Browsing the interweb (a word I invented, by the way) it comes to my attention that the National Rifle Association in the good ol' US of A goes out of its way to 'endorse' individual political candidates for the Senate, and presumably much else.
That just prompts me to contemplate that anyone who runs a glorified gun club and believes they are justified in advising its members how to cast their political votes is dangerously deluded. To be fair, I expect they acknowledge somewhere that they are a special interest group, and that their endorsement relates solely to this area. But how can they conceivably believe that this has any bearing on elections for the legislature that deals with the economy, foreign affairs, healthcare, education, welfare, internal security, infrastructure investment and so on.
The only argument I can think of is that gun ownership is essential in protecting society. But obviously that would be laughably stupid.
Regarding any members that act on the NRA's advice? Well frankly they must be somewhat slow-witted. But as one US politician once noted with horror, it has been found that 50% of Americans do have below average intelligence.
In the unlikely event that anyone reads this, perhaps I should point out that that last sentence was deliberately ironic. The politican and his response were, however, real. I think he was a Republican. Ah yes, I looked it up - President Eisenhower.
Tuesday 30 October 2012
Monday 29 October 2012
Tax Exile On Main Street
A list of 2,000 Greeks with Swiss bank accounts has been published. Have the Greek authorities responded by launching an investigation into what is clearly (let's be sensible) a case of mass tax evasion? Don't be stupid. They've arrested the journalist who published the list.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20116548
Greece is in trouble due, in part, to tax evasion. The authorties are responding, in part, by cracking down on it and increasing taxes. Except for those that can afford to have Swiss bank accounts apparently. The list is reported to include politicans and business men. Well duh!
Of course, this list is just the tip of the iceberg, and only includes accounts at HSBC. It seems that the list was originally leaked by an employee (give that man a medal) and found its way to the Greek authorities two years ago. The apparent lack of follow up action is surely justification for the journalist's actions.
The authorities have responded to the latest reporting by saying there is no evidence of illegal activities by those on the list. Yeah, and there is no evidence that the Pope is responsible for African AIDS victims.
Two points. One - You will not find any evidence of anything unless you look for it. Two - even if there is no evidence of a 'crime', there is the more important question of moral responsibility. There is really only one reason people hold Swiss bank accounts - because they wish to hide their assets from someone. That can be due to illegality at some stage in the cash trail, whether simple tax evasion, corruption, fraud or organised crime. However, it can also be due to embarrasment. For example, a current or former Government minister wishing to hide the fact that he earns small fortunes from lobbyists and special interest groups. No doubt it can also just be due to 'prudent' tax planning, but how many of these latter people would be happy for normal tax payers to know that they do not pay as much tax as the spirit of their country's legislation expects?
The fact is that if you have a Swiss bank account you are either up to something dodgy or you are avoiding contributing your fair share to society. Or Swiss.
If the Greek authorities fail to ackowledge this fact and act on it, how can anyone trust them to resolve their country's financial problems? And if their only response seems to be to shoot the messenger, why should we trust them at all?
Thanks to John Foxx for his twist on The Rolling Stones' album title.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20116548
Greece is in trouble due, in part, to tax evasion. The authorties are responding, in part, by cracking down on it and increasing taxes. Except for those that can afford to have Swiss bank accounts apparently. The list is reported to include politicans and business men. Well duh!
Of course, this list is just the tip of the iceberg, and only includes accounts at HSBC. It seems that the list was originally leaked by an employee (give that man a medal) and found its way to the Greek authorities two years ago. The apparent lack of follow up action is surely justification for the journalist's actions.
The authorities have responded to the latest reporting by saying there is no evidence of illegal activities by those on the list. Yeah, and there is no evidence that the Pope is responsible for African AIDS victims.
Two points. One - You will not find any evidence of anything unless you look for it. Two - even if there is no evidence of a 'crime', there is the more important question of moral responsibility. There is really only one reason people hold Swiss bank accounts - because they wish to hide their assets from someone. That can be due to illegality at some stage in the cash trail, whether simple tax evasion, corruption, fraud or organised crime. However, it can also be due to embarrasment. For example, a current or former Government minister wishing to hide the fact that he earns small fortunes from lobbyists and special interest groups. No doubt it can also just be due to 'prudent' tax planning, but how many of these latter people would be happy for normal tax payers to know that they do not pay as much tax as the spirit of their country's legislation expects?
