What is so funny about France is that you never hear French music in France any longer. In Paris, all you hear is American Rock and Roll. In French movies, all you hear is American Rock and Roll.
To hear actual French music, you have to watch an American movie filmed in France.
If the issue at hand pertains to all foreign devices of this type, then the headline is not:
Apple's iPads, iPhones could be subject to new French 'culture tax.
Knowing a lot of your past comments, I take it you haven't looked at the URL for this website in a good long while.
Hey genius,
Please explain to me why when someone posts a headline that says "Workers at Apple's overseas factories commit suicide due to working conditions", it's considered as inaccurate (serving purpose of FUD). Yet the headline above from AI is just fine with you? You think it's accurate, not hyperbolic.
That's sort of like saying you've repaid your debt to your mother for giving you life by taking her to McDonald's for Mother's Day, and you wish she'd stop complaining about the ketchup smears on the seats.
How is it like that even remotely? The American sacrifices over the last hundred years for France are as I said "innumerably" greater than the French contribution in the American Revolutionary War. How is that like taking your mother to McDonalds?
Indeed. I mean, I agree with the intent because typically, when it comes to cultural products like film and music, it's the companies which can lock up the most marketing and distribution channels who end up controlling what gets produced and what doesn't (can't develop a market/following for your products if you can't get them in front of eyes or ears). However, I don't think that taxing products like iPhones and iPads to fund local culture is the answer. I prefer less invasive alternatives like designating that cultural product marketing channels in your country like radio, TV, online music stores, etc reserve a certain percentage for local culture.
The problem here is not really advertising money, the problem is the size of the addressable markets. Almost every EU country has a different language and Germany with 80 million people (or approx. 95 million if you add Austria and the, partly German-speaking, Switzerland) is already the largest same language market; most EU countries are a lot smaller. Without money from governments (or government owned TV stations) a lot of valuable movies would not even get the required dubbing.
Another point here is that large markets (like the US and Canada) largely shun foreign movies, even if they are good and certainly not expensive. Why was there a need to do a remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"? The Swedish original had better actors and was much closer to the book than the poor US remake. Heck. What was wrong with the BBC's "State of Play" series? The Hollywood remake was simply shameful and badly acted. Want to hear the answer? There is barely a more protectionist industry than the US movie industry. They may not consume tax money, but they sure spend tons of US consumer Dollars on the lobbying required to keep their monopoly intact. But the conventional reactionary wisdom is: if there are no governments and taxes involved, it must be fair. Quite naïve.
Correct, except for grandfathered brands, only a certain kind of wine grown in Champagne region of France can be called Champagne. It's like a trademark given to a region rather than a specific organization. That I've seen, only Europe has this kind of food region branding. Cheeses, alcoholic beverages and dishes can get this kind of protected designation. In one absurdity, a cheese named after a city isn't allowed to be made in that city.
I think you are referring to democratic capitalism. Theoretically in socialism there is no taxation.
I appreciate the enthusiasm, but this explanation may be lost on somebody who can't see the difference between socialism and social democracy. France is, by all means, one of the most capitalist countries in the world. People joining unions and organizing demonstrations is a reaction, not a cause. They do not have the best health care in the world and the best public schools, because somebody wanted to give it to them, but because they fought for it.
I appreciate the enthusiasm, but this explanation may be lost on somebody who can't see the difference between socialism and social democracy. France is, by all means, one of the most capitalist countries in the world. People joining unions and organizing demonstrations is a reaction, not a cause. They do not have the best health care in the world and the best public schools, because somebody wanted to give it to them, but because they fought for it.
If France is one of the most "capitalistic" countries, then surely their socialism has had the net effect of blunting it's effectiveness.
So? This is an Apple-centric website. What do we care about anyone else?
Would you prefer every headline be like this:
Apple bests Samsung in patent lawsuit. Samsung loses to Apple in patent lawsuit. Microsoft was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Adobe was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Dell was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Google was not involved in the patent lawsuit. HP was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Acer was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Nokia was not involved in the patent lawsuit. GlaxoSmithKline was not involved in the patent lawsuit. RIM was not involved in the patent lawsuit.
It's meaningless. We don't care about the other information. If we wanted to know about it, we'd go to websites about those companies.
Originally Posted by isaidso
Please explain to me why when someone posts a headline that says "Workers at Apple's overseas factories commit suicide due to working conditions", it's considered as inaccurate (serving purpose of FUD).
Because Apple has no overseas factories, first and foremost. That's probably the biggest issue with that headline.
Yet the headline above from AI is just fine with you? You think it's accurate, not hyperbolic.
