As the United States heads full speed into election season, Apple has been a topic of conversation for a variety of reasons thus far. Republican candidate Donald Trump has said that he will “get Apple to start building their damn computers and things in this country,” while he also last month called for a boycott of Apple when it refused to comply with the FBI’s request for help unlocking the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino gunmen.
Now, Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has commented on Apple in a new interview with New York Daily News. In the interview, Sanders echoed some of the comments from Trump, noting that he would appreciate it if Apple would move some manufacturing to the United States.
Sanders, when asked about the greed of Wall Street and corporate America “destroying the fabric of our nation,” said that Apple is not one of those companies, but that it is not perfect either. Sanders said that he wishes Apple would manufacture “some of their devices” in the United States, while also saying that he wishes the company would “not be trying to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.”
No, Apple is not destroying the fabric of America. But I do wish they’d be manufacturing some of their devices, here, in the United States rather than in China. And I do wish that they would not be trying to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
Sanders, while his comments are somewhat less extreme than Trump’s, does echo many of the same sentiments as the Republican frontrunner. Apple has been working to move manufacturing to the United States when possible, though. For instance, some iPhone parts are manufactured in the United States, as is the Mac Pro.
Regarding tax payments, Apple CEO Tim Cook has long stated that the company pays every cent it owes in taxes, labeling claims that say the opposite as “political crap.” Cook has also expressed his displeasure with the American tax code in the past, saying it is simply not written with corporations as large as Apple in mind.
Apple has been at the center of a handful of presidential debates over its stance on user security. Candidates on both sides of the aisle have wavered in their support, with most generally leaning towards national security being more important. Additionally, Tim Cook allegedly attended a meeting where one of the topics was figuring out how to stop Donald Trump. Nevertheless, Apple will likely continue to be a factor in the election as we head towards November.
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To be fair, those comments are no less extreme than what Trump said. It’s the exact same statement. Saying it a little more muted and politely doesn’t make it “less extreme”.
And they are both obviously unaware of the products Apple DOES make in the US, and its just ignorant for them to think they could start making iOS devices in the US.
Hold on here…First, the majority of Apple’s product are not made in the USA.
Second, Apple does use many different methods to avoid paying taxes.
The truth is though that Apple neither invented these methods nor are they the only ones taking advantage of them; they are just an overall easy target for politicians in general because everyone loves their products so much and they are very popular.
Trump’s statement is a bit more ridiculous, as I would consider it to be very dangerous to advocate for government backdoors, due to the fact that if they do happen, it will make all of us less safer down the line.
Not defending Bernie here, although I do admire him and will vote for him when my State’s primary happens.
Indeed not only does Apple take advantage of all the legal ways to minimize their tax burden, they have to. If Apple were to take actions to pay more taxes, such as repatriating their oversees assets, and therefor forfeiting a big part of it to the US government there would be consequences. Shareholder lawsuits over the action, or in financial terms; not acting to maintain shareholder value. Then likely the SEC would get involved for the same reason. For all the talk about how Apple, and Google, and Chevron, and …, use loopholes to avoid paying taxes that’s what they have to do. As the CEO and Board of a shareholder owned company they HAVE to maximize profit, and that includes minimizing tax liability.
Good point Doug; I was thinking about that after I posted — if they DIDN’T do this, their shareholders would be on them asking why…Their most important duty as a corporation is to make as much profit as possible.
This is why the stock market shouldn’t exist. Just another facet of human creation that is in fact a detriment to advancement and betterment of human kind. Same for corporations being allowed to donate to political condidates.
One of the worst things and it’s hilariously tragic, is that there is and are allowed to be lobbiests. It’s factually one of the worst things a society could allow. The fact that you allow all different types of organizations and corporations to lobby their particular interests is categorically horrible for a society. The entire point of laws and government is to keep humans in a society in check, so they don’t exploit others and benefit off of others’ ignorance. In the US at least, this is allowed to go on, and it’s a total embarrassment to anyone intelligent.
US government is so terrible. Technology advances, science advances, but the horrifically awful and archaic laws, procedures, ordinances, and practices are just never going to change because of the black hole of stupidity and corruption that doesn’t let go.
Sorry, Doug: that’s complete horsesh*t.
Great counter argument, charismatron.
