‘Immoral’ business: Google, Starbucks, Amazon grilled over UK tax avoidance

Human nature encompasses many characteristics - a combination of altruism and greed but historically can be regarded as the former. There is is nothing in our biological and genetic make-up to suggest that human beings are intrinsically selfish and competitive. For about 95 percent of our history (ie pre-history) we lived as hunter-gatherers where selfishness would have resulted in one being shummed from society. Collectivism and altruism, as opposed to selfishness and greed, therefore, more accurately defines human behaviour.

It wasn't until the neolithic or stone age period about 10,000 years ago, following the development of agriculture and the division of labour into class based societies, did systematic forms of violence (warfare) begin to emerge. Even then, societies were still largely egalitarian and warfare was far from an endemic feature of life. Competiteveness and warfare, contrary to many myths, is not part of some hypothetical "human nature" which is often used by its apologists as an attempt to justify the capitalist system.

 

I would actually say that with early man, 'greed' would have been counter productive, as would 'selfishness'.

It was our ability to conceive of ideas, then share them, that permitted us to be at the top of the food chain.

 

Nonsense. Ancient humans would share with their tribe and kill the nearby tribe if given the opportunity

 

Nonsense. It's human nature in an abundant environment. Like a bear in a stream filled with salmon. Capturing a fish, and then taking one bite of the brain and eyes, then grabbing the next.

 

Yes.

That's a bear.

 

The tribe was just an extended family. They would wage war against other tribes

 

You are just supposing.

Maybe they were benign instead, and interbred, making lurve not war...

 

Very good point Jack. It's our consciousness and ability to reason that separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. Wheras ants and bees have only built hives and ants nests throughout their entire history, humans have built mud huts, pyramids and skyscrapers. In other words, the actions of insects and animals is largely instinctual based on repititive behavioural patterns. Human behaviour on the other hand, is guided by the ability of our brains to decode information then act accordingly.

 

Not according to the anthropological historical record they didn't. Systematic violence is a relatively recent phenomenon dating, like I say, from about 10,000 years ago.

 

But even with ants and bees it takes co-ordination and co-operation.

Try drugging the ants so they each wish to act in their own, rather in the collective interest.

The entire nest would soon die.

 

Of course, but the point I was making is that unlike insects we have the ability to consiously make our history.

 

They waged war on each other. Whether you want to call it systematic violence or not is irrelevant

 

Talk about the upshot of a nation with no Republicans, eh?

 

Technology, specialization and evolution have given us the ability to nest individually

 

so youre using a bear to define human nature ? lol, and no bear would take more than it and its family needs anyway, its just feeding itself there, it doesnt want all the salmon in the river

 

No one can make such ascertains. My thoughts ..... We know that groups that lived prehistorically as hunter/ gathers warred. Survival of the fittest ie competition certainly existed. As social animals "altruism" played a part but it is not to say that is it didn't exist solely because it was seen as a benefit to those in charge or the hierarchy, much like it is today. Life was much crueler, shorter, and harder so I do not buy that groups of people were more peaceful and giving towards one another.

This is on par, on a much more lengthy scale of time, with the good ole' days were better. Today perhaps we are able to destruct and damage on a more grandiose scale but in no way do I buy that greed has been an original child of capitalism. Not all people are greedy and some may only be so because they were nurtured to be such, but for others it is most certainly a natural or inherited characteristic. I see no reason why our prehistoric predecessors would have been different.

 

But we don't.

In practice, our city is our ants nest, as it were...

 

That's pretty messed up.

 

terrible isnt it, and they go on so much about the third world etc. plus ireland really needs the money just now.

 

Homo sapiens survived because we traded with each other.

 

Besides which, what about little things like, ah dunno, social progress, for example.

Okay, maybe we once lived in trees and did not wine and dine a date, but does that mean we should shoot up a tree speedily, take off our clothes, and club the first female the passes!

Nooo...

Why not?

Not just because the law says so, but because you know it just is not something a good or ethical person would do, right?

Or sane, actually!

The scorpion, it means no ill will, when it stings you, it is what it is, because it cannot think, it has no sense of thinking.

It is totally reactive.

We..on the other hand...being that we were blessed (or cursed?), with a large brain, have evolved to have emotions and thoughts, etc.

Someone that lacks empathy and compassion is usually called mentally ill, so it obviously ain't seen as normal is it?

 

I had no idea we had a moral duty to pay taxes that exceeds what is required by the law.

 

They'd accumulated vast amounts of money, all tax free for "artists" in Ireland. Ireland put a cap on the tax free thing, so they moved their affairs to the NL. And all the timie, Bono is trying to pursuade national governments to donate more tax payers money to charity.... while he simultaneously avoids paying tax.

I hate that bloke with a passion.

 

Seconded.

And his songs are crap, as well.

 

Legally and constitutionally Americans' are only required to pay 'Corperate' taxes as in 'income' as in the profit from business ....No American is required constitutionally to pay tax on his or her wages.

And yet you all seem to pay, the unconstitutional, taxes on you wages and defend with vigor the uncontstituional dogdes of the Corperate to pay their required taxes .........Weird ............ So so weird.

Why don't they pay their taxes ? Because they are cheats.