Be… cause the iPad and iPhone… could… be subject to the new tax.
Are you really missing something somewhere, or are you just trolling?
You could complain if the headline said "Apple's iPads, iPhones could be THE ONLY PRODUCTS subject to new French 'culture tax'", but it doesn't. It says what it says because they're the only products that matter within the context of this website. Sheesh.
I have to wonder how many comments in this thread are based on personal experience.
I have worked in Germany and the US and France and Japan and Italy and Switzerland and some other countries.
While they are all different, there is much to like about each and every one, if you're open minded.
France does have it's fair share of problems, but in my opinion, quality of life, overall, is MUCH better than in the US. Of course, that depends on what quality of life means to you. To me, culture plays a big role in this. Nothing wrong with people refusing money to take control of all aspects of their lives.
Of course, if you're an American and not wholly ignorant of your own history, you should show a little gratitude, not to mention respect, to the French. Without their help, the outcome of that little skirmish often referred to here as the Revolutionary War might well have been entirely different.
That's past. France is a country of excesses. It's true that their homegrown culture can't compete. This isn't the first time they've done this. For decades, there have been laws there regulating what percentages of US movies, Tv shows and other entertainment vehicles can be presented.
The problem for the Frence cultural protectionist agencies is that their own people prefer American entertainment to their own. If they must prevent this foreign invasion from taking over by taxing or regulating it, then the effort will fail. What they need is to allow their own people to compete. And if they aren't good enough, well, that's just too bad.
I have to wonder how many comments in this thread are based on personal experience.
I have worked in Germany and the US and France and Japan and Italy and Switzerland and some other countries.
While they are all different, there is much to like about each and every one, if you're open minded.
France does have it's fair share of problems, but in my opinion, quality of life, overall, is MUCH better than in the US. Of course, that depends on what quality of life means to you. To me, culture plays a big role in this. Nothing wrong with people refusing money to take control of all aspects of their lives.
A society that is universally socialist and does not rely on the force of government to make the citizens pay into the system? Have at it. However, the reality is there is no such thing. No two people think completely identically and two (or more) people 100% in agreement 100% of the time is an impossibility.
Comments
Quote:
Originally Posted by TitanTiger
Socialism: If it moves, tax it.
Capitalism: If it's _still_ moving, exploit it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Can no one use the right cue/queue?!
Aren't those "French" words???
To hear actual French music, you have to watch an American movie filmed in France.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Originally Posted by isaidso
If the issue at hand pertains to all foreign devices of this type, then the headline is not:
Apple's iPads, iPhones could be subject to new French 'culture tax.
Knowing a lot of your past comments, I take it you haven't looked at the URL for this website in a good long while.
Hey genius,
Please explain to me why when someone posts a headline that says "Workers at Apple's overseas factories commit suicide due to working conditions", it's considered as inaccurate (serving purpose of FUD). Yet the headline above from AI is just fine with you? You think it's accurate, not hyperbolic.
How is it like that even remotely? The American sacrifices over the last hundred years for France are as I said "innumerably" greater than the French contribution in the American Revolutionary War. How is that like taking your mother to McDonalds?
Quote:
Originally Posted by auxio
Indeed. I mean, I agree with the intent because typically, when it comes to cultural products like film and music, it's the companies which can lock up the most marketing and distribution channels who end up controlling what gets produced and what doesn't (can't develop a market/following for your products if you can't get them in front of eyes or ears). However, I don't think that taxing products like iPhones and iPads to fund local culture is the answer. I prefer less invasive alternatives like designating that cultural product marketing channels in your country like radio, TV, online music stores, etc reserve a certain percentage for local culture.
The problem here is not really advertising money, the problem is the size of the addressable markets. Almost every EU country has a different language and Germany with 80 million people (or approx. 95 million if you add Austria and the, partly German-speaking, Switzerland) is already the largest same language market; most EU countries are a lot smaller. Without money from governments (or government owned TV stations) a lot of valuable movies would not even get the required dubbing.
Another point here is that large markets (like the US and Canada) largely shun foreign movies, even if they are good and certainly not expensive. Why was there a need to do a remake of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"? The Swedish original had better actors and was much closer to the book than the poor US remake. Heck. What was wrong with the BBC's "State of Play" series? The Hollywood remake was simply shameful and badly acted. Want to hear the answer? There is barely a more protectionist industry than the US movie industry. They may not consume tax money, but they sure spend tons of US consumer Dollars on the lobbying required to keep their monopoly intact. But the conventional reactionary wisdom is: if there are no governments and taxes involved, it must be fair. Quite naïve.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TitanTiger
Socialism: If it moves, tax it.
