Tuesday 3 March 2009

Make Bono History (Put the NO back into Bono!)

Slip-slop-slap-slap-slap!
"
The issue as far as we are concerned is one of hypocrisy, and that hypocrisy relates to several matters. Firstly, we do not think that anyone can ask a government on moral grounds to extend its resources on any issue and then deny that they have a moral obligation to pay their taxes in the place where they really reside. U2 do not reside in the Netherlands. They moved their tax affairs there solely because the Irish government introduced taxation on their royalty income and they prefer to pay a very low rate of tax ( probably 5%) in the Netherlands rather than pay still ludicrously low rate of tax of 12.5% in Ireland on that same income. This was pure avoidance behaviour, artificially, in our opinion, relocating an income stream from one country to another to obtain a tax advantage. I stress, this may be legal, but you cannot in our opinion argue that there is a moral dimension to the use of taxation revenues when you do not think that there is a moral dimension to the payment of tax. That is one of the issues that we are focusing upon here. Second, we are focusing upon the use of tax havens by Bono. It is now widely agreed that tax havens do harm. They undermine the rights of democratic governments to fulfil the mandate they have been given by the electorate by denying them the resources that are rightfully theirs. We think that any successful development agenda has to be pro-democracy and the use of a tax haven such as the Netherlands ( and in this context the Netherlands is very definitely a tax haven) indicates a lack of understanding of this issue. Next, tax havens are used for illicit financial flows out of developing countries. The Global Financial Integrity Project in Washington DC has recently shown that at least $800 billion a year flows out of developing countries to develop states, all of it illicitly. Most of that flow through tax havens. Some of it will undoubtedly flow through Netherlands structures which are identical to those used by U2. You cannot tackle illicit capital flight from developing countries and then use identical structures for your own taxation purposes. These structures have to be abolished for both purposes, you cannot deliver one and not the other. Finally, Bono has, despite our very best efforts, refused to accept that tax is part of the development agenda, no doubt for his own personal reasons. I have met with his personal development agency - DATA - and they are not recognising this essential fourth stage in the development agenda. We have moved from a trade to debt and now we are moving to tax. Many of the agencies were (sic) backed this campaign against Bono including Oxfam and Christian aid have done so precisely because they recognise that a post aid world is essential - our goal should be to create countries able to stand on their own two feet, with democratic governments, held accountable by the electorate precisely because that electorate pay tax to them, and because those governments have it within their power to tax the multinational corporations who are based within them. This is what we hope for - countries that can provide for their own people and their educational, health care and other needs. Without tax that is not possible. But have we heard Bono saying this? No, we haven’t - not once. And we think that indicates that he is completely out of step with the development agenda that now exists. His supposed philanthropy is of another era - and it will not work. Our campaign is not, therefore, a simple personal attack. Far from it. It is ideologically based. It is based upon critical analysis. It is based upon the clear evidence that the form of tax planning that Bono is using is harmful. And it is based upon his failure to engage with those of us who are taking this agenda forward. I am proud to be associated with those who organised this stunt.
I would be happy to meet Bono anywhere to discuss the issues that we raise – but in front of an audience. This man has to be held to account for what he does.
Will he accept?"
I like the idea of downloading their album & giving the money to charity.

7 comments:

  1. who cares?

    the band has paid plenty of taxes
    over the years. let some of the corporations that pay zero taxes start ponying up.

    till then. fuck it.

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  2. It's always amusing when those taking action to prevent the confiscation of their earned income by governments are criticized using a perverse concept of morality. Obama is doing this big time.

    I don't often agree with Mr. Bono, and have found him to be hypocritical in some regard, but in this case the hypocrisy is in this criticism.

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  3. Boys/boys...
    Follow the story.
    Up until 2006 'artists' in Eire paid no tax, this was changed to 12.5% and U2 decided that this was too much and moved their HQ to Holland, where it is suspected that they pay 5%.
    From the last accounts that I have found on the net 19 million Euros was paid to the 5 members of U2, remember that manager McGuiness is an equal entity of U2 in that regard.
    Of course if i actually liked U2 but... I also feel that rock'n'roll is not about hobknobbing with VIP's but that may just be the old punk in me!
    Agree with anon about thee corporations but that really is what U2 are now isn't it?
    Regards/

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  4. hey Mona... an entertaining saint-B.vent with more serious if not entirely substantiated allegations here.

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  5. U2, the by far most overrated band of all times!!!
    I've never understood why people with only a little bit musical ears care about this crap!

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  6. I saw them numerous times in London when they first started and didn't think they were all that bad, nothing really special but they lost me more and more with each release...when I saw Bono kiss a baby on stage at the Tourhout (?) Festival in Belgium in 85 or so, that was the end. I was taken by surprise by 'Achtung Baby' tho! I posted a review of this most recent album by an old sparring partner of mine, Sean O'Hagen from 'The Observer' newspaper in UK and thought that maybe this new album could be a surprise, but same old shit to my ears anyway.
    Eno seems to be just in it for the money these days at least as far as his production duties go! I mean Coldplay!!!
    There's only two types of music. Music I like and music I don't, but it seems strange that I have more varied & extreme tastes than my kids do. It really should be the other way around!
    Regards/

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  7. I'm all for making Bono history,
    Now I hope Sir Geldof pays his taxes.
    Bobs the man.
    Bonos just along for the ride

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