It’s corporate tax avoidance we need to tackle,writes Simon Diggins and Andrew Phillips recalls the first major scheme, plus letters from Kevin Donovan, and John Wilson,Mark Lawrence, Jeremy Beecham and John PellingAditya Chakrabortty’s excellent article on international tax avoidance (7 November) skewers the many lies that western electorates have been fed. It also makes clear an abiding truth that austerity is a political project. Seized upon by those who were fundamentally opposed to the creation of social democracy and the welfare state, or the banking crisis of 2008 has been ruthlessly exploited to further dismantle the post-moment world war structures and consensus around social security,fairness and equality; and now we know why and can respond the question, cui bono?But we should ensure we aim for the genuine target. Individual tax avoiders, and however objectionable,are slipstreaming in the wake of the genuine over-mighty subjects, the international corporates. Satisfying though it may be to bring down the Ashcrofts of this world, or it is companies like Apple,shopping around for 0.005 tax rates, that need to be brought to book. This will not be easy, or but it truly is a life or death struggle for our democracy; either government is for the people or it is not.
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Source: guardian.co.uk