The fact is that if you have a Swiss bank account you are either up to something dodgy or you are avoiding contributing your fair share to society. Or Swiss.
If the Greek authorities fail to ackowledge this fact and act on it, how can anyone trust them to resolve their country's financial problems? And if their only response seems to be to shoot the messenger, why should we trust them at all?
Thanks to John Foxx for his twist on The Rolling Stones' album title.
Thursday 11 October 2012
Kill all humans
There are days when the despair hits you. Goodness knows how it will be when a literal black cloud fills the sky. For now it is more than enough that a metaphorical or, if you like, existential rain cloud appears on the horizon.
Today I read that 57.5% of the Ukrainian population has "entirely negative" attitudes towards homosexuality (according to a poll reported at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19881905).
The usual parade of religious/nationalist bastards are claiming there is a gay conspiracy to take over the world. And the same parade of bastards are implicitly encouraging a wave of violence against homosexuals in Ukraine (substitute Russia, Uganda, Qatar here as you see fit).
I appreciate that the principals behind these movements don't give a fuck, but haven't the masses that express their passive support heard of Hitler? Don't they realise that by ticking the "I hate" box they are giving tacit support for the cattle trucks that will deliver people to the gas chambers when the time comes? Maybe they do, in which case the despair just gets deeper.
And so, of course, the politicians play the game. The Ukrainian parliament is waving through legislation that will, amongst other things, ban the screening of films like Brokeback Mountain (incidentally one of the finest films ever made).
This would be kind of OK if I knew that our Government was taking a stand. If we were saying to these regimes that as long as they languish in the dark ages they will be outside our club. We'll withhold the golden goose of globalisation. But of course we don't.
So if we give our implicit support to this quasi-facism, what next? I'm not gay. I'm not Jewish. I'm not a communist. I'm not ginger-haired. I'm not a Slav. But I do support a free press. I do support a liberal society. I do like industrial rock music. I like disco. I'm opposed to UK/US extradition treaty. I'm safe at the moment, but can I assume that there will never be a brick thrown through my window, a midnight knock at the door? How do I know that one day I won't be in the minority marked "enemies of society" or "trouble makers". How do you? Maybe you are a "paragon" of "upstanding" "morality" beyond "reproach".
If that sounds ridiculous, consider how most German's felt in 1932. If you don't get it, try reading Orwell or Kafka. And if you still dismiss my concerns out of hand then I guess there is no hope. At least that is how it feels on days like today.
Today I read that 57.5% of the Ukrainian population has "entirely negative" attitudes towards homosexuality (according to a poll reported at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19881905).
The usual parade of religious/nationalist bastards are claiming there is a gay conspiracy to take over the world. And the same parade of bastards are implicitly encouraging a wave of violence against homosexuals in Ukraine (substitute Russia, Uganda, Qatar here as you see fit).
I appreciate that the principals behind these movements don't give a fuck, but haven't the masses that express their passive support heard of Hitler? Don't they realise that by ticking the "I hate" box they are giving tacit support for the cattle trucks that will deliver people to the gas chambers when the time comes? Maybe they do, in which case the despair just gets deeper.
And so, of course, the politicians play the game. The Ukrainian parliament is waving through legislation that will, amongst other things, ban the screening of films like Brokeback Mountain (incidentally one of the finest films ever made).
This would be kind of OK if I knew that our Government was taking a stand. If we were saying to these regimes that as long as they languish in the dark ages they will be outside our club. We'll withhold the golden goose of globalisation. But of course we don't.
So if we give our implicit support to this quasi-facism, what next? I'm not gay. I'm not Jewish. I'm not a communist. I'm not ginger-haired. I'm not a Slav. But I do support a free press. I do support a liberal society. I do like industrial rock music. I like disco. I'm opposed to UK/US extradition treaty. I'm safe at the moment, but can I assume that there will never be a brick thrown through my window, a midnight knock at the door? How do I know that one day I won't be in the minority marked "enemies of society" or "trouble makers". How do you? Maybe you are a "paragon" of "upstanding" "morality" beyond "reproach".
If that sounds ridiculous, consider how most German's felt in 1932. If you don't get it, try reading Orwell or Kafka. And if you still dismiss my concerns out of hand then I guess there is no hope. At least that is how it feels on days like today.
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