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Tax Is The Basic 'Carry Each Other' Manoeuvre : Are U2 listening?
international |
miscellaneous |
feature
Wednesday February 25, 2009 22:56 by helpers
Are you a tax justice believer?
Bono may campaign to end world poverty - but his band are taking advantage of the same tax avoidance schemes that rob impoverished countries of billions.
Some Organisations That Do Some Good:
by ec Thu Feb 26, 2009 13:12
Just read articles from Irish Times and Indo. The IT article seems to have transcribed the above video - without mentioning its existence of course.
by Madam K Thu Feb 26, 2009 14:19
U2 management are aware of action .
by Fredman Thu Feb 26, 2009 16:21
Has anyone got a read on just how much of U2's earnings have gone to aid projects in Africa, or elsewhere, for that matter? How much has gone to relieving the appalling suffering of the Palestinians? Maybe this is something Pres. Obama could take up with Bono the next time he's White House-ing.
by Mark C - Contact.ie Thu Feb 26, 2009 16:46
U2 have hit back at critics who have accused the band of setting up intricate foreign tax avoidance schemes to avoid paying high taxes in Ireland...
by Gruffalo - Movement for common sense Thu Feb 26, 2009 18:09
It is on the Belfast Telegraph site too you can post comments there too if anyone wants to try and draw more attention to it.
by Eden - Lovers Electric Thu Feb 26, 2009 20:07
What a great response 'Bono' has to the final questions, for a minute you think... hmm... hold on. Perfect.
by Ciaron - Catholic Worker Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:18
"............You here him on either the Joshua Tree, or Rattle and Hum saying
by Blacbloc Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:37
This guy has truly revealed his colours in today's Irish Times. Praising the capitalism that he says made Ireland so successful, claiming there are very clever people in the Irish government who know how to put things right and saying that Ireland 'will have to learn how to make itself more attractive'.
by paul o toole Fri Feb 27, 2009 12:10 pauljotoole at eircom dot net 086 351 2469
I lie somewhere between bemused and appalled at Bono's incredible assertion regarding his offshore accounts. The only 'hypocritical'
by Left skeptical Fri Feb 27, 2009 16:37 paddydaughton at hotmail dot com
BOYCOTT U2!!!!
by redjade Fri Feb 27, 2009 20:27
by resercher Fri Feb 27, 2009 21:13
Paul Mc Cartney's OBE? Don't think he ever had one mate! MBE yes! But since he's still accredited with that gong he clearly never returned it
by Blacbloc Fri Feb 27, 2009 21:33
HB on Bono and tax evasion - hard to disagree with a syllable of it:
by truth in journhialism Fri Feb 27, 2009 22:22
Brian Boyd of thr Irish Times gave Bono, Paul McGuinness and the rest of the U2 tax dodgers an open platform to voice their opinions devoid of a single 'hard' question. A paludition of their career to date with a few anicdotal sweeties for the fans to give them something over a cafe-latte to trump their friends knoweledge of this bands long and rose petaled cake-walk to eternal infamy.
by Mike - Judean Popular Peoples Front Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:09
http://gombeennation.blogspot.com/2009/02/tax-is-for-li....html
by Ciaron - Catholic Worker Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:11
Thanx for the clarification on the McCartney MBE/OBE, from memory I thought it went along with the bannning of his single "Give Irish back to the Irish" well something along those lines.
by Daily Mail Reader Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:47
Dear, oh dear! The Daily Mail Online today reports that there are conniptions over the BBC's apparent giving-over of so much of their air-time to promoting U2's new album. The BEEB even gave the group it's roofspace to let them play a gig on it - now THAT's original: I can recall the Beatles doing it in New York, but never mind. As if that isn't bad enough, Bono, that international man of peace, has, according to the Online edition of the paper, apologised to Coldplay's Chris Martin for calling him a 'w**ker' live on radio! Dear me! Perhaps the recent debate about U2's moving their bread out of Ireland and the less-than-fanatical response to the new album at home is taking it's toll?
by erqwnqr Sun Mar 01, 2009 07:58
by Shaner Sun Mar 01, 2009 21:20
Says there was a noisy protest outside the beeb show. Alerted me to the plethora of "Make bono history" groups on facebook .
