Oooh U2, not you too

Yeah, I'm looking at you. Looks like U2 figured out that it's more fun to spend other peoples money. They recently moved part of their music business off-shore to avoid taxes, this after years of enjoying the tax amnesty that Ireland gives artist's and performers. But since Dublin recently capped the amnesty at 170,000 pounds (about $325,000) U2 jumped ship. So far, nothing really off about it, it's common practice to shelter income from taxes. But here's the rub. Bono travels the world asking governments to do more for poor nations, give money, forgive debt, etc. By itself a worthy and admirable goal (we could all do more to help the poor). U2 slips, however, by looking to minimize the taxes that go towards his goal. Since not everyone in Ireland is an artist or performer, nor can everyone afford to send part of their tax generating income to the Netherlands, who's left to fund the programs that U2 has successfully lobbied the Irish government to create to help poorer nations. If you guessed poor and middle-class Irish folks, you're right.

I would get it if U2's stance was along the lines of, "helping the poor is the right thing to do, so we're donating loads of money, and ask others to voluntarily do so as well. We feel that the people have a better say in how they spend their money than governments so we, like lots of others, are doing just that by legally sheltering part of our income." But when they lobby governments to spend, which is essencially a forced donation from the Irish people, then opt out of the system leaving others to fund their mission, well, as much as I hate to do it because I'm a huge fan, they get a mean write-up on the 'ol blog.

It hurts just to write it.