Yeah, Sanders and Trump are drinking from the same glass of ignorance and that’s how they get attention, just say the word Apple and some other drastic words, and that’ll get headline news.
Neither one of those idiots gets my vote. They aren’t thinking too clearly and that’s what scares me the most. Do they have the ability to think things through rather than spout nonsense just to get attention? That’s the problem with a lot of these politicians. They talk first, and then think second, or not at all.
What do you mean by MADE anyway? You mean ASSEMBLED? If components like processors, glass, cases, etc. are fabricated in the US, then sent to China for final assembly, then the answer would be that a lot of Apple products do have portions of them that are made in the US. The thing is that if Apple brought jobs back to the US, first off it would take YEARS just to build buildings and setup production lines before they started to hire hundreds of thousands of employees, trained them, and were able to make the first product. They can’t do that overnight. If they pulled the trigger with Foxconn to set up iPhone assembly plants in the US, it would probably take 5 or 6 years before they were up and running. Yeah, creating a few hundred thousand low wage jobs only helps certain people, but those jobs are only meant for people that have no education and really have no other abilities to do anything else. The thing is, would that put Apple at a greater disadvantage in the price comparison because none of their competitors have similar products made in the US, as they are all assembled and made in China, or maybe India. Why is Apple getting targeted? What the Government SHOULD do is tell Samsung, HTC, etc. that any phone, tablet or computer they want to sell in the US has to be assembled in the US, otherwise they are taxed 30%. That’s what Brazil (I think) did with the auto industry.
Watch out everyone srgmac is a Bernie shill. Oy vey goyim not getting your shekels?
But they do make part of the iPhone in the US, namely the R&D, design and the software. In terms of labour cost, it most likely costs no less per iOS device.
Good lord we have dumb candidates this year, on both sides.
Bernie Sanders is probably 50 points above your IQ though, so, yikes.
I think Bernie should try to run a business, spend his “fair share” of time off the gov’t dole.
I think you’re missing the point he’s trying to make…Apple uses various strategies to avoid paying taxes in the USA on the profits they earn.
The reason why it’s not fair is because these strategies aren’t available for everyday mom and pop small businesses.
Apple is not alone in this practice. Tax shelters been a part of international companies for a very long time.
You sir need to look up what “tax avoidance” means – this is not Apple’s strategy at all, anywhere.
Apple also can’t take advantage of a lot of tax breaks and other benefits afforded to small businesses, including incorporated small businesses.
These strategies are available to everyone, all things being equal. A mom and pop store employing 50 people in one location is not equal to Apple, Inc. Politicians have abused the English language, and distorted there definition of “fair”
“all things being equal” – well, some people obv. have big disagreements about what makes all things equal, and what doesn’t.
I know this isn’t very progressive / liberal of me, but I actually support a flat tax on corporations; no loopholes for anyone, everyone pays the same %.
I agree with a progressive tax system in theory, but the problem is, someone in a higher bracket will always cry to the gov. that it isn’t fair that they’re paying a higher rate; and they will either buy their way towards getting a new loophole written for them, or go out of their way to take better advantage of existing loopholes. That’s why our tax code is the way it is right now and you have to be a savant to understand it.
Got to get that leftwing zinger in at Trump (hes EXTREME) even though the article has no need to even mention him…..Trump gets you clicks and pays your bills, I get it.
Yup! All these blogs seem to.
Bernie you silly socialist, you’ll never understand the solution to the problem. They are paying their “fare share”, it just so happens the money is going where you don’t want it to go, and you aren’t able to get your grubby little hands on it. Instead of sounding like a typical socialist tool you should be asking, why is a large portion of the taxes you pay going to Ireland?
When Tim Cook gives you the answer you need to shut up and listen. I’ll give you a hint start doing a little research in to the fare tax or flat tax. Which one? Right now it doesn’t matter either system is considerably better than the convoluted mess you and your ilk has burdened us with.
Not exactly true. http://motherboard.vice.com/read/apple-avoids-60-billion-in-taxes-by-keeping-money-overseas-report-says
Yeah, it’s Vice, but they link to a credible study to back up their claims.
Vice is reliable. Apple practices what thousands of other US campaniles have done for decades. They all try to avoid the 30% cooperate tax rate.
Your link pretty much agrees with what I said. Apple pays all the taxes they are required to pay, in other countries.
