The Guardian, Tax Avoidance and Hypocrisy

[MK Shrimper]

Then perhaps none of us 'leftists' should own houses? :unsure:

Which one are you, hippy? Get a haircut. :raspberry:

 

[Rob Noxious]

Which one are you, hippy? Get a haircut. :raspberry:

Never trust a hippy! I was a punk before you were a punk. :smile:

 

[MK Shrimper]

Never trust a hippy! I was a punk before you were a punk. :smile:

That's because you're old(er). :whistling:

 

[steveo]

your impression is correct. The Guardian have regularly spoken out about tax avoidance which in some ways does make them a bit hypocriticalQUOTE]
Fanks.Actually I wasn't asking for confirmation.I KNEW tax avoidance was legal whereas tax evasion is illegal.(Believe it or not)some of my best friends are Accountants.

I know you often post a lot of stuff that people find unbelievable Barna, but this really takes the biscuit.

Who in their right mind will believe you've got a best friend?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I know you often post a lot of stuff that people find unbelievable Barna, but this really takes the biscuit.

Who in their right mind will believe you've got a best friend?[/QUOTE]

lol.He actually posts on SZ(but only in the footy section).:smiles:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I don't understand your position at all. An objection on principle is surely exactly that?

For example, Mr X does not believe in sex before marriage; he believes this on principle and he actively condemns sex before marriage and states publically that it is immoral. If he were then found to have conducted an illicit affair outside of wedlock he would be a hypocrite, yet not have broken the law. Suggesting that it didn't matter because it was only a few times is not a defence.


My point here is that The Guardian repeatedly state that the tax gap stands at £(insert figure here depending on the weather) and that by stopping tax avoidance and evasion there would be no need to cut public expenditure. Hence all tax avoiders and tax evaders are directly hurting the poor by their actions. Yet they themselves are tax avoiders. They have no credibility to lecture anyone on the subject and I don't see how such hypocrisy can be defended.

You might remember(or maybe not)Jimmy Carter saying that he had committed adultery, in his heart, many times.
I used to believe that the world was a pretty black and white place, which was why I was a pretty active member of the CPGB, until I first left the UK in 1978.I like to think I'm much younger than that now.:smiles:
I finally lost my faith in a Marxist revolution when the Berlin wall came down.It would take a lot more than that(or this particular tax avoidance issue) for me to lose my faith in The Grauniad.

 

[Hotman]

Economies of scale?
I'd wager The Guardian is avoiding a lot less tax than some of the companies they're targeting.Unethical perhaps but not illegal.
As Dylan Thomas said:-"We are not wholly bad or good
Who live our lives under Milk Wood",

You don't half talk some bollocks.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

You don't half talk some bollocks.

Ahem.So where the bllocks here exactly,MC?:unsure:

 

[number11]

So BB, as much as, to quote Alan Pardew, Neil_F has ***** you all over this thread, it is still not clear exactly what your principled view on this issue is?

Is it...
a) Tax avoidance is bad.
b) Tax avoidance is bad when those nasty big businesses do it, but not when I do it.
c) Tax avoidance is bad when those nasty big businesses do it, but not when The Guardian and I do it.
d) Tax avoidance is good?

 

[Rob Noxious]

So BB, as much as, to quote Alan Pardew, Neil_F has ***** you all over this thread, it is still not clear exactly what your principled view on this issue is?

Is it...
a) Tax avoidance is bad.
b) Tax avoidance is bad when those nasty big businesses do it, but not when I do it.
c) Tax avoidance is bad when those nasty big businesses do it, but not when The Guardian and I do it.
d) Tax avoidance is good?

How about The Guardian is good and I don't care what you beastly cads say. :smile:

Not wishing to steal your thunder BB, but I don't like to see everyone and their mate join in to give you a hard time all the time. :smiles:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

So BB, as much as, to quote Alan Pardew, Neil_F has ***** you all over this thread, it is still not clear exactly what your principled view on this issue is?

Is it...
a) Tax avoidance is bad.
b) Tax avoidance is bad when those nasty big businesses do it, but not when I do it.
c) Tax avoidance is bad when those nasty big businesses do it, but not when The Guardian and I do it.
d) Tax avoidance is good?

I quite like C actually.:winking: You'll find out (when you grow up a little)that we don't live in a black and white world.Learn to live with a bit of uncertainty.You'll be a better person for it.

How about The Guardian is good and I don't care what you beastly cads say. :smile:
:excellent:
This also reflects my position.Thanks.

Not wishing to steal your thunder BB, but I don't like to see everyone and their mate join in to give you a hard time all the time. :smiles:

 

[steveo]

I quite like C actually.:winking: You'll find out (when you grow up a little)that we don't live in a black and white world.Learn to live with a bit of uncertainty.You'll be a better person for it.

You really are a pompous patronising **** Barna. Passing these sort of comments about a respected poster just makes you even more unlikeable.

 

[EastStandBlue]

I quite like C actually.:winking: You'll find out (when you grow up a little)that we don't live in a black and white world.Learn to live with a bit of uncertainty.You'll be a better person for it.

And yet you're quick to plead the victim whenever you feel belittled on this messageboard.

Hypocrisy, thy name is Barna.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

And yet you're quick to plead the victim whenever you feel belittled on this messageboard.

Hypocrisy, thy name is Barna.

Only by you toe rag.:winking:

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

You really are a pompous patronising **** Barna. Passing these sort of comments about a respected poster just makes you even more unlikeable.

Stevo,
And you're very quick to jump in with insults which support the views of your more eloquent right wing mates.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Hmm, another thread going rapidly downhill. Fin.

 

[number11]

Haha, cheers Steveo but I wouldn't worry. I think BB's contribution to the site is great....he is like one of those weebles that keeps getting knocked down and made to look foolish, but keeps coming back for more. Faced with intelligent posts, debates, facts or opinion such as Neil_F has done and he reverts to type and ignores the point and resorts to insults.

And, back on point, my understanding therefore is that your belief is tax avoidance is bad when people you don't like do it, but ok when people you do like do it. No problem you holding that opinion but doesn't strike me as being particularly principled.