Could History Repeat Itself?

[thesultanofsheight]

I thought this was an interesting link in the current climate, and reminds us exactly why taxes were brought in on the Island in the first place. One wonders whether similar actions could arise in relation to shortfalls in revenue resulting from our new zero tax strategy and tax cap if the climate worsens leaving average and lower paid workers solely to plug the gap in revenues? If we can't keep the workers happy, we could have a nation of very unhappy campers.

 

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/6687

[La_Dolce_Vita]

I thought this was an interesting link in the current climate, and reminds us exactly why taxes were brought in on the Island in the first place. One wonders whether similar actions could arise in relation to problems resulting from our new zero tax strategy if the climate worsens and revenues fall substantially moving forward? If we can't keep the workers happy, we could have a nation of very unhappy campers.

 

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/6687

 

I read about this strike in the book 'Manx Memories and Movements' by Samuel Norris, and has to be one of my favourite reads.

 

I am not sure I understand what you mean about the effects of a zero tax strategy. Isn't the zero tax strategy applicable only to businesses and the very wealthy? How might it make the workers unhappy?

[Twitch]

I thought this was an interesting link in the current climate, and reminds us exactly why taxes were brought in on the Island in the first place. One wonders whether similar actions could arise in relation to problems resulting from our new zero tax strategy if the climate worsens and revenues fall substantially moving forward? If we can't keep the workers happy, we could have a nation of very unhappy campers.

 

http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/6687

 

I read about this strike in the book 'Manx Memories and Movements' by Samuel Norris, and has to be one of my favourite reads.

 

I am not sure I understand what you mean about the effects of a zero tax strategy. Isn't the zero tax strategy applicable only to businesses and the very wealthy? How might it make the workers unhappy?

 

The wealthy do pay taxes here and are not part of the zero tax strategy, which only applies to all Manx businesses.

[thesultanofsheight]

I am not sure I understand what you mean about the effects of a zero tax strategy. Isn't the zero tax strategy applicable only to businesses and the very wealthy? How might it make the workers unhappy?

 

I'm just saying that we are back to raising most of our taxes through indirect taxes (so the poor pay proportionately more), we don't tax companies, and the rich are paying less through the tax cap. If revenues fall massively (which they could) could there be any possible parallel (ie, a push to a fairer system)?

 

There's already been a hint that taxes are going to have to go up to fill the gap, and that's going to affect the average worker more - if it hits them in the pocket when finances are already stretched could you get unrest?

[Declan]

The thing is there's a boat in the morning. I think most modern workers would be on it long before the riot begins. We aren't bound by place the way we were in 1918 - half the island's made a pragmatic decision to move here and could make a pragmatic decision to move away.

 

There's probably more slack in personal finances now as well. People will put off a new car or gadget and be a bit pissed off, but that's a world away from a world where an increase in the price of bread means real hardship.

[gazza]

it woulden happin again, because ppl of this day and age lack any real backbone

[La_Dolce_Vita]

I'm just saying that we are back to raising most of our taxes through indirect taxes (so the poor pay proportionately more), we don't tax companies, and the rich are paying less through the tax cap. If revenues fall massively (which they could) could there be any possible parallel (ie, a push to a fairer system)?

 

There's already been a hint that taxes are going to have to go up to fill the gap, and that's going to affect the average worker more

 

I suppose it all revolves around what sort of system we are trying to maintain. The Island's economy depends on the finance sector which is itself dependent on the ability to suck wealth in to the Isle of Man where it should have been paid elsewhere, but this is what keeps the economy afloat and what has made the Island so rich. But I don't know what sort of tinkering with taxes is required on the Isle of Man to maintain the Island's tax haven status. What would a fairer system be that would not compromise the Island's economy?

 

I suppose that it is a bit of a strange concern to be bothered about how the poor are paying more and more while the rich pay less because this is the way the Island's economy maintains itself. In recognition of how the system operates in allowing some to pay tax and others not, the only people who can seriously justify such a system are those who work on the Isle of Man and the only way it can be justified in my opinion is to claim that it allows more people to live on the Island and have a job.

 

it woulden happin again, because ppl of this day and age lack any real backbone

 

As Declan mentions I think the circumstances are very different. In those days you had a far worse form of government than exists today. Though the Manx government of today can hardly claim to be democratic with it having a handful of elected rulers, in those days there was just one man who ruled the Isle of Man and he was not elected.

The economy was buggered up from the war. And in those days there was real hardship.

 

It is not so much that people lack backbone today but rather improving higher proportion of people working in the service industry, higher living standards and relatively high wages in comparison to most countries creates the idea that the people on the Island actually have it very good, and not just that they have it better than most people.

And I would argue that the general political atmosphere on the Island is one that is even more restricitve than that of the UK. But I think liberal democratic forms of government across Europe and in the USA have bred a level of apathy and acceptance of such systems that means that people today, in comparison with 100 years ago, are less likely to take action AGAINST their government because they feel powerless and due to a high degree of indoctrination people see actions such a extra-constitutionalism political behaviour, strikes, pickets, as being pointless or even wrong or are completely unfamiliar with these things.