cnocbui

melgross said:

singularity said:

jbdragon said:

Apple followed LEGAL Tax Laws!!! Apple didn't put the loopholes into the tax code, the politicians did. Now they want to change the rules and steal money from company's. That's exactly what they are doing, Government stealing. Really, it's nothing new. You want to change the rules and close the loopholes, great, the extra taxes taken start at that point forward. I don't have a problem with that. American company's will slowly start to leave where it makes the most sense.

No the EU is investigating the charge that Apple had a deal that constituted to state aid which was not the same as other companies had access to which contravenes the rules. It's not changing the rules it's looking to see if the rules weren't enforced.

That's not quite  true. But even so, it's taking the authority of individual countries into its own hands which isn't part of EU law. What Ireland did is the same thing we see states, counties and cities doing all the time. They give breaks to companies in order to have them move some operations into the area. This is done in Europe as well. The EU has mostly been targeting American companies. It's been pointed out that most large EU companies follow the same practice, but haven't been targeted, only those that actually broke EU law.

apple has long had a large presence in Ireland. Right now, that's over 6,000 people, with that number due to expand further. Considering the population of Ireland, that's a large percentage, and makes Apple one of the largest employers in Ireland.

so to make Ireland the center of European operations, and thereby the focus of their tax returns isn't actually illegal, according to EU law. The fact too, is that it's actually Ireland that's the subject of the investigation, not Apple, or others. The problem for Apple is that if Ireland is required to pay those taxes, then it's the companies that will be forced to do the actual payments.

if this were France or Germany, this investigation never would have happened, as that two do whatever they want.

That is incorrect.  EU competition law does apply and does have jurisdiction.  This has nothing to do with the EU dictating to Ireland what it's corporate tax rate should be.  This is about Ireland offering a super low tax rate - being closer to zero than the official corporate tax rate of 12.5% - to Apple alone.  This is seen as the government giving a massive leg up to one company, but not to other companies, which is why it falls under the purview of the competition commission.

This not about Apple's tax practices so has nothing to do with what other European companies do tax wise.

I think you are right about the French and German governments being treated differently, but that seems only to apply to state aid to significant indigenous companies of strategic importance, such as when the French government propped up Air France - even then there was an action brought against the French government, even if they slimed their way around it.  I'm pretty sure if the French or German governments had been found to be giving assistance to a foreign company the way Ireland is accused of, they too would have copped it.

gatorguy said:

cnocbui said:

razormaid said:

techprod1gy said:

I can't sit here and say I am a huge fan of either candidate. We all know that Clinton has done some very bad things and we are just going to overlook them because some don't like Trump. What is this world coming to? I would rather have someone I don't care for but is smart and not a crook with a solid moral compass than Hilary. I still think this country is great but is in a desperate need of a reset.

I couldn't agree more!  Why not try a business person to fix the business of America. God knows politicians can't. 

The problem with trump is he says these supposedly outrageous things. THATS NOT THE PROBLEM. The problem is.. 4 or 5 hours later after the "shock" we've been taught through politically correct wears off... all the sudden that's not that crazy. I mean he said something that made everyone spit out their coffee. But back home in your house you start understanding "he's saying what a lot of us are thinking but been conditioned to not think and certainly never ever ever say out loud."  Why is that?  What happened to my freedom of speech?  How was that taken away  shrewdly by people with louder voices and bullying tactics. Paula Dean has the right to say whatever the hell she wants. Look what "they" did to her? Look what "they" are doing to us?  I have the right to be as vulgar as I want or as kind as I want. It should not be policed by anyone ever!  Anyone reading this not getting that concept is part of the "you can say whatever you want as long as I approve it first" bullying group trying to silence freethinking people everywhere. 

Oh, you mean like the business person you elected before Obama, the one who put the US economy on such sound footing?

Bush was a business person? I did not know that. The only "business" thing I was aware of was the Ranger's ballpark, which was a group effort. 

Well here outside the US it was said he had been in the oil business: http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/05/13/president.2000/jackson.bush/

razormaid said:

techprod1gy said:

I can't sit here and say I am a huge fan of either candidate. We all know that Clinton has done some very bad things and we are just going to overlook them because some don't like Trump. What is this world coming to? I would rather have someone I don't care for but is smart and not a crook with a solid moral compass than Hilary. I still think this country is great but is in a desperate need of a reset.

I couldn't agree more!  Why not try a business person to fix the business of America. God knows politicians can't. 

The problem with trump is he says these supposedly outrageous things. THATS NOT THE PROBLEM. The problem is.. 4 or 5 hours later after the "shock" we've been taught through politically correct wears off... all the sudden that's not that crazy. I mean he said something that made everyone spit out their coffee. But back home in your house you start understanding "he's saying what a lot of us are thinking but been conditioned to not think and certainly never ever ever say out loud."  Why is that?  What happened to my freedom of speech?  How was that taken away  shrewdly by people with louder voices and bullying tactics. Paula Dean has the right to say whatever the hell she wants. Look what "they" did to her? Look what "they" are doing to us?  I have the right to be as vulgar as I want or as kind as I want. It should not be policed by anyone ever!  Anyone reading this not getting that concept is part of the "you can say whatever you want as long as I approve it first" bullying group trying to silence freethinking people everywhere. 

