Who Fears to Speak of Taxing Multinational Corporations?
On Sunday, while I was recovering from Ireland’s 0-0 hammering of Wales in the Nations League, I saw Tánaiste and Leader of Fine Gael Leo Varadkar quote an article in the Sunday Business Post in which Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson Pearse Doherty outlined the party’s proposal to remove tax breaks on intellectual property that currently benefit multinational companies in Ireland. He attacked Sinn Féin for having the temerity to want to tax multinationals at all. He was echoed by FG bootlicker-in-chief Neal Richmond (of Commonwealth loving fame), who asked why Sinn Féin wanted to ‘drive them [multinationals] out of Ireland.’ These attacks illustrate two things (that in truth we already knew) so clearly they would blind you. Firstly, they show us whose interests the Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and Green coalition are really working for (clue: it isn’t you or your family). It also shows us who and what these interests are afraid of.
As 1916 leader James Connolly said, ‘Governments in capitalist society are but committees of the rich to manage the affairs of the capitalist class.’ As always, Connolly wasn’t wrong. And while this quote was first published in 1913, it is an accurate reflection of our government today as it was of governments then. It is telling that this is what gets Varadkar animated. In a week where COVID continued to run rampant precisely because the government didn’t follow public health advice, the Tánaiste has decided to stick up for the poor corporations. This government doesn’t even want Apple to pay the corporation tax rate that the government itself sets. We apparently can’t afford to build new social housing or implement universal health or keep the PUP at €350 or the myriad of other things our crumbling country needs but what odds is €13 billion from one of richest companies in the world. That’s just loose change anyway. Fine Gael and their lackeys in Fianna Fáil and the Greens (we all know who’s really in charge) couldn’t care less about you, as long as their corporate masters are happy. They are but the committee managing the capitalist class’ affairs.
The other thing we can learn from Varadkar’s attack is it shows who the establishment fears above all else. While they disagree with and dislike parties such as SolPBP, the Social Democrats and the CPI, they are not afraid of them. No one can quite strike fear into the heart of the establishment like Sinn Féin can. Even the policy above – one of Sinn Féin’s more moderate and modest proposals – caused multiple government TDs and Senators to leap to the defence of these tax dodging multinationals. They fear what Sinn Féin would do in government. They fear the first government in the history of the 26 county state not in hoc to corporate interests, who would stand up to Apple and other thieving multinationals. They fear a government run in the interest of workers because it would mean that their pals (the banks, the developers and the corporations) wouldn’t have control over how the country is run.
Sinn Féin would take on multinationals in government. Sinn Féin would stand up for workers and families in government. This is what scares them and this is why they should be scared. Their time is ending and ours is only just beginning.
Le Niall Campbell