Wednesday, February 18, 2009

"EVERY CROWD HAS A SIVER LINING" (Phineas Taylor Barnum)

“What is robbing a bank to owning a bank?” (Bertolt Brecht) - who is the bigger criminal asks the great playwright. Imagine a police picture of criminals with numbers hung round their necks, thieves; fraudsters; con men and Tax Dodgers, responsible for destroying the dreams of millions, lost homes; lost life savings; abandoned holidays, vile criminals indeed. Imagine these to be pictures of well groomed expensively dressed senior executives of the top British banks and financial institutions, the captains of industry and the backbone of the British establishment. These people are the biggest villains since “The Great Train Robbers” but; ‘porridge’ is not for them, ‘porridge’ is for the burglar; the car thief; the drunken brawler, not for these masters of malfeasance. Doesn’t it just “rip yer knitting” to see that they are ‘lords’ and ‘sirs’ no affair of state or Royal Garden Party is complete without them; munching canapés and swilling champagne like pigs at a trough, remember these are the people who are at the top of what most British people would describe as a ‘decent society’ a cruel deception indeed for those who are ever so proud to be British, proud they now find of a country dominated at the highest level by swindlers. .

Scotland has plenty of them as well with “the world’s worst banker" Fred the shred Goodwin out in front, a “Feegie Boy” apparently, as if we didn’t have enough image problems. Lots of Scots are proud of a vile concoction called whisky, they take great national pride in it; how cruel on them to find that one of it’s most famous names ‘Johnnie Walker’ relocated it’s brand abroad to avoid paying taxes to it’s native country, does it surprise you when we have a first minister like Alex (the spiv) Salmond? Approx. 230 of the top British companies pay no tax at all, this is 'sorted' for them by our top 4 law firms, the kind of firms who are responsible for ensuring that justice is done, this is a game that only the rich and powerful can play, most ordinary people can’t afford it, most ordinary people pay their taxes, these rich and powerful people have a word for us it’s “MUG”

Meanwhile another mighty scandal which has been going on for decades continues to shame our society; billions of pounds in benefits go unclaimed by those who are entitled to them because the state is not proactive enough in looking after those who need help. When you think of the fat cat boss getting his millions in pay off deals despite his failures and disreputable behaviour you should also think of the old age pensioner who can’t afford proper heating because they don’t understand the system, or the person with learning difficulties who’s life could be greatly improved by receiving full benefit entitlement, there are thousands of such cases like this and the fact that it is allowed to go on is a scandal.

Capitalism is staggering around like a boxer ready to go down for the count, now is the time to land that blow, now is the time to introduce rules and laws that will prevent these parasites from ever prospering again. The need for the state has never been more obvious, we need to tackle tax avoidance once and for all and extend co-operation to other countries to do likewise, it’s time that those who need help were given it, those who have worked their shift and deserve a comfortable retirement without money worries.

The real scroungers; the liars and exploiters have inadvertently highlighted that the resources are there, we just need the political will to seize them.

13 comments:

Jim said...

A pretty interesting Guardian article on how Diageo seems to have spirited away the Johnnie Walker profits through a Dutch subsidiary right enough - http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/feb/02/tax-gap-diageo-johnnie-walker -

Don't see how that's in any way 'cruel' on whisky drinkers though. Much more cruel on the average tax payer.

How did the UK treasury make it possible for this to happen?
Wasn't Gordon Brown fae Kirkaldy in charge of the Exchequer before being annointed into the top job and passing the baton over to his Darling from Edinburgh. You're right, Scotland's reputation in such matters has taken a pounding.

I couldn't agree with you more on the issue of unclaimed benefits. An absolute disgrace. The efforts to pull the wool over people's eyes about the effectivness of tax credits and efficiency in taking money from people in order to bribe them with it has long been a bone of contention of mine.

But hey, surely the time for implementing rules to control the excessive greed in the city was during that Golden era that Brown presided over. Surely a son of the manse must have heard of the 7 fat cows and the 7 skinny cows? or known not to build his house on a foundation of sand?

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Jim) 16:14
“How did the UK treasury make it possible for this to happen?” naive Jim naive, these people have an army of ‘practiced lawyers’ to find loop holes the treasury continually tries to close them.

“annointed into the top job”

It’s not you who picks the Prime Minister it’s the party in power, anyone could have stood against him, no-one did, your point is very weak.

Gordon Brown made life a whole lot better for the poor with tax credits and other measures.

“the time for implementing rules to control the excessive greed in the city was during that Golden era that Brown presided over”

From the Guardian – “We do everything we can and will continue to do so, budget after budget to stop tax avoidance and evasion what’s needed is an international agreement; which the Tories will not support” - (Gordon Brown; son of the Manse ‘built on a rock’)

Jim said...