All that money could come home if Bernie and the boys would fix the tax laws but instead they’re running around promising the world to people who are dumb enough to believe they’ll be able to live up to their promises.
How are they paying their ‘fair share’ by hording it in offshore accounts? Engage in some critical thinking and stop licking your Corporate Leader’s boots.
Apple Inc is an international company. Therefore, they have accounts all over the world. Not some secret “offshore” account.
They owe zero taxes to the US government for that income.
Also, do you know any other entity paying $16 million a day in taxes?
TJCharles, engage in some critical thinking. Top 1% pay nearly half of federal income taxes. Google is your friend. Thiking critically. Government is the enemy. Do you support Obama’s cronies like Al Sharpton who should have paid $15 million in taxes but got it removed? Who is your enemy? The 1%?
Trump-Sanders 2016 unity ticket!
Reminds me of a Bloom County cartoon from the 1980s where somebody suggested Jesse (Janckson) & Jesse (Helms) in ’84.
“Let’s alienate everyone”
LOL
lol.
Apple pays its taxes, The US just happens to want 50 or 60% of what apple is making.
The cooperate tax rate is 30%, which is more then fare.
“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
Fair = in accordance with the rules or standards; legitimate.
“the group has achieved fair and equal representation for all its members”
synonyms: just, equitable, honest, upright, honorable, trustworthy; More
Fare = the money a passenger on public transportation has to pay.
synonyms: ticket price;
30% also happens to be higher than most similar countries
Apple keeps borrowing money since it is so expensive for them to bring their international cash hoard to the US. Many US companies keep pushing for a tax holiday to bring this money back to the US.
Wake up, people…
Three words… The Panama Papers.
There is no manufacturing entity in the US capable of meeting Apple’s quality standard nor volume requirements. So now Apple has to build out what Foxconn et al. have been investing in for decades. Great. Shows a real understanding of the issues at hand.
People often forget. You cannot just pick up to another country with the hundreds of millions of devices you need to have made and pay minimum wage to the amount of ppl (or even less; can’t be less ppl or else they will have to invent their own robots and we know how that turned out)
lol muh fair share, muh bottomless pit
If we could just get our hands on that pesky big corporation tax…all of our problems would be solved, and we should absolutely trust the government with those additional billions. lol
Bottom of the bottom line? We Americans want everything (healthcare, food, energy, housing) to be free and we want someone else to pay for them. That someone is the ethereal “rich” and “greedy” individuals and corporations. We have the government and the politicians we deserve because they play to our stupidity and ignorance of how economies work.
You’d have plenty of money for all those things (and plenty left over) if your governments didn’t flush so much of your tax dollars down the toilet.
And the Bernie worshippers will throw back a Monster, open up Facebook on their Android phone, and proceed to also yell at “capitalism”.
I’m a Bernie supporter because I’m intelligent, and I also use Apple devices. Bernie isn’t wrong about what he said, that’s just factual, and anyone that disagrees isn’t intelligent, not because I say so, but because it’s so abundantly obvious, it’s sad.
Ideally do we want Apple to manufacture their products in the US? Yes?? Why? Because it helps the US. Can it be done with the way things currently are? No. That’s why things are supposed to change and get better, as opposed to the US which stays the same or gets worse.
P.S. Captialism isn’t great hahah. If you think captialism is great, well, oh dear.
An intelligent person does not paint such broad strokes regarding others intelligence for disagreeing with their own stance.
Bernie is, in fact, ignorant of Apple’s products and where they are manufactured. Apple does manufacture what it can here. Fact is our country no longer possesses the skills necessary to be a large manufacturing country, certainly not on the scale Apple needs.
I firmly believe that, in the next10-20 years ther will be a large influx of US manufacturing. It just will not create the jobs that politicians think it will. They will be largely be automated/robotic facilities.
Regarding taxes, Apple, by definition, pays it’s fair share. See my above comment with the definition of fair.
Now, he (and you) may not like my comments, the facts I have presented, the opinions I have, but that does not make me unintelligent, and you claim.
Opposing viewpoints are what helps us evolve. Burying your head in the sand to opposing viewpoints is the opposite of growth, does not allow for progress.
So, please, if you are as intelligent as you claim to be, stop being so naive.
