An English establishment pet monkey Irishman who, as a registered ‘non dom’, uses a tax loophole to avoid paying tax in Britain gushes about the greatness of Britain.
FIGHT!
Sez Bob:
“Glasgow was one of the first places where we could get a gig when people in London wouldn’t look at us.”
“It was the people of Scotland who bought our records, which got us up the charts.”
“You two guys (England and Scotland) invented the modern world. Why go back from that?” Geldof said.
“Remember I’m Irish but it was the UK which gave me my life. The people inside this political nation are truly extraordinary.
“The English are an amazing people. Their history is just f**ing amazing.
“But it took the Scottish nation’s genius – and literally that is the word – to invent the modern world. That’s the truth of it.”
“The logic of the 21st century and immediate future is towards co-operation, consensus and compromise, as opposed to