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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.'"
I'm in the EU and a man suddenly jumps-out and demands all my money, or he'll slit my throat. Am I allowed to carry gun and shoot the murderer?
If the answer is "no" then you are not truly free. Ownership of your own body is the first right. Self-defense of that body is the second. To be secure in your papers, home, and car from random unwarranted searches is the third.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
Don't do it!
Just remodel your tiny little insignificant country known as the USA after one of the economic powerhouses like, Ireland, Poland or India!
Then you too will enjoy the same high standard of living, quality of life, and a never before seen economic stability that those countries do.
The Slashdot "libertarians" swear it's true and I certainly believe them!
Hmm, capitalists are known to flee from socialist countries. In the USA most everybody now live in public housing (mortgage companies and banks were nationalized) and travel with public transport (car finance companies and factories were nationalized), and the health care industry is next on the list.
So it would not be too surprizing if Microsoft packs up and moves to a new capitalist country like Russia or China. However, I'm sure there will be cheers of delight if they do, with millions of geeks shouting 'Good riddance!'.
Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
No useful comparison with China applies in any case. Sure, China has a big workforce, but their record for producing quality software (or any other products for that matter) is not good.
As soon as prople start to see dialog boxes saying things like "Data all gone. Gone away. Remove lice from drive and Crick OK", Microsoft will suddenly find they don't have any customers.
All gone. Gone away.
>Why does this ridiculous soundbite keep getting regurgitated *every single time* this topic comes up?
/. practice.
>If corporations don't pay tax as so many Internet corporate lick-spittles shriek, then they wouldn't need ridiculously twisted foreign tax accounts and be prancing around like sooks when someone comes along and tells them to meet their obligations in their home countries would they? They would just happily pass this tax burden it along.
>That's right logic doesn't come into a discussion where fanatical ideologists are hopping up and down does it?
Good, you first abuse your opponents' motives before claiming they are illogical. That's standard
The reason the corporate tax matters, even though it gets passed on to the consumer, is that consumers are less willing to pay for things when prices are higher. The corporation can set a lower price point without the tax and sell more product, possibly making more profit along the way (depending on the exact elasticity of demand, tax amount, price change, etc.). I don't approve tax shelters in general, but you can't argue that raising taxes don't matter.
>That's right logic doesn't come into a discussion where fanatical ideologists are hopping up and down does it?
Oh, I guess you can.
Sincerely, Derek
A curious little blog
California's standard of living would have to drop below that of a peasant Chinese factory worker living in a hut with 20 other people before that would happen because that's what labor is like in China. Somehow I don't see that happening.
Then you've never visited the homes of day laborers.