Where is Bob Geldof?

[max_tranmere]

I wasn't picking on them, just pointing it out. I think what I said about U2 is valid - all I said about Geldof was ask what he is up to the rest of the time. I accept that U2, especially Bono, do a lot of good work in raising awareness and it has been said that Bono's meetings with Presidents and Prime Ministers have got a lot of Third world debt written off. He also does all that for free, which is very commendable. I just think that if he analysed exactly how Western governments could be able to write off any of these debts at all he would realise that it must come from local people paying taxes to that Western country's treasury - thus enabling that Government (be it the USA, UK, or another European country) to afford to be able to do so. So if everyone did what U2 have done, avoid paying their taxes, then these countries wouldn't be able to afford to do any of these things that Bono have asked them to do. And I think U2 moved ALL of their money (and business affairs) to Holland, not just some of it. Ireland was known for years as being a place where artist's royalties were not taxed - this is why Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones moved there, several members of Def Leppard, and a few other UK musicians aswell. These laws were recently changed, so for the first time ever U2 went 'offshore'.

[max_tranmere]

They may well earn a lot of their money internationally, through touring and overseas record sales, but as domicile's in Ireland they would be surely taxed locally on the monies earned. The Rolling Stones would earn most of their cash internationally aswell, but have been UK tax exiles since 1969. They even cancelled a British tour a few years ago (2001 I think) because Tony Blair closed the 'overseas earnings deduction' meaning they would have lost most of the profit from their WORLD tour (over 100 dates) just by playing about 8 shows in Britain. This suggests that if your are a citizien of a country you would be taxed there even if most of the loot is earned elsewhere. I never understood how Mick Jagger was knighted, becoming Sir Michael Jagger, 2 or 3 years ago, when he has done EVERYTHING to avoid paying British taxes for 40 years (and has been sucessful too).

[Ogre]

That's flawed logic though Max. Writing off third world debt doesn't make you pay a penny. Governments hardly would give up debt they saw lucrative, which isn't the case here. The debt is pretty much unpayable, with the interest itself making it impossible to pay back.

You can't lose money you never had to begin with. Considering if one finds it unfair that a few irish rockstars fiddle with their money, you'd think it'd be a small peeve considering debt that can't be paid, debt that doesn't benefit anyone, debt that only hinders someone, and debt that the people who should be paying, aren't probably even responsible for it.

[max_tranmere]

I agree that morally these countres shouldn't have to pay it, it likely dates back to something years ago that wasnt their fault and it acumulated and acumulated. The thing is though all Western Governments are stretched at the moment. If we all did what some rock stars have done then Western Goverments would be even shorter of money and thereofre less able to commit to projects and less able to tell people who owe them that they can be let off the debt.

[Ogre]

The thing is though, show me a guy that can say with a honest face that if he were given the option of paying no taxes legally and comfortably he'd still pay them for god and country and...

Not that I like U2. Infact, to be honest I don't think ANYONE should make such ludicrous amounts of money. Not to say I'd like a socialist utopia where we all get paid in vodka and rice rations, but there's something inherently wrong with the world when a rock band that makes one tour makes more money from it than a block of flats' worth of people grinding it in the factory for 40 years.

[max_tranmere]

Have you gone mad? I talked in detail about the Rolling Stones evading British taxes aswell. Why on earth do you think I am being personal about Irish people? I see little point debating with you because your comments are just ridiculous.