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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>These continuing sniggering comments concerning "world peace" are to my mind unbecoming…<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>And in fact, without using those exact terms (did anyone in fact, directly refer to "world peace") issues of the governing the Internet in the global public interest (or not) are very very much issues of concern to this group and if anyone questions whether they are directly pertinent to our immediate discussion I would refer you to my comments on the document that Stephane and Avri have just now circulated for sign-on to the IGC.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>M<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org [mailto:governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Dr. Alejandro Pisanty Baruch<br><b>Sent:</b> Saturday, January 26, 2013 9:23 AM<br><b>To:</b> governance@lists.igcaucus.org; Nick Ashton-Hart; Guru </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Mangal","serif"'>गुरु</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'><br><b>Subject:</b> RE: [governance] Facebook spent $4 million to lobby U.S. lawmakers in 2012<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>Nick, <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>"</span><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:black'>Folks, is tax policy really what people are interested in having an effect on in the IGC list? Is this a battle you really want to enter into, given the very real threats the open Internet faces today?"</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>And world peace.</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Alejandro Pisanty</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><br><span class=apple-style-span> Dr. Alejandro Pisanty</span><br><span class=apple-style-span>Facultad de Química UNAM </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>Av. Universidad 3000, 04510 Mexico DF Mexico</span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>+52-1-5541444475 FROM ABROAD </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span class=apple-style-span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'>+525541444475 DESDE MÉXICO SMS +525541444475 </span></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Courier New";color:black'><br>Blog: <a href="http://pisanty.blogspot.com">http://pisanty.blogspot.com</a><br>LinkedIn: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/pisanty">http://www.linkedin.com/in/pisanty</a><br>Unete al grupo UNAM en LinkedIn, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/22285/4A106C0C8614">http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/22285/4A106C0C8614</a><br>Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/apisanty">http://twitter.com/apisanty</a><br>---->> Unete a ISOC Mexico, <a href="http://www.isoc.org">http://www.isoc.org</a><br>. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . </span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='color:black'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></span></div><div id=divRpF849836><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'>Desde:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'> <a href="mailto:governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org">governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org</a> [governance-request@lists.igcaucus.org] en nombre de Nick Ashton-Hart [nashton@ccianet.org]<br><b>Enviado el:</b> sábado, 26 de enero de 2013 02:35<br><b>Hasta:</b> <a href="mailto:governance@lists.igcaucus.org">governance@lists.igcaucus.org</a>; Guru </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Mangal","serif";color:black'>गुरु</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";color:black'><br><b>Asunto:</b> Re: [governance] Facebook spent $4 million to lobby U.S. lawmakers in 2012</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Guru said:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>The scandalously low effective tax rates of the IT transnationals can also be seen as some kind of implicit subsidy ... and measures/experiments like that of the French Govt are required to help correct this situation - by reducing the lobbying power of these corporates and also getting the funding required by governments to support basic societal infrastructure, including soft infrastructure like public education and public health.. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>My reply:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>The rates being paid by IT companies are not different than other types of companies. For example, I believe GE paid effectively 14% tax globally last year. Corporate tax rates overall do not differentiate by sector - though, of course, some vertical markets do get exemptions and credits designed to encourage certain activities by them.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>If you believe that companies should pay more, that's fine - but to suggest that IT companies are particularly bad in some way does a disservice, I think, to the overall objective which many seek: reforming the tax system so that companies, in general, pay a larger share of tax.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>This is, by the way, extremely complex and there are powerful incentives for countries to incentivise FDI by, among other measures, favourable tax regimes. It will be incredibly difficult to get enough countries that are desirable markets for industry to sign up to a broad range of measures to synchronise taxes to produce the desired end - the incentives to attract FDI are simply very powerful.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>What the French are proposing (not for the first time) is not going to help anything; it is soapbox policy, designed for an internal audience of French people. Like the 75% tax on wealthy individuals they propose, it wouldn't raise enough money to solve France's real deficit issues; it would just make France even less competitive an economy than it already is.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:black'>Folks, is tax policy really what people are interested in having an effect on in the IGC list? Is this a battle you really want to enter into, given the very real threats the open Internet faces today?<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>-- <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Nick Ashton-Hart<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:black'>Need to meet with me? Schedule the time that suits us both here: <a href="http://meetme.so/nashton" target="_blank">http://meetme.so/nashton</a></span></b><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>Sent from my one of my handheld thingies, please excuse linguistic mangling.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:black'><br>On 26 Jan 2013, at 04:49, "Guru </span><span style='font-family:"Mangal","serif";color:black'>गुरु</span><span style='color:black'>" <<a href="mailto:Guru@itforchange.net" target="_blank">Guru@itforchange.net</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'>The scandalously low effective tax rates of the IT transnationals can also be seen as some kind of implicit subsidy ... and measures/experiments like that of the French Govt are required to help correct this situation - by reducing the lobbying power of these corporates and also getting the funding required by governments to support basic societal infrastructure, including soft infrastructure like public education and public health.. <o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>