Earlier this month, I explained four reasons why the Apple “tax avoidance” issue is empty political demagoguery.
And Rand Paul gave some great remarks at a Senate hearing, excoriating some of his colleagues for trying to pillage the company.
But this Robert Ariail cartoon may be the best summary of the issue.
What makes this cartoon so effective is that it properly and cleverly identifies what’s really driving the political class on this issue. They want more revenue to finance a bigger burden of government spending.
When I did my contest for best political cartoonist, I picked a cartoon about Greece and euro for Robert Ariail’s entry. While I still think that was a very good cartoon, this Apple cartoon would probably take its place if I did a new contest.
“…and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their Substance.”
What if they want it your wife and kids Fred? Hey, they’re the majority, so whats the problem?
Isn’t bigger government spending a result of our elected persons enacting the will of the people? Isn’t it the job of elected officials to carry out the will of the people? And does’t the majority in congress represent the majority of the people? At least the majority who bothered to vote? So if the majority of the elected persons are representing the majority of people and they want the majority of the Apple what’s the problem?
That cartoon is bumper sticker worthy.
They don’t want to spend. They don’t want to not spend. They DO want to be re-elected so they don’t have to go back to working for a living. Currently,they see spending as the only alternative way that they have to be likely to have that occur, hence spending becomes the raison de etre.
If spending suddenly guaranteed that they would be cashing an unemployment check, they would be harder to get a nickel out of than a turnip.