Oh, you mean like the business person you elected before Obama, the one who put the US economy on such sound footing?

radarthekat said:

cnocbui said:

I have been using Australian banks for decades.  I have never had an issue with their integrity or security.  They were doing security when Tim Cook was still in nappies.

Who do Apple trust to store their Billions?  Do they have their own vaults somewhere or do they run their own bank or do they actually trust banks?  It's pretty illogical to say you don't trust banks with security and that you only trust Apple with it when Apple Pay relies entirely on banks and the infrastructure they developed, provide and maintain.

Oh yes, and accusing Australian Banks of greed and mentioning Apple in the same sentence as if they aren't, is hilarious.

Tap & Pay allows you to use your compatible smartphone and the CommBank app to make contactless purchases in store. Simply tap your phone on any contactless terminal the next time you are shopping+.

Tap & Pay is available using your compatible Android phone and the CommBank app. You can link Tap & Pay to your transaction account or credit card so you can make purchases at any contactless terminal using just your phone – even overseas.

Compatibility:
Tap & Pay is available on compatible devices running Android 4.4 (KitKat) or above, with inbuilt NFC enabled.

So where are the security breaches?  It's an NFC chip, a short range radio.  Do iPhone users not trust banks with security and communications to the point they don't access their bank accounts or do other banking tasks over wifi and cellular connections?   There is no logic going on here beyond Apple good, everyone else bad.

First, you forgot to speak to privacy.

 Second, which would you rather

 (a) The world's leading mobile device technology company that has shown a strong hand on data security and user privacy and that controls the entire hardware/software stack develop a secure and private payment solution?

 (b) Every financial firm has their I.T. Staff roll their own payment solution, with an incentive to provide security, but not much incentive to keep transaction details completely private to their users, so that even the bank doesn't know what you purchased?

What privacy?  I have used Australian banking services since I was 10.  I am not aware of having my privacy compromised by an Australian bank in the several decades since then.  Are you suggesting credit card companies and banks are not aware of who you have paid or how much?  How would you go about questioning a transaction and getting a refund?  Use Apple Pay in Australia with your ANZ card to make a large donation to ISIS and you will soon find how much privacy you have.

You don't get it.  You are asserting that Apple provide a solution that is more secure than the banks themselves could provide, though that is just a belief you have no way of proving.

Given that banks have been doing financial security before anyone reading this was born, I do not believe that to be the case.  If it is the case, the difference would by minuscule in practical terms.   Lets us say NAB, Westpac and CBA all provided their own banking app on an iPhone.  You wouldn't have to use them, you could still choose Apple PAY if you preferred, but let us say they offer you an incentive and you chose to use the bank's app.  Something goes wrong and you are subject to a fraud event for $3,000.  How much would you be out-of-pocket?  Not one cent, is the correct answer.  If any of the bank's apps proved to have a security flaw that was exploited, the banks and their shareholders would be the ones to wear the loss, not the customers.

Once again, I have been dealing with Australian banks for decades and doubt my transaction details have ever been compromised or been insecure.  I don't get why this privacy thing has suddenly become a must-have all of a sudden after decades of using credit cards.

People are asserting that banks are fundamentally less secure than Apple.  What a complete load of manure.  I have been dealing with banks with sums of money orders of magnitude greater than anything you are going to put through Apple Pay and have never suffered a loss through a lack of bank security.  This is really the stupidest load of FUD you could imagine.

I have been using Australian banks for decades.  I have never had an issue with their integrity or security.  They were doing security when Tim Cook was still in nappies.

Who do Apple trust to store their Billions?  Do they have their own vaults somewhere or do they run their own bank or do they actually trust banks?  It's pretty illogical to say you don't trust banks with security and that you only trust Apple with it when Apple Pay relies entirely on banks and the infrastructure they developed, provide and maintain.

Oh yes, and accusing Australian Banks of greed and mentioning Apple in the same sentence as if they aren't, is hilarious.

Tap & Pay allows you to use your compatible smartphone and the CommBank app to make contactless purchases in store. Simply tap your phone on any contactless terminal the next time you are shopping+.

Tap & Pay is available using your compatible Android phone and the CommBank app. You can link Tap & Pay to your transaction account or credit card so you can make purchases at any contactless terminal using just your phone – even overseas.

Compatibility:
Tap & Pay is available on compatible devices running Android 4.4 (KitKat) or above, with inbuilt NFC enabled.

So where are the security breaches?  It's an NFC chip, a short range radio.  Do iPhone users not trust banks with security and communications to the point they don't access their bank accounts or do other banking tasks over wifi and cellular connections?   There is no logic going on here beyond Apple good, everyone else bad.