Opposing viewpoints are great, if they make logical sense, and can be backed up with empirical evidence to support their efficacy. Otherwise, they’re useless noise. Like, for example, every single religious dogma is absolutely useless noise that gets in the way of intelligent progress.
You can say Apple pays its fair share of taxes and that may be true in some cases, and may not in others, considering they’re being examined by multiple countries over taxes currently. Bernie’s point is that Apple employs the use of loop holes in the illogically (and also logically through lobbiests) written laws to evade higher taxes, which is fine because it’s legal, but legal does not equate to ethical, sorry to say. Yes, all of the other large corporations do it, but its fair to point out one to make a point.
In the end, the fact is, it’s a huge complicated pathway of corruption, greed, stupidity, manipulation, and ignorance. One fact is that Apple is beholden to stock holders who obviously want the best bottom line possible. Human beings are incredibly flawed, and publicly traded companies and captialism are absolutely bad things for society. Do they work? Yes. Could something be better? A million fold.
I don’t mean to keep beating a dead horse, but you called everyone who disagrees with your viewpoint unintelligent. I disagree with you. I called you out and you then say opposing viewpoints are fine if they have evidence, which I alluded to already.
But here is a bit of empirical evidence
“With all this growth and investment, Apple has become – to the best of our knowledge – the largest corporate income taxpayer in the United States. Last year, our U.S. federal cash effective tax rate was about 30.5%, and we paid the U.S. Treasury nearly $6 billion in cash. That’s more than $16 million per day. We expect to pay even more income tax this year.”
Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/connieguglielmo/2013/05/23/apples-cook-on-taxes-being-an-american-innovator-transcript-of-senate-testimony/#1e89d69c1b3e
So can you admit that on the tax issue, Mr. Sanders, and others of any political party who claim Apple is not paying it’s “Fair Share” is being disingenuous at best? $16 million A DAY in taxes! That is not fair?
As far as making more products here in the US, politicians will do our country a better service by admitting that the types of manufacturing jobs they are referring to are never coming back. Yes, manufacturing will come back, but the jobs will be minimal, and the manufacturing will be automated and robots.
Part of the problem, again, rarely if ever addressed by politicians, is that we no longer value those skills, and don’t possess those skills in the quantities needed to produce products like the iPhone.
So, yes, I will continue to call out Mr. Sanders, or any politician for that matter, that incorrectly calls out an individual, a company, what have you to further their own agenda.
I am not sure that you’ll read this all of this, as it may not be intelligent enough for you, but those are the facts I could quickly find.
“Like, for example, every single religious dogma is absolutely useless noise that gets in the way of intelligent progress.”
Yep that dogma of thou shall honor they mother and father, thou shalt not steal, kill, lie, etc. are such a drag aren’t they?
Don’t worry just keep believing in Bernie, and government, they’ll provide you with everything you need.
Anyone that needs a fictitious book to offer them obvious moral and ethical advice, needs serious help. By that I mean their intelligence is so low it’s frightening.
@o0smoothies0o – you said “Anyone that needs a fictitious book to offer them obvious moral and ethical advice, needs serious help. By that I mean their intelligence is so low it’s frightening.”
You sure like to call people out for having a low intelligence, but you have yet to respond to any of the facts that I laid out as counter points to your beliefs, your “dogma” as it were. Sadly, and I wish this were NOT the case, but this is the typical interaction I have with many/most of the Bernie supporters I have encountered. They repeat some campaign talking point, I ask questions, provide counter arguments, and they disappear or ignore me? Why is that? I believe it is because they don’t like being called out on the weaknesses in Bernie’s plans.
Listen, I would love to support Bernie. I would love for his ideals of getting the PEOPLE to support him, not special interests, to be how all candidates are supported. (oddly, the other one with a similar support structure, though not exactly, but similar, is Trump. Take that for what it is worth)
This may be “wacko” of me to say/think, but I don’t believe a POTUS should have a political party. Politics in the US have become a spectator sport. Most people have “picked their team” and have no real clue as to what the person they are voting for stands for. They pick the D or the R and go with it. It is sad. It is, to use a word you may like, ignorant.
So, do you have anything else of value to add to the discussion? Because I am happy to have it with you. Sadly, I think you will just ignore this, and go on calling everyone unintelligent.
