get visas for other countries. Most Americans generally don't like to know about the rest or the world, let alone live there. Sod off yourself though, dancing monkey fat boy.
Depends on the market. In the case of Microsoft software, the consumers don't pay the tax. Microsoft's main titles (Windows & Office) are both mostly market monopolies, which means that the price is set based on how much people are willing to pay for the software. The price is set based only on the contrast between number of sales and price per sale to optimize for maximum product.
In cases like this, the industry ends up paying the taxes. While the monopoly company has less funds to develop improvement in the software, users of the software receive less functionality. Software developers and domestic employees are hurt the most, having less employer competition due to work being outsourced.
Someone modded you troll, looks like your insight touched a raw nerve there, Penguinoflight
Capitalist flight is good for the POOR! Capitalist flight from California means other poor states and some countries will have jobs while California rots. We've seen several either move to other states or other countries. Capitalist flight from the US means more poor foreigners will have jobs while the US rots. Driving out businesses with confiscatory taxes is a good thing as it will teach US not to do that or we get to smell the rotting poorer. I suppose we can warehouse them again but I hope that the architecture won't be so vile.
I moved wholly to a Linux based operating system. Granted that has not been all sweetness and light with the current de-feature- it meme but it's been stable and I can watch movies mostly. No games though. I'd have to buy Win7 for games or actually go out somewhere and play a board or card game.
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I'd go on a Vegan diet but the delivery time from Vega is too long. --brownkitty
Ballmer is like a spoiled kid who whines because he didn't get a toy during the family trip to Walmart.
If Microsoft pulls another stunt, like this, to rape the American people for every last dime then Maybe our government will grow a sack and ban any software from Dublin. Or better yet put a tariff on software imported into the US to offset them using yet another loophole to avoid paying for the COB (Cost of doing business).
I hope I live long enough to visit Gate's grave. Even though I'm sure his evil empire will live well beyond him we have to live for the little things.
Encryption: I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to encrypt it...
Why the hell would anyone chain themselves to vista? I like the way you describe Windows users, similar to how you might describe a crack whore.
If you truly believe that you really have no clue. If MS moved to Ireland then the effect would be they suddenly get a lot of additional support from various companies and I bet those EU cases would disappear too, The EU is very good at supporting EU based companies, part of the reason that the EU is hell bent on attacking MS is because they are AMERICAN.