by paul o toole Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:45 pauljotoole at ericom dot net 086-351-2469
Last wednesdays little 'gig', held outside the Department Of Finance by the Debt and Development Coalition of Ireland (DDCI) highlighting the tax avoidance schemes that corporations use to avoid paying their fair share of the tax burden got immideate attention all arround Ireland by highlighting Bono and U2 as one of the more public figures availing of this scheme. The next day almost all the papers carried the story. Bono came out with McGuinness defending the bands role as being 'tax compliant' on wednesday night- which had nothing to do with the original accusation of 'hypocracy'. An interview was to materilaise in the Irish Times explaining their tax situation.
by Baggie Thu Mar 05, 2009 15:44
Despite having not paid taxes for years here and moving when they are asked to pay after £250,000 three of the band travel on UK passports.
by Me3 Fri Mar 06, 2009 00:08
Heh...
by counterpunch Thu Mar 19, 2009 16:23
Sir Bono - the Knight who fled from his Own Debate
by redjade Sun Apr 19, 2009 13:02
It’s 2009. Do You Know Where Your Soul Is? Quote from NY Times Comments section.... Spare us the pompous hypocritical lecturing and pay your fair share of taxes instead of using tax havens to avoid doing so. — Mike Strike, Boston http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2009/04/1....html {small irrelevant note: I've noticed for the first time, thanks to the New York Times, that the proper spelling of Bono is BONO - all caps.}
by Guardian Sat Sep 25, 2010 11:55
Forgive the reheating of old chestnuts, but it seems appropriate to begin with a classic urban myth starring Bono, recently described with due reverence by Viz as "the little twat with a big heart". The apocryphal story finds our hero on stage between songs, intriguing his audience by repeatedly clapping his hands together. "Every time I clap my hands," he finally intones, "a child in Africa dies."
by Charitable Untaxed Money Mon Sep 27, 2010 13:32
What does charity mean,in this day and age anyway,when you see manchester united football players earning billions every year..YES BILLIONS,some of these players,are only 17,im not one to begrudge,but at that age,does anyone,really have any sense..Bono and all his untaxed wealth..i say fair play to this guy,our government,would have found ways to illegally syphon that tax all for themselves..He probably had no idea,his management were squandering his money into their own pockets,which is what happens with admin types like this,they are all mooching business people anyway,that industry is so full of fakes,it's not even funny,he being at the top of it all,and with other projects running,he probably genuinely had no clue,does that make it right.No of course not.When somebody tries to do something right,why do they always get slated by media upstarts who have no responsibility to our public,who honestly wouldnt care if they started world war 11,haven't they enough freedoms,employed by government,you would want to see how tight rte and our irish government are it is disgusting. |
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Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40Fantastic. please can we have the lyrics posted here?
thx
Well done for talking to Brian Lenihen in such a level headed manner. Politicians are decent people; after you spoke to him as you did, he agreed with you, saying: "I agree; good luck to you". Hopefully, he'll put his effort where his mouth is now and get his friends in high places to agree with you/him too and in that way effect change.
Well done on this, I hope you get many, many entries.
Mark.
Use the embed before it uses you
Caption: Video Id: HWZ8jLRgTVY Type: Youtube Video
Embedded video Youtube Video
Clearly U2 HAVE found what they were looking for, only it's, eh, not in Ireland. Yes, they could set an example, not only with the business of paying tax in Ireland, but in alleviating world poverty - as Mr B. has made a point of requesting that the rest of world might do. Anything less is just showbiz. I understand The Irish Times, bless 'em, are devoting some space to the group explaining their tax attitudes. Can't wait.
Lyrics, as requested :)
I have paid highest fees
I have moved overseas
Only to pay less tax
Only to pay less tax
I have run
I have crawled
I’ve done so much you’d be appalled
You’d be appalled
Only to pay less tax
But I still haven't learned about democracy
No I still haven't learned about democracy
I know avoiding tax ain’t fair
It’s just because I’m a millionaire
I don’t need to pay like you
No I won’t pay like you
Cause I still haven’t learned about democracy
But I still haven’t learned about democracy
You paid your tax and you
Laid the blame
Carried the burden
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I’m still running
Cause I still haven’t learned about democracy
No I still haven’t learned about democracy
But I still haven’t learned about democracy
But I still haven’t learned about democracy...
