Exactly. And this is all fueled by Google's greed. The way Google has done it removes all of their liability from shit like this while still getting them money. Of course, this will start to hunt them in the long run. Android brand is already quite known as crap quality and people who want quality products tend to choose iPhone/iPad or Windows Phone 7 smartphones. Android, and Google itself, has pretty much become a bad joke around the town.
Google has got where it is now because it has time and time again blatantly abused every law, copyright and moral thing that has got into their way. They are now the largest company on the internet. I guess lying and blatant abuse works.
Android is a great example how malware just gets there, around the obstacles when the market share is right. It's even on their official store.
Repositories also wouldn't work if Linux had the same market share as Windows, or hell, even OS X. You just cannot do everything via such system, and there needs to be a way to install software off from the "official" platforms. Hell, most of slashdot constantly argues against this too (DRM).
Most of this has been known by, well, knowledgeable users by a long time. Most of the malware now comes via third party software or stupid users. It really doesn't matter what platform you use, as hackers will find a way around to get the best bang.
All three largest OS - Windows, OS X and Linux - are pretty much equivalent now. In fact, OS X is probably less so than Windows or Linux (and I use mac!).
In before all the stupid replies that Linux cannot be hacked.:)
I used to take this hard approach on capitalism. And I still think that capitalism in general is a really good thing. However, after spending time around the world, I can now see some good sides with socialism. Healthcare being one of them. And no, it's not always so great in socialist countries or where hospitals are funded with taxes. Trust me, I know. But on the other side of the fence we have private hospitals that are there to make money. They exist solely to profit of you when something bad happens to you. They get income when they sell pills and treatment to you. You always have that feeling of them just trying to get money out of you and don't know if you really require all of that or if it's even good for you.
Now I think that something between socialist and capitalist system would be best. Europe is mostly this. There are still issues, sure, but it sure as hell is better than hard approach promoting either capitalism or socialism.
Do you like war? Because that is where extra money is funnelled to by the government. Do you like more useless beureaucratic red tape? Because that is what the government does when it gets more money than it needs.
By "the government" I guess you mean U.S. government. But this story is about paying taxes to other countries. To every country Google does business in. These countries, by long history, do not spend billions in wars like the U.S. does. They are mostly peaceful and this is also why most of the world hates U.S.
In more civilized countries, the taxes go to infrastructure, healthcare and other things that benefit everyone.
In simpler terms for the readers in the grand land of America:
- India has no reason to fight against pirates
- US income mostly consists of copyrights and patents instead of actual goods
- US constantly bullies the whole world so that their largest revenue would stay secure.
- India would, long term, make their country much better and knowledgeable by letting their people pirate whatever they want, like tools for coding, operating systems, photoshop, whatever. Currently they have little money.
Conclusion - US pressures India and other countries.
About US violations of copyrights in the past. It's fully known that US blatantly ignored any and every copyright and law that Europe had back then. This is how they gained power by openly abusing other countries and their people.
This has been made after countless amount of pressure from the US. I don't think there would be any reason for India to do it otherwise - they are shooting themselves in the leg by not allowing people to get free content (yes, by violating copyright). In the long run the country would be much better and richer if they gained foothold in technology and knowledge by any means necessary. Hell, this is how US become to be what they are now - by blatantly ignoring European copyrights. Of course, US doesn't want to allow that so they can stay in power.
So your solution to taxing is to isolate US from rest of the world? Yeah that will work great in long term. No, in fact it will crash the whole thing really quickly too, as USA depends so much on cheap, mostly Asian countries to produce their goods. Hell, even your freaking post office is now mostly offshored to Bangladesh and Singapore!
Just because they didn't break the law doesn't mean they didn't do wrong. There is a difference. For example all those Nigerian scams are actually legal because their law says you can cheat people who break laws. But would you really say that those Nigerian scams are objectively and morally right things to do? I don't think so. Likewise, Google has not done anything legally wrong. Their actions, however, are morally wrong.
And no, there is no easy solution to this. The ultimate reason why we need these are to allow companies in other countries to do business with companies in another. However, then we have jerks like Google who abuse this by setting up shell companies to take advantage of it and avoid taxes. Again, legally ok, but not morally.
That's exactly why I said it's shady. Legally speaking they aren't doing anything wrong. Morally, and what people think about the practice, they sure as hell are. Especially when they jabber about the whole "Don't be evil" thing...
Google makes their money with local ads. It's not unreasonable to expect that they pay local tax rates for local ads in Taiwan bought by local Taiwan businesses and served from local Taiwan servers.
Exactly. That is what Google is avoiding. Did you even read the whole thing? It's Google that is using the Double Irish tax trickery to funnel money out of the countries they generate income in.
