SGG's What's Your Issue Poll

What does that mean? Corporate profits are taxed. Are you saying that profits made on products sold outside the country shouldn't be taxed?

Almost every country in the world has a sales tax of sort and that's the kind of money foreign nations generate from American companies doing business in their nation. If, say, Microsoft does business in Italy, it's not paying corporate tax to the Italian goverment.

If I start a business making widgets in Germany, I will pay taxes on what I earn in Germany. If my German-based business really takes off, and I start selling my products to Switzerland, the German government will not tax me on my sales in Switzerland. Every other industrialized country in the world has that policy except the United States. If I base a company in America making widgets, not only will I pay taxes on my sales in the United States, the U.S. Government will also tax me on the sales of my product if start selling it in Mexico. Again, we're the only industialized country in the world which has that form of double taxation. What some corporations are doing, is basing their headquarters outside the United States in countries that do not have that oppressive tax policy.

It simply comes down to what makes the good business sense. Is it therefore wrong for an American to base his company's headquarters in the Cayman Islands in an effort to avoid greater costs of operating his business? Is that immoral to you?

In my pre-thread discussions with SGG we categorized that within Foreign Affairs. As I said, these are broad issues.

Yeah it's cool, then I guess my vote should be changed to Foreign Affairs, or a lack of proactive foreign policies, and allocating funds to security at home.

Gun Control I said this before, I think that very limited gun ownership is fine. Sorry, I don't put the right to propel a small projectile out of a metal tube at high velocity on par with the right to free speech or freedom of the press.

We've had this discussion before SGG -- you still don't hold the right to defend your life against people who mean to do you harm in very high regard?

Your right to free speech is pretty meaningless when your dead and didn't have the right to defend yourself.

If I start a business making widgets in Germany, I will pay taxes on what I earn in Germany. If my German-based business really takes off, and I start selling my products to Switzerland, the German government will not tax me on my sales in Switzerland. Every other industrialized country in the world has that policy except the United States. If I base a company in America making widgets, not only will I pay taxes on my sales in the United States, the U.S. Government will also tax me on the sales of my product if start selling it in Mexico. Again, we're the only industialized country in the world which has that form of double taxation. What some corporations are doing, is basing their headquarters outside the United States in countries that do not have that oppressive tax policy.

It simply comes down to what makes the good business sense. Is it therefore wrong for an American to base his company's headquarters in the Cayman Islands in an effort to avoid greater costs of operating his business? Is that immoral to you?


That is a blatant lie the talking heads on TV are spewing. Straight from the horses mouth (http://www.germany.info/relaunch/business/taxes/german_tax_corporate.html):

Corporate entities whose registered or administrative office is located in Germany are subject to corporate income tax on their global income. The corporation tax law makes extensive use of the principles and provisions of income tax law, especially in respect to the determination of profits and the assessment and payment of tax.

No developed nation would allow a system in which companies don't pay taxes on certain earnings/profits. If the United States did as you suggested we would be fucked! We would lose half the taxes Blue Chip companies like Boeing, GE, and IBM pay.

Something interesting on abortion, at least for me. Abortion is not an issue I care enough about to cast my vote on it (other issues are just more important, IMO). But after my wife had our first young'n back in October, my stance on abortion has changed drastically.

I used to be staunchly pro-choice, feeling that the government shouldn't be involved in telling a woman how to handle her body. But now that I've witnessed the birth of a human being, I can't get past the fact that abortion basically denies that child the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It just feels different now that I'm a parent, it's difficult to explain. I wonder if anybody else's opinions have changed on the subject because they've become a parent?

We've had this discussion before SGG -- you still don't hold the right to defend your life against people who mean to do you harm in very high regard?

Your right to free speech is pretty meaningless when your dead and didn't have the right to defend yourself.

I know we've discussed it before, so I won't rehash the debate here and jack this thread.

I voted economy and foreign affairs.

In general I am against protectionism and isolationism--I believe that history shows they do not work. Protectionism only raises local consumer costs and lets inefficient companies flourish. Isolationism sounds nice, but in reality we are part of a fully integrated world system. The failure in Iraq shouldn't makes us withdraw from the world; instead, it should teach us to be better at interacting in world affairs. We need a pragmatic, engaged foreign policy, one that both protects and promotes our national interests, and promotes the the things that make the world a safer and better place for everyone. Self-determination, democracy, and free markets are better for people, wherever they live. That certainly does not mean we should bring these things to folks at the point of a gun, but that does not mean we should give up on these things. WE are safer when other countries have these things, and hiding behind the oceans is not going to keep us safe. Yes, inept, badly-run, wars prosecuted by idiots are a mistake. But the solution is not isolation. It's intelligent foreign policy.

I voted economy and foreign affairs.

In general I am against protectionism and isolationism--I believe that history shows they do not work. Protectionism only raises local consumer costs and lets inefficient companies flourish. Isolationism sounds nice, but in reality we are part of a fully integrated world system. The failure in Iraq shouldn't makes us withdraw from the world; instead, it should teach us to be better at interacting in world affairs. We need a pragmatic, engaged foreign policy, one that both protects and promotes our national interests, and promotes the the things that make the world a safer and better place for everyone. Self-determination, democracy, and free markets are better for people, wherever they live. That certainly does not mean we should bring these things to folks at the point of a gun, but that does not mean we should give up on these things. WE are safer when other countries have these things, and hiding behind the oceans is not going to keep us safe. Yes, inept, badly-run, wars prosecuted by idiots are a mistake. But the solution is not isolation. It's intelligent foreign policy.

Yeah, what he said.

Personally I'm not for isolating ourselves to within our own borders and pretend the world outside doesn't exist. We should certainly participate in the world economically and be the champion of peace and prosperity for all. You do that by leading by example. Right now, we don't even speak softly, we just wield a big stick.

Something interesting on abortion, at least for me. Abortion is not an issue I care enough about to cast my vote on it (other issues are just more important, IMO). But after my wife had our first young'n back in October, my stance on abortion has changed drastically.

I used to be staunchly pro-choice, feeling that the government shouldn't be involved in telling a woman how to handle her body. But now that I've witnessed the birth of a human being, I can't get past the fact that abortion basically denies that child the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It just feels different now that I'm a parent, it's difficult to explain. I wonder if anybody else's opinions have changed on the subject because they've become a parent?

I'm a parent as well, but my views have changed in the other direction. I lean more pro-choice now.

I guess my position is this; If the government wants to legislate abortion then they should also legislate sex before marriage. I know that's a pretty extreme stance, but that's how I see it. You can't outlaw one immoral decision yet allow another. How many pre-marital abortions are performed? I don't know. But I would venture to say that the vast majority of them are done out of wedlock.

Why is this an issue with me? Because I tend to find that much of the protesting and demonstrating in front of abortion clinics attempt to invoke the Ten Commandments when making their case against abortion. Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that sex before marriage should be outlawed. To that end, I think those who stand on "scripture" are duty bound to invoke all of the Commandments, not just the one(s) that appease their particular base.

But if people are in engaging in pre-marital sex then that's their business. And if they want to have an abortion then, well, that's their business too.