RoR: Forum

That is just horrible.

Post 1

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 4:40pm

He would have been better, had he been a genius like Danneskjold ;)

But it is the same everywhere. There is the famous Formula One racing star, Michael Schumacher, who has most of his money brought outside of Germany, because of the high taxes he would face (and unlike other rich people, he can't add his taxes to his company, because he has none).

But in the end, I don't know what to make of this story. I felt excited, because he tried to do something that would be in a reasonable world just, but I also felt it to be an injustice for all the other people, who constantly pay their taxes.
Also, it is horrible to see to what length people have to go nowadays to secure your own earnings. Just think about what would happen, if the US finally adopted an ID card system like the one we have here in Germany, that'd give the whole game a new twist...

Post 2

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 8:28pm

I love this guy!

I would say his name, but who knows it for real?

I don't see him whining that somebody should do something about taxes. He did it about his! Apparently he did it well too.

But... in the end... as always... undone by a woman...

He should have kept to his low profile and stayed out of the courts... but... in the end... as always...

Michael

Post 3

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 10:00pm

in the end... as always... undone by a woman...

Careful, Michael, your bitterness is showing.

Post 4

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 - 10:45pm

Jennifer - My comment comes from street smarts, which you have to learn to survive in Brazil. You want to do something against the law, don't tell your woman because when she gets it in for ya', she knows too much.

God, sometimes I wish I was gay. If women would only stop being so adorable...

Michael

Post 5

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 3:47am

I love this guy too.

How are we going to get him to sign up to SOLO? In prison he will have a lot of spare time on his hands.

Post 6

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 6:46am

God, sometimes I wish I was gay. If women would only stop being so adorable...

Obviously, Michael, you've never been at the receiving end of some vengeful spiteful queen. Talk about going for angel to demon in 0.2 seconds. Count yourself lucky. I mean, at least you know in advance that women are crazy....

Post 7

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 7:02am

Michael, I suggest you get a Kat.

Post 8

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 12:01pm

That was a darn katty thing to say, kitten.

I suppose I should say something about law breaking. I DO NOT recommend it.

The Brazilian tax structure is so full of contradictory laws that I heard one economist once show how, under one scenario, if you paid all of the taxes on the books, you would have to pay out 117% of your income.

Voila! A whole society of tax evaders (which is not as bad as it sounds, really).

As to other law breaking, as the saying goes, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Michael

Post 9

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 2:45pm

Ha, then the Brazilians are like the Frenchs on speed tickets. When France started to spread radar controls, the French were disgusted by the idea and refused to pay speed tickets. So, there was a law, but no citizens who followed it. And it would have been too costly to give out millions of warnings and start thousands of trials. So, they again stopped using radar control.

Post 10

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 4:44pm

"kitten?!?" Nobody calls me kitten (but you can) *purrrrrrrrrr*

Post 11

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 6:16pm

Law breaking - that is how this country got started...... by telling the British 'fuck the laws'......

Post 12

Wednesday, March 16, 2005 - 10:36pm

I'm less impressed than the rest of you. It seems as if he spent most of his life scheming and plotting to avoid the law and to hide his money and his identity. . What a waste! Wouldn't he have been better off to have paid his damn taxes and lived like a human being?

Barbara

Post 13

Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 1:53am

And -- he accomplished nothing if he believed taxation was wrong. He might have done some good if he had spent the time he was conniving, speaking against taxation and trying to change the laws. He's like the people who think they're striking a blow for drug legalization by smoking pot in their living rooms. They're not striking a blow for anything. They ought to be out yelling against laws they object to.

Barbara

Post 14

Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 4:41am

Good points Barbara. But still, come on, the guy did something that I thought was impossible- at least for some time. I thought it was a fun read.

I agree that he was dishonest. I generally dislike being involved with dishonest people for the well being of myself and those that I care about. If his goal was to stop forceful taxation, then it doesn't seem like he made the best decisions. Lets see what he does in jail : ).

Or maybe he should fight through the legal system. He could argue that the taxation that he avoided is unjust, and hence he need not be persecuted for not paying it. What do you think?

Post 15

Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 5:36am

There are many ways to legally minimize greatly (even eliminate), the ammount of corporate taxes due the govt. Personal taxes are more difficult. If he felt that strongly he could even have given up his US citezenship, moved his holdings offshore to a tax haven, and moved around the world as a tourist (or on one of his yatchs).

There may be more to the story.

John

Post 16

Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 7:05am

Dean Michael Gores writes:

I agree that he was dishonest.

With whom are you agreeing? So far no one in this thread has even suggested that Mr Anderson was in any way dishonest.

(BTW, did anyone else notice that the news link was to Gadsden Times? "Don't Tread On Me")

Post 17

Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 11:16am

Rick,

Can you elaborate on the "Don't Tread On Me" reference? I'm afraid I don't get the connection to Gadsden, but being from north Alabama I'm curious...

Thanks - Greg

Post 18

Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 12:09pm

Don't Tread On Me

The history of the Gadsden flag and how the rattlesnake became a symbol of American independence

The Gadsen Flag

Welcome to Gadsden.info, my Web site devoted entirely to the Gadsden flag, the defiant "Don't Tread on Me" symbol of American independence and freedom.

Post 19

Thursday, March 17, 2005 - 3:51pm