To be frank, middle class is really the best one to tax. The wealthy have the means and ways to avoid taxes. If someone gets in the way, they will rather pack their packs and leave. It's no problem - doing that is a lot cheaper than even the existing taxes they're paying. On top of that by taxing the wealthy you're removing the incentive from people to try and get there, and in turn you will be removing all the good that incentive does. Yes, there are industries and people that get rich by not really contributing to the common good, but overall it works out pretty good.
Nobody said there was something illegal going on. It is a legal practice. However, it is really shady practice that Google is purposely doing. They know it, we know it, everyone knows it. Legally speaking they can continue doing it if they so choose. However, it is still morally wrong.
Actually, the whole Apple/Microsoft thing looks like deflecting attention away from Google's practices. Their tax dodging has been discussed since 2010. Maybe it's even Google themselves who started this bullshit spreading about other companies cos they got too much heat for it and wanted to be all "don't blame us! look these guys do it too! that makes it ok!"
Google was one of the first companies to appear on Slashdot on these shady tax practices. I find it pretty funny that Slashdotters don't remember it and now there's been several stories about Apple and Microsoft doing it.
Google only pays a 2.4% tax rate using money-funneling techniques known as the 'Double Irish' and the 'Dutch Sandwich,' even though the US corporate income tax is 35%. By using Irish loopholes, money is transferred legally between subsidiaries and ends up in island sanctuaries that have no income tax, giving Google the lowest tax rate amongst its technology peers. Facebook is planning to use the same strategy.
I think it would be time for law enforcement agencies to step in and do something about Google's constant abuse. They have shown their constant blatant abuse of the law for a long while already. Google has also got one of the largest fines government has put on any company when they were allowing rogue pharma ads on AdWords (500$ million fine).
The next step is to break up the company. Leave Google as search engine and remove their advertising business as separate one. Do the same for YouTube, Chrome and other parts. Monitor that they actually work independently and that they also work with other advertisers than the old Google advertising arm. Make it clear that if this shit continues, their whole operation will be shut down and the owners and CEO's jailed.
This is the only way that works and how we can stop Google's abuse.
Slashdot Mirror
Likewise, most bluescreens on Windows are/were caused by hardware issues. Yet people on slashdot make fun of Microsoft about that.
Exactly. And this is all fueled by Google's greed. The way Google has done it removes all of their liability from shit like this while still getting them money. Of course, this will start to hunt them in the long run. Android brand is already quite known as crap quality and people who want quality products tend to choose iPhone/iPad or Windows Phone 7 smartphones. Android, and Google itself, has pretty much become a bad joke around the town.
I post what interests me. How is that surprising?
I know you're lying because no respectable and successful person would leave it at screwing women. You need ladyboys too.
Google has got where it is now because it has time and time again blatantly abused every law, copyright and moral thing that has got into their way. They are now the largest company on the internet. I guess lying and blatant abuse works.
Android is a great example how malware just gets there, around the obstacles when the market share is right. It's even on their official store.
Repositories also wouldn't work if Linux had the same market share as Windows, or hell, even OS X. You just cannot do everything via such system, and there needs to be a way to install software off from the "official" platforms. Hell, most of slashdot constantly argues against this too (DRM).
Most of this has been known by, well, knowledgeable users by a long time. Most of the malware now comes via third party software or stupid users. It really doesn't matter what platform you use, as hackers will find a way around to get the best bang.
:)
All three largest OS - Windows, OS X and Linux - are pretty much equivalent now. In fact, OS X is probably less so than Windows or Linux (and I use mac!).
In before all the stupid replies that Linux cannot be hacked.
I used to take this hard approach on capitalism. And I still think that capitalism in general is a really good thing. However, after spending time around the world, I can now see some good sides with socialism. Healthcare being one of them. And no, it's not always so great in socialist countries or where hospitals are funded with taxes. Trust me, I know. But on the other side of the fence we have private hospitals that are there to make money. They exist solely to profit of you when something bad happens to you. They get income when they sell pills and treatment to you. You always have that feeling of them just trying to get money out of you and don't know if you really require all of that or if it's even good for you.
Now I think that something between socialist and capitalist system would be best. Europe is mostly this. There are still issues, sure, but it sure as hell is better than hard approach promoting either capitalism or socialism.
Do you like war? Because that is where extra money is funnelled to by the government. Do you like more useless beureaucratic red tape? Because that is what the government does when it gets more money than it needs.
By "the government" I guess you mean U.S. government. But this story is about paying taxes to other countries. To every country Google does business in. These countries, by long history, do not spend billions in wars like the U.S. does. They are mostly peaceful and this is also why most of the world hates U.S.