"your point is very weak."

Of course, you realise my point is that it's Labour that's been in power since 1997.

Gordon Brown's Labour that has overseen the implementation of a system so overly complicated that we have millions of pounds in unclaimed benefits, whilst Multi-National firms resort to employing armies of lawyers to get around his punative tax regimes... hmm! He may not be the tactical economic genius you believe him to be.

As for that piffle about the tories not agreeing to something... 12 years Labour have been in power.

There's no point in you spouting on about bolting the stable door now chief, you'd best be preparing yourself for opposition and hope that the Westminister mob make a better fist of it than the Holyrood rabble have so far.

As for 'built on a rock', dropped on a rock at a young age seems more likely.

Allan said...

Jim

I have made this point before, so I'll make it again. The Labour party died in 1994. It's successor party, New Labour is nothing more than a lightweight version of Thatcherism. I and many others see it, and can't bring ourselves to vote for them.

"How di the UK treasury make it possible for this to happen?" - Well it could be entirley possable that the UK Treasury were complicit in many of the Tax dodges, considering how many "consultants" from the business world the Treasury use.

Apart from that, yep totaly agree. The Four Horsemen (Fred, Tom, Dennis and Andy) should be treated as criminals

Anonymous said...

Your comment, Terry, about capitalism staggering about like a boxer about to hit the deck.
In his own inimicable style, James Maxton MP of the ILP pronounced in 1931 (at a meeting in Cowcaddens) that Capitalism would not survive 6 months, things were so bad. He was of course wrong and the system staggers on from one crisis to the next, whether it is Labour or the Tories at the political helm. Your presciption seems to be more state intervention, state capitalism.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Allan) 19/02/09

Allan you have once again forgotten the most important thing; the Labour party is the only way of bringing about the change that I assume you want to see.

I can in all honesty see no other; perhaps you can; if so please share it with us.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Anonymous) 20/02/09

Maxton once addressed an open air meeting where he was in full flow as he roared “there are over a million people unemployed” and a wag from the crowd shouted “and half of them are barbers” true story, (Check his photo)
The Labour Party is the only way; the only hope; if you know another way perhaps you could share it with us.

Anonymous said...

well, we could start by clearly stating our socialist object, ie the establishment of a system of society based upon the common ownership and democratic control of the means of life. The object of the Labour Party is to get elected on a reformist agenda and attempt to manage (not get rid of )the capitalist system. By thinking for ourselves as class-conscious workers and not putting any faith in professional politicians or leaders would be a good healthy beginning!

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Anonymous) 21/02/09

Before you do anything at all you have to start by getting people to take you seriously; that I’m afraid for you is a herculean task; I’m really sorry, I know you mean well but you are a laughing stock, comic script writers make a living out of lampooning people like you.

Just as an aside will you tell people who you are when you ask for their vote?

Anonymous said...

Why does government have the right restrict people's economic freedoms? What gives you the right to prevent bankers from pursuing their own happiness as they see fit?

Anonymous said...

"Lots of Scots are proud of a vile concoction called whisky, they take great national pride in it; how cruel on them to find that one of it’s most famous names ‘Johnnie Walker’ relocated it’s brand abroad to avoid paying taxes to it’s native country, does it surprise you when we have a first minister like Alex (the spiv) Salmond"

Hasn't it occured to you that the solution might be to cut taxes to avoid this kind of capital flight? Do you not register that the rise in capital gains tax Darling introduced has reportedly contributed to numerous businesses switching, or contemplating switching, their capital bases? Taxation is effectively a form of price, and if prices are too far above the market-bearing level, people start switching brands. It's economics 101, but you wouldn't understand that.

In any case, you must know that Salmond only has indirect control over business rates, and doesn't control corporation tax, CGT, VAT, or any other kind of business taxation.

Still, never let anything as dreary as facts get in the way of a teenage argument.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Anonymous) 22/02/09

No matter how low someone has sunk; no matter how low their station; how base their character, everyone is entitled to economic freedoms and the pursuit of happiness, even bankers.

Within the rules that is.

Cllr Terry Kelly said...

(Anonymous) 23/02/09

“Hasn't it occured to you that the solution might be to cut taxes to avoid this kind of capital flight?” -
Yes.

Tax is not quite as complicated as you would like us to believe, it has been allowed over many years to become more and more convoluted to allow the rich to avoid their tax paying responsibilities.

Some people pay too much, some too little and some none at all.
The poor, the wealthy and the super rich in that order.
A radical change is required to bring about tax justice; it’s not that difficult to understand no matter how much some with vested interests tell us that it is.