I think you are referring to democratic capitalism. Theoretically in socialism there is no taxation.
[U]2013 Income tax rates by units (adults?) in a household
[/U]From $193,000 to $1,280,000: 45%
Beyond $1,280,000: 75%
Correct, except for grandfathered brands, only a certain kind of wine grown in Champagne region of France can be called Champagne. It's like a trademark given to a region rather than a specific organization. That I've seen, only Europe has this kind of food region branding. Cheeses, alcoholic beverages and dishes can get this kind of protected designation. In one absurdity, a cheese named after a city isn't allowed to be made in that city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mstone
I think you are referring to democratic capitalism. Theoretically in socialism there is no taxation.
I appreciate the enthusiasm, but this explanation may be lost on somebody who can't see the difference between socialism and social democracy. France is, by all means, one of the most capitalist countries in the world. People joining unions and organizing demonstrations is a reaction, not a cause. They do not have the best health care in the world and the best public schools, because somebody wanted to give it to them, but because they fought for it.
Our government is not socialist. Oh well. Just a dab, enough to bamboozle the Americans into thinking it is
Even if we do get more taxes, it will still be no more than a third of what the French pay.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dreyfus2
I appreciate the enthusiasm, but this explanation may be lost on somebody who can't see the difference between socialism and social democracy. France is, by all means, one of the most capitalist countries in the world. People joining unions and organizing demonstrations is a reaction, not a cause. They do not have the best health care in the world and the best public schools, because somebody wanted to give it to them, but because they fought for it.
If France is one of the most "capitalistic" countries, then surely their socialism has had the net effect of blunting it's effectiveness.
Originally Posted by isaidso
But the issue is not Applecentric.
So? This is an Apple-centric website. What do we care about anyone else?
Would you prefer every headline be like this:
Apple bests Samsung in patent lawsuit. Samsung loses to Apple in patent lawsuit. Microsoft was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Adobe was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Dell was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Google was not involved in the patent lawsuit. HP was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Acer was not involved in the patent lawsuit. Nokia was not involved in the patent lawsuit. GlaxoSmithKline was not involved in the patent lawsuit. RIM was not involved in the patent lawsuit.
It's meaningless. We don't care about the other information. If we wanted to know about it, we'd go to websites about those companies.
Originally Posted by isaidso
Please explain to me why when someone posts a headline that says "Workers at Apple's overseas factories commit suicide due to working conditions", it's considered as inaccurate (serving purpose of FUD).
Because Apple has no overseas factories, first and foremost. That's probably the biggest issue with that headline.
Yet the headline above from AI is just fine with you? You think it's accurate, not hyperbolic.
Be… cause the iPad and iPhone… could… be subject to the new tax.
Are you really missing something somewhere, or are you just trolling?
You could complain if the headline said "Apple's iPads, iPhones could be THE ONLY PRODUCTS subject to new French 'culture tax'", but it doesn't. It says what it says because they're the only products that matter within the context of this website. Sheesh.
I have to wonder how many comments in this thread are based on personal experience.
I have worked in Germany and the US and France and Japan and Italy and Switzerland and some other countries.
While they are all different, there is much to like about each and every one, if you're open minded.
France does have it's fair share of problems, but in my opinion, quality of life, overall, is MUCH better than in the US. Of course, that depends on what quality of life means to you. To me, culture plays a big role in this. Nothing wrong with people refusing money to take control of all aspects of their lives.
That's past. France is a country of excesses. It's true that their homegrown culture can't compete. This isn't the first time they've done this. For decades, there have been laws there regulating what percentages of US movies, Tv shows and other entertainment vehicles can be presented.
The problem for the Frence cultural protectionist agencies is that their own people prefer American entertainment to their own. If they must prevent this foreign invasion from taking over by taxing or regulating it, then the effort will fail. What they need is to allow their own people to compete. And if they aren't good enough, well, that's just too bad.
And that foiled grass stuff
Quote:
Originally Posted by jguther
I have to wonder how many comments in this thread are based on personal experience.
I have worked in Germany and the US and France and Japan and Italy and Switzerland and some other countries.
While they are all different, there is much to like about each and every one, if you're open minded.
France does have it's fair share of problems, but in my opinion, quality of life, overall, is MUCH better than in the US. Of course, that depends on what quality of life means to you. To me, culture plays a big role in this. Nothing wrong with people refusing money to take control of all aspects of their lives.
A society that is universally socialist and does not rely on the force of government to make the citizens pay into the system? Have at it. However, the reality is there is no such thing. No two people think completely identically and two (or more) people 100% in agreement 100% of the time is an impossibility.