I’d argue that more people need to read that book. Especially those who believe they are more enlightened and intelligent than those around them. One of the rules in there is treat others how you wish to be treated. See not such a bad dogma is it?
Ideally, we would like US manufacture. However, the US doesn’t have the facilities like Foxconn. The US doesn’t have the workers like Foxconn. If you were to have Apple build a manufacturing plant in the US AND pay all the taxes the government wants AND pay American workers (and their unions), then your $700 iPhone would probably cost $2,100. Let’s face it, in an ideal situation, US manufacture is ideal, but in the real world, the US is no longer competitive in this environment. With government pressing corporations and citizens for more and more taxes and regulations, it is highly unlikely that the US will be competitive in the foreseeable future. Socialism would make us even more competitive. China has a communist government, but is a far more capitalistic society than the US. That I have seen first hand. The extent of capitalism in China is on par with the US of the 1920’s. That wasn’t good for the workers, but we had far more industrial innovation and products produced in the U.S. Socialism doesn’t work, either. The U.S.S.R was a communist government and socialist society. They collapsed due to their economy. Somewhere in-between with a greater slant towards capitalism will result in the most prosperity for a country. Workers should not be taken advantage of, but corporations should have the freedom to innovate and profit from their innovation. IMO, Sanders’ philosophy would ruin the U.S. Of course Trump would destroy the U.S.
The reason why all of these countries are investigating Apple is because they have money and their countries are broke. They can no longer support their socialistic plans without some additional funding. And since governments producing nothing but more government their only option to attack revenue sources wherever they can find it. Once they bleed Apple of everything whoever is number 2 will receive the same song and dance.
@iSRS I’m not sure what I can say, I already said why he was correct. You believe Apple is paying their fair share of taxes, and I believe they pay a lot of taxes, as you said, but paying a lot of taxes would come natural to the biggest company on the planet. That doesn’t mean they are paying their ‘fair share’. They are being investigated by multiple countries, so I think that’s still up in the air, however, even assuming they are 100% legal in their practices, it’s still 100% using loopholes, which yes, other companies do, but like I said, that doesn’t mean it’s ethical or morally good. The stock market and captialism are like an anchor that pulls anything toward unethical and/or immoral practices due to human qualities such as greed being allowed to thrive as opposed to being kept in check. Humans are intelligent enough to recognize their flaws, and it’s up to them to self-limit and balance each other so as to keep civilizations and society in order, a thriving, advancing system so that as many humans as possible can live happy lives and have fun because there is no purpose for life other than to have fun.
The scary part of the interview was that Sanders appeared to know next to nothing about how to fulfill his promises. He had little idea about what the laws currently allow him to do and what he would need enacted. Very scary for a Presidential candidate.
That’s hilarious because you’re apparently stupid enough to believe that any candidate running will change anything. They can’t change anything because the entire system is insanely bad. Just the truth.
Perfect example of my point of you don’t offer anything of value, just insults of intelligence. I’m beginning to question yours.
John makes a 100% valid point, supported by the video in the article, that Mr. Sanders has all these ideas, and zero plan on how to implement them, or the potential consequences of such actions. You respond with “you’re stupid”
Thank you for bringing such value.
It’s clear to me that iSRS can’t comprehend what I say so there is no point.
No point? Because you fail to provide any facts. Someone has a different opinion and you call them unintelligent. Yet you present no facts to prove or explain your points.
And with regard to the fair share comment (as opposed to two replies) – do you pay 30.5% effective tax rate? Guessing not. So what Apple is doing is not fair enough? Why? Only reason is “because they have the money”, which isn’t a reason.
As far as the European issues, those were deals Apple made in good faith. Chances are they will change and they will pay more. Still likely less than the US. Again, nothing illegal.
Also, in addition to their 30.5% effective rate, I can bet they contribute lots to charity.
Why they do it isn’t important. That they do is.
So, I am sure you won’t “see the point” in continuing this discussion because you don’t have any facts to stand on. But I’ll be here, willing to continue the dialogue.
