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If an American Company moves off-shore to be more competitive as an US compampny defies logic. The fact they do it to avoid tax US taxes is almost treasonous.

Your lack of understanding of how business works is exceeded only by your understanding of what comprises treason.

First, it is the avoidance of excessive US taxes that allows these expatriating companies to be more competitive with their foreign counterparts. In many cases, it's either that, or eventually be bought out by their more profitable foreign competitors, who do not face such oppressive taxes. After all, our corporate tax rate is one of the highest in the world and the US is one of the very few countries that taxes offshore income.

So, in effect, our lawmakers are forcing our largest companies offshore, either through expatriation or sale to foreign entities. Expatriation makes for a more profitable US company and keeps jobs here. Sale to a foreign entity will, in most cases, mean the loss of US jobs.

Second, as for your ridiculous reference to treason, you should keep in mind that the companies that we are talking about are multinational companies with a multinational shareholder base. In fact, it is entirely possible that some of those companies may have more foreign shareholders than US shareholders. To commit treason, you must first be a citizen of the country against which the crime is to be committed. But a company is not a citizen, as it doesn't vote and it can't hold office. In fact, the only thing that makes a company a US company, is that at the time of incorporation, the US was the most beneficial jurisdiction to incorporate in (just like companies tend to incorporate in Wyoming and Nevada, more than in New York and California, even if they do most of their business in one of those other states).

If US laws change and make it undesirable for these corporations to maintain their US incorporation, and the multinational shareholders vote to move that incorporation or even the whole company, the only thing that could be remotely considered treasonous, is the inept actions of the lawmakers who are creating the conditions that will eventually lead to US economic collapse, if those conditions are not soon reversed.

That's why it is so important to replace most of them (from both parties), with (hopefully) Republicans of integrity and the courage to stand up for their principles.

If US laws change and make it undesirable for these corporations to maintain their US incorporation, and the multinational shareholders vote to move that incorporation or even the whole company, the only thing that could be remotely considered treasonous, is the inept actions of the lawmakers who are creating the conditions that will eventually lead to US economic collapse, if those conditions are not soon reversed.

Excellent point. It is astonishing to me that freepers are justifying all manner of federal bloat and expansion (insanely high taxes, vast encroachments on property rights, etc) all in the name of "the war on terror". One day, perhaps, these same freepers will justify the arrest and imprisonment of Christians, pro-life demonstraters, and gun-owners as necessary 'due to the war on terror'.

To: Action-America; fogarty; weikel; StriperSniper; Principled

Sorry (if reposted) to get back to all of you so late: the DSL has been quirky since Tuesday. I wonder if it's those Worldcom arrests?

Treasonous, might have been over the top, but I'm pissed with what's going on. To action-america: I understand business different than you. Because these expatriating companies want to be more competitive with their foreign counterparts by paying no tax at all. What about their being competetive with other US companies that follow the rules? Steroids makes you more competitive but it's still cheating...

Expatriation makes for a more profitable US company and keeps jobs here.?!?

If they're expatriot how does that make them a US company? If they move jobs off-shore then least they can do is pay their taxes. Even if there are mutli-nation share holders. They buy there stock in dollars and if the company becomes supra-national by stock offering then they should pay to do business in the US!

If you re-read what you posted it almost seems you're an advocate of a corporate new world order! Responsible to none. A company is a ficticious person with many rights and obligations. However if they're expatriate then they should not be allowed to make political contributions that affect legislation!

To fogarty: We all hate paying taxes, but the guy who cheats on his taxes cheat us all. And that is what really pisses me off! Only , if we could decide not to pay taxes because we don't like what they do with them, Ooh what an idea. Until then we vote our billfolds! Just because it's legal does not make make moral. Or does business sense supercede morality?

To pricipled: My comments are not hypothetical they are learned first-hand.

To: Weikel and strippersniper: There is nothing Marxist about saying everyone needs to obey the law. We pay those g*d*mn taxes involuntarily- why do you have a problem with that? I ask, nay, demand the same from businesses who obviously are less patriotic than me !?

God Bless all and I await your ripostes!

First, it is the avoidance of excessive US taxes that allows these expatriating companies to be more competitive with their foreign counterparts.

It's not fair. These greedy companies should stay here and pay their taxes even if it means they have to go out of business!