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The Tax Moan

The growing realisation that the key figures of our Online-Digital Age - Google, Amazon, and Apple - have made hundreds of billions of dollars in profit from us little people - and not bothered to pay more than a tiny fraction of that back in taxes to help our societies reminds all of us, I think, of the unsustainable nature of commercial greed, when unfettered.  Beyond all the talk of ethics, and regulation, lies the humanity of the issue - are we or are we not all in the same boat?  Apparently, according to top bankers and CEOs, not.  I do not know where these people live - in havens? - but if they enjoy the safety of the public roads, the security of the armed forces - then they should pay their income tax like everyone else.  As a small businessman trying to make ends meet, I am not in favour of very high taxation for companies at a time of a sagging economy - 20% or so seems about right to me - but surely, .05% or .005%, is criminally absurd.  In the meantime, what do we do about these tax avoiders and evaders?  How does one boycott Google, and keep informed?  Like the craftiest of drug dealers, the worst offenders are those that peddle to us the most addictive brands.
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