Minister Lennihan 'agrees' with us to day, but this hypocryte Lennihan is also part of the system of policy making which which created the tax evasion possible in the first place-now he oversees it. White man speaks with forked tongue.
He is the epitome of corrupt politics.
Fair play to Sheila Killian for the words today, insporational to see bonos words and music turned on him, Thanks.
Paul.
I cant wait to hear Paul & David, oh sorry, 'Bono' & 'the Edge' explain why they wont pay their taxes in Ireland.
Fair play to all involved. It is about time that people stopped idolising these four muppets. Mr Lenihan likes to use the word "unpatriotic", well this would have been the ideal instance to use it.
Does anyone think it would be a good idea to release a song to compete with the next release from their album? It might really highlight the issue even further.
.
Caption: Video Id: Eih_ybKdVXU&hl=en&fs Type: Youtube Video
Embedded video Youtube Video
I haven't watched the video as I'm stuck in work but it's good to see this chancer Bono being called on this. He is a classic do as I say not as I do merchant!
Very much enjoyed being present at this action. The atmosphere was great - inclusive, humourous but direct and tense.
Paul as Bono was definitely in the zone in the Method School.
The looks from passersby were great, the open decked tourist buses, the security etc. Great to see there are still NGO's willing to take it to the streets. The Minister turning up in the middle of it was great timing. How can one be pesented as the legitimate voice of dissent on world poverty when relocating to avoid taxes. The manufacturers of consent berate folks doing Christmas shopping in Newry as unpatriotic and of course no focus on this wholesale border crossing swindle.
The posturing is looking a lot like those wealthy charity balls of the Great Depression that the Marx Brothers used to gatecrash in their movies.
Has anyone got more info on U2's relocation to Netherlands to avoid paying taxes in Ireland?
U2 Corp put your boots on and move back to Ireland...seems like a logical conclusion.
Didn't mean to bug you
That American slogan 'no taxation without representation' I think we should turn that around.
No representation without taxation.
If people like Bono don't want to pay tax, then we as a nation should have a mechanism to remove their citizenship. If you don't contribute to our democracy you lose your right to vote and all other rights protected under the constitution. You are exiled until such a time as you pay back what you owe.
Bono trades on his northside dublin irish image, its about time he was stripped of that unless he steps up to the plate. Disgraced and exiled out of touch millionaire Bono shouting at the sea that us plebs don't understand his messianic message, now thats something i would pay to see.
I would love to see songs released to coincide with U2s singles, but they wouldn't take it lying down, remember Negativland
Watched him on the culture show on the bbc complaining about how they have been saddled with this obligation to be morally outspoken by a society that places bands in such a difficult position through the mythology of rock and roll or some such rubbish. Thats me paraphrasing but thats the thrust of it. He's obviously feeling the sting of only making five hundred million out of his hypocritical investment in pandemic, poor little Bono being bullied by his public
Not sure if there has been much mainstream media coverage of this action. But if you google U2 this one comes up near the top............
http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/protesters...96230
Some readers may remember the release of (PRODUCT) RED project fronted by Bono, where the public was asked to buy more products from corporations like Gap,American Express, Converse and Giorgio Armani, etc and some profits would go to fighting AIDS.
The guy is a muppet of the rich, their puppet on a string, concinved as he is that justice is charity. So what came of his co-opting of the movement that built around Make Poverty History
You here him on either the Joshua Tree, or Rattle and Hum saying
"The God i believe in isnt short of cash"
Hardly surprising if his God banks in off shore tax havens the f*cker, eh? Nice one God
As for RED, its really open to question what the resulyts where, but lots and lots of capitalists of course happy to use the free publicitiy, transferring money from there EXISTING marketing budgets towards the RED brand.
see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_Red for some more background....
The guy is a muppet of the rich, their puppet on a string, concinved as he is that justice is charity. So what came of his co-opting of the movement that built around Make Poverty History
In the book "Shut them down" published following the G8 in sterling, 'Paul Hewson' writes a good critique about how neoliberal politicians, conservative NGOs and rock stars hijacked the global justice movement at Gleneagles... and how we let them
The full book is at
http://www.shutthemdown.org/
but ive uploaded the chapter here
Bono, Make poverty History, and how he helped stop real movement building 0.27 Mb