Apple would produce products here in the US if our corporate taxes were as low as other countries. But since we have the highest corporate taxes of any country in the industrialized world, it just doesn’t make economic sense. Not that communists understand free market economic principles…
No, Apple would produce products in the US if the cost of resources and labor were as low as they are in China and Brazil, and if the U.S. had the vast supply-chain infrastructure necessary to manufacture hundreds of millions of units of advanced electronic devices. But the U.S. doesn’t have any of that. If we were to build it and force it into existence, by imposing crippling tarrifs on imported electronics, we could probably get there in 15-20 years, but your iPhone would end up with a $3000 price tag.
The comments here defending Apple are insane. Apple is a company that has no qualms charging 40% margins on their products and charging developers 30 percent to sell an app on their platform, but they cry like babies when someone suggests they pay a 35 percent tax rate. Maybe it is a little bit high, but it isn’t all that unreasonable, considering the ENORMOUS wealth Apple has created. Sanders was simply suggesting Apple should pay its taxes, which it hasn’t. It keeps money overseas to avoid that. Apple has benefited from American liberties, its schools, its infrastructure etc… it should pay its damn taxes and stop whining.
And I am a fan of Apple as a company, but not recognizing that they are bad actors here would be unbalanced, in my opinion. You want an Apple product (which I do), you pay the Apple tax. You want to be an American company, pay American taxes.
You do realize Apple is under no moral or legal obligation to bring the money earned internationally to the US, right? That they have paid taxes on it where it was earned (within its current arrangements, spe which are likely changing)? The US wants 30-35% of it on top of what was already paid. That is a bit backwards to me
That is not the way it works. When US company sells something in let’s say Britain, they pay pay the local taxes there. So let’s just say that tax would be 25 percent (I have no idea what that tax is). Then Apple’s legal tax obligation to the US isn’t 35 on top of that, it’s 10%. The amount paid is subtracted from the 35 percent total.
The problem is that Apple uses Ireland’s unreasonably low tax laws to pay an ungodly low some of a 2.3 percent. So the problem is that they how found legal ways to evade getting taxed and then when they try to repatriate the US asks them to pay the remaining taxes which amount to quite a lot, about 32 percent. The US IS NOT ASKING FOR 35 ON TOP OF ANYTHING.
Of course, Apple could leave it’s money off shore. But they want to repatriate, and THEY WANT TO DO IT WITHOUT PAYING TAXES AT ALL. So yes, I do think Apple is the bad actor here because they act like 35 percent is such a burden, but they don’t mind charging it.
Do I think corporate tax should be lower? Yes I do. I also think loopholes should be closed. But as it stands, I think Apple is in the wrong on taxes.
Jeffery. Thanks for clearing that up.
One point that you are wrong on though is Apple wanting to pay zero %. Tim Cook is on record, in front of Congress, stating he’d like it lower than it is now, perhaps 20%.
He admitted that it would result in Apple paying more in taxes than it does now.
Congress paraded him in front of the public what? 12-18 months ago? And what changes have we seen?
Zero. The Feds, like the state of California, among others, prefer to want a higher rate of zero than settle for a lower rate of something. It’s absurd.
Please reed facts before you comment.
Apple has to charge 30% to maintain servers, pay for bandwidth, etc.
lol
Yeah, that gets lost in all this. And with all the free apps that are out there that people never pay for, Apple has taken the burden of delivery to those apps. But they are “greedy”
Any company like to make product here in USA if right tax incentives,laws and pro-business environment is created by these politicians. They talk too much. Voters should ask them to write a contract of their promises and timeline they will fulfill.before election. If they fail in any than resign by law. Will force them to be honest. Let’s see how many jibber-jabber politicians will survive.
Sh!t.. they really want to make it hard to run business in US. Matter of time that they will move their company to other countries.
Bernie, I am a voter and I am a taxpayer and I am an APPL shareholder. I think Apple should obey the laws of the US and the other countries in which it does business. I think that, if our politicians are too weak to write laws which prevent tax evasion, they should not whine about it in the media by picking on Apple as an easy, visible, click-grabbing, and headline-grabbing target.
As far as manufacturing in the US. Do not make me laugh. US economic policy has been run by the free traders since President Reagan’s time. With religious fervor, the Milton Friedman clones believe that a job that goes overseas is actually good for America (unequivocally and without reservation). Therefore, we have avoided all policies which might maintain a manufacturing base in the US (outside of defense mfg). I think Bernie should spend his time pointing out the BS inherent in these free trade dogmas. Forcing Apple to unilaterally make itself less competitive would only further weaken our economy by ruining one of our most successful enterprises. We do need a long term strategy to rebuild at least some manufacturing base, but quick fixes are cowardly, weak, and ineffective. Rebuilding US manufacturing is bigger than even the most profitable single company and it will take decades of coordinated policy. And courage.
the only reason i bought the 2013 mac pro is because it is made in america.
