Protesters claim to have shut down a number of Starbucks' UK stores during protests over the coffee chain's tax payments, reports Sky News.
The protests come following news that the US-owned company has paid just £8.6m in 14 years of operating in Britain and nothing in the last three years.
Obviously, we aren't dealing with a very libertarian crowd here. Or a crowd that understands much about economics. Taxes suffocate an economy and money going to the government ends up in a bureaucratic juggernaut that results in government type "services," think the post office, a government cafeteria, NYC subways and the DMV--or even worse the money is used to track us and buy equipment for government goons to enforce government interventions into our lives. Quite the thing to be protesting for, more taxes on a productive firm that serves us quality coffee, so that the funds can be used to expand crooked government and greater loss of our freedoms.
That's how far enslaved they are in the UK. That's how deep the Stockholm syndrome runs. Liberty was lost for good generations ago.
ReplyDeleteNo sense giving up, the good Dr. Paul, Mises, EPJ & others have reawoken the spirit of liberty all over the world. I'm a Canadian do you know how many libertarians I know? Like 2! But I constantly talk to people about why it's better than what we have, most people roll their eyes but some do listen and come around. Spread the message it will keep growing.
DeleteThis is deeply saddening. We're not to far from that here. If people really felt they were getting ripped off by Starbucks why not just shop at a lesser business and voluntarily contribute the difference to their friendly neighborhood government? This would be more effective eviction from the market than laying on the floor.
ReplyDeleteRobert -
ReplyDelete"Obviously, we aren't dealing with a very libertarian crowd here. Or a crowd that understands much about economics."
It's worse than you think. Half of them describe themselves as anarchists. It's an ongoing example of the power of propaganda. UK Uncut (which is organising the protests) really is protesting for Starbucks to pay more taxes, even though everyone recognises that Starbucks is complying fully and completely with tax law.
They genuinely think that roads and education and healthcare will disappear unless yet more taxes are looted, and then they go online and claim to be anarchists.
LOL are you serious? Anarchists that are calling for more and bigger government? Wow.
DeleteYou obviously don't know much about European "anarchists"
DeleteOK, now HERE is an example why ("bare") "Anonymous" posts just dont' work. A tag line, a fake sig of some kind would be a help if I wanted to respond-but, who's who?
Delete"Quite the thing to be protesting for, more taxes on a productive firm that serves us quality coffee, so that the funds can be used to expand crooked government and greater loss of our freedoms."
ReplyDeleteVery true. They way they are protesting, you'd think Starbucks was going to just hand out cash to them personally. Which would be theft but would at least make sense.
But they don't care where the money goes just so long as the "rich" don't have it. It difficult to free slaves from the chains that they adore.
Old Commie ploy: Hijack the terminology.
ReplyDeleteOld Soviet joke:
Farmer: Commissar, my neighbor has a goat AND a cow and I have only a goat.
Commissar: Well, what do you expect me to do about that?
Farmer: Shoot the cow!
Capn Mike, This was excellent!
Delete"People rightly get angry when they work hard and pay their taxes, but then see others not paying their fair share."
ReplyDelete- UK Prime Minister 11/21/12
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-cameron/g8-summit-2013-lough-erne_b_2167429.html
Are we looking at a Cameron rent-a-mob here against Starbucks UK? If not, how convenient to dovetail with his recent speech so nicely. Reminds me a little of the convenient "spontaneous" mob protests in China recently over Japan's claim over disputed islands. Just sayin'
I've been trying to find out who are the organisers behind UK Uncut, but can't find any names, none at all. Going by previous experience, I'd say a Trot group affiliated to the Labour Party (which is a faction of the trade union movement, as many seem to forget).
DeleteThese people are so misguided. The British government spends lots of money on military adventures abroad. And running all those cameras can't be cheap, especially considering the reputation of the British government for bureaucracy.
ReplyDeleteGiven that taxes are not going away, why defend Starbucks, for avoiding taxes, likely in a questionable legal fashion, and not consider all the other businesses?
ReplyDeleteIn theory, if Starbucks, & other firms paid taxes, many other, just as productive firms, would be required to pay less, or at least not higher taxes.
As long as we have a tax system, it should be as "fair" as possible, & disrupt economic activity as little as possible.
I could make a case that removing Starbucks from the planet would likely not cause any disruption, but very possibly an entrepreneur working on new technology may not get off-the-ground, because others pay higher taxes due to Starbucks not paying any taxes.
Above is not a political argument, per se; that battle has been lost, at least for a few generations.
Wenzel is clueless. "Quality" coffee? Come on.
ReplyDelete