from Hacker News

Ireland gambles on China's big tech billions

by vdddv on 3/20/24, 9:39 AM with 9 comments

• by computerfriend on 3/20/24, 10:30 AM

  Neutrality allows Ireland to hedge its political stance. But not taking a position on things like invasions, etc., is morally bankrupt.

  Ireland benefits greatly from a strong Europe, which exists due to military aid from the US and some European states to Ukraine. War is coming in Asia and we will see how this goes.

• by bell-cot on 3/20/24, 9:56 AM

  Reaction: Is ignorance of history a requirement to hold political office in Ireland? 'Cause last I heard, Ireland's experience with richer / larger / more powerful / more developed nations taking root in Irish soil was rather grim.

  EDIT: I wasn't just thinking of China. As the article notes:

  > Ireland’s budget watchdog, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council said last year that just three foreign companies contributed around a third of Ireland’s corporate tax revenue from 2017 to 2021. Company filings showed Apple, Google and Microsoft paid the most taxes in 2021.

  > The Central Bank is also warning of the country’s over-dependence on income tax revenue from a small number of the world’s richest countries.

  ...which leaves Ireland hostage to a tiny number of foreign corporations, that obviously don't give a crap about the country. And to the foreign tax laws which - for now - allow trillion-dollar corporations to launder their profits through tax-haven Ireland.

• by visitor4712 on 3/20/24, 10:52 AM

  "Europe, the U.S. and so-called "like-minded" partners have grown distrustful, too, as they're faced with economic coercion from Beijing, Chinese espionage, cyberthreats and disinformation operations."

  omg the "West" gets competition.

  "hold the thieve!"

  Media is all it needs ...