Build more Apple Products in the US.. Cool, I don’t fancy having to pay about $6K for a Mac Pro or $2K for a Phone?
“Sanders, while his comments are somewhat less extreme than Trump’s, does echo many of the same sentiments as the Republican frontrunner.”
This sentence is totally inaccurate.
Not in the context of this article, which focuses on their attitudes toward Apple, Inc. But please, continue to pick and choose quotes out of context.
Moron! Communist! He just lost my vote! Actually, he didn’t, I was never going to vote for him.
All those who believe that Apple can spend their money better than Bernie Sanders and/or Congress can spend Apple’s money, say “i”.
I’ll start: i
I always find it funny how there are those who complain about the loop holes in the corporate tax code and yet say nothing about the massive give aways in the individual tax code which is nothing more than a giant pandering to every special interest group under the sun. It is apparently ok for stupid tax write-offs such as interest on your mortgage but god forbid a corporation wanting something equally as stupid as a tax write off. The problem is that if they cleaned up the tax code the first group you’d see complaining wouldn’t be corporations but individuals wanting their goodies back in the tax code again which is why I have a problem with what Bernie proposes – he doesn’t fix the tax problem either. What he proposes is closing a few loopholes but doesn’t propose anything that actually fix the system itself where every layer of bloat takes their cut under the mythology of ‘democracy closer to the people’.
They sent those jobs because it was becoming exceedingly more difficult to exploit American workers. With unions and labor laws and decent wages it was far easier to just go somewhere else where they COULD exploit people. And everyone was happy.
CEOs could tell everyone that their margins and operating profits were high and deserved great salary increases and bonuses. Wall Street agreed and and recommend that your retirement be placed with them and earn great dividends.
So everyone was happy. Short sighted visions are always great! …Well almostꜜꜜ
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/apr/30/apple-chinese-factory-workers-suicides-humiliation
Make no mistake, all jobs that can be done by machines or exploited workers will be done by machines or exploited workers. And as long as it doesn’t affect you personally, (in a negative fashion) you will support it. Cheap products and great returns on your investment, it’s not like you care about the future of the nation, just about your belly and your wallet. An article on technology role in economics – http://technologyessays.org/argumentative-essay-on-technology/
I can’t believe that 1 quarter of Americans are willing to vote for a SOCIALIST. Are you kidding???
Yeah it turns out there are actually some intelligent Americans, I can’t believe it’s that many, but it’s crazy right?
I am one of the intelligent who believe in the fact that history repeats itself. And no country has successfully maintained a socialist structure beyond. 80 years without breakdown. That’s fact.
I am one of the intelligent who believe in the fact that history repeats itself. And no country has successfully maintained a socialist structure beyond. 80 years without breakdown. That’s fact.
Taxation is theft.
Yeah, taxation is theft, that’s definitely true. Hahaha. How sad. If you want to live in a country and reap all of the benefits you get from being helped by others and protected, then I’m thinking you should be happy to pay some taxes. I feel bad for people that think they shouldn’t have to pay any taxes. If you don’t want to pay taxes, go to whatever country has the lowest taxes, and enjoy.
Of course Bernie Sanders wants Apple’s money. He wants everyone’s money. That’s what socialists are about.
Right right. And you want everyone’s money too, just like everyone else. It’s actually what humans are about. Sorry to break it to you. Captialism is great in this way: a company like BP for example, gets to do absolutely whatever is necessary to get as much profit as possible, and it is absolutely all that matters, not safety, not the environment, just profit. By the way, you won’t understand, but that’s sarcasm.
I love how Sanders goes after Apple because it’s a “hot” topic. Where is he on beating up on Wal Mart for literally destroying all the manufacturing in the US when they forced their manufacturers to go to China? Damn politicians.
And for the taxes, fine, get the FBI/IRS after Apple and take them to court for the taxes they didn’t pay… oh wait, Apple legally did pay it all. You only have Congress and the Senate to blame for laws you don’t like.