In more civilized countries, the taxes go to infrastructure, healthcare and other things that benefit everyone.
In simpler terms for the readers in the grand land of America:
- India has no reason to fight against pirates
- US income mostly consists of copyrights and patents instead of actual goods
- US constantly bullies the whole world so that their largest revenue would stay secure.
- India would, long term, make their country much better and knowledgeable by letting their people pirate whatever they want, like tools for coding, operating systems, photoshop, whatever. Currently they have little money.
Conclusion - US pressures India and other countries.
About US violations of copyrights in the past. It's fully known that US blatantly ignored any and every copyright and law that Europe had back then. This is how they gained power by openly abusing other countries and their people.
This has been made after countless amount of pressure from the US. I don't think there would be any reason for India to do it otherwise - they are shooting themselves in the leg by not allowing people to get free content (yes, by violating copyright). In the long run the country would be much better and richer if they gained foothold in technology and knowledge by any means necessary. Hell, this is how US become to be what they are now - by blatantly ignoring European copyrights. Of course, US doesn't want to allow that so they can stay in power.
So you're unemployed? Would it be ok for me to kill 10000 people if I hire other 10000? I mean. I still do good as I employ people.
Tax money moved out of the country at 50%
So your solution to taxing is to isolate US from rest of the world? Yeah that will work great in long term. No, in fact it will crash the whole thing really quickly too, as USA depends so much on cheap, mostly Asian countries to produce their goods. Hell, even your freaking post office is now mostly offshored to Bangladesh and Singapore!
Just because they didn't break the law doesn't mean they didn't do wrong. There is a difference. For example all those Nigerian scams are actually legal because their law says you can cheat people who break laws. But would you really say that those Nigerian scams are objectively and morally right things to do? I don't think so. Likewise, Google has not done anything legally wrong. Their actions, however, are morally wrong.
And no, there is no easy solution to this. The ultimate reason why we need these are to allow companies in other countries to do business with companies in another. However, then we have jerks like Google who abuse this by setting up shell companies to take advantage of it and avoid taxes. Again, legally ok, but not morally.
That's exactly why I said it's shady. Legally speaking they aren't doing anything wrong. Morally, and what people think about the practice, they sure as hell are. Especially when they jabber about the whole "Don't be evil" thing...
Google makes their money with local ads. It's not unreasonable to expect that they pay local tax rates for local ads in Taiwan bought by local Taiwan businesses and served from local Taiwan servers.
Exactly. That is what Google is avoiding. Did you even read the whole thing? It's Google that is using the Double Irish tax trickery to funnel money out of the countries they generate income in.
To be frank, middle class is really the best one to tax. The wealthy have the means and ways to avoid taxes. If someone gets in the way, they will rather pack their packs and leave. It's no problem - doing that is a lot cheaper than even the existing taxes they're paying. On top of that by taxing the wealthy you're removing the incentive from people to try and get there, and in turn you will be removing all the good that incentive does. Yes, there are industries and people that get rich by not really contributing to the common good, but overall it works out pretty good.
Nobody said there was something illegal going on. It is a legal practice. However, it is really shady practice that Google is purposely doing. They know it, we know it, everyone knows it. Legally speaking they can continue doing it if they so choose. However, it is still morally wrong.
Actually, the whole Apple/Microsoft thing looks like deflecting attention away from Google's practices. Their tax dodging has been discussed since 2010. Maybe it's even Google themselves who started this bullshit spreading about other companies cos they got too much heat for it and wanted to be all "don't blame us! look these guys do it too! that makes it ok!"
Seriously, http://tech.slashdot.org/story/10/10/21/1627220/how-google-avoided-paying-60-billion-in-taxes . Back in 2010.
Google only pays a 2.4% tax rate using money-funneling techniques known as the 'Double Irish' and the 'Dutch Sandwich,' even though the US corporate income tax is 35%. By using Irish loopholes, money is transferred legally between subsidiaries and ends up in island sanctuaries that have no income tax, giving Google the lowest tax rate amongst its technology peers. Facebook is planning to use the same strategy.
I think it would be time for law enforcement agencies to step in and do something about Google's constant abuse. They have shown their constant blatant abuse of the law for a long while already. Google has also got one of the largest fines government has put on any company when they were allowing rogue pharma ads on AdWords (500$ million fine).
The next step is to break up the company. Leave Google as search engine and remove their advertising business as separate one. Do the same for YouTube, Chrome and other parts. Monitor that they actually work independently and that they also work with other advertisers than the old Google advertising arm. Make it clear that if this shit continues, their whole operation will be shut down and the owners and CEO's jailed.
This is the only way that works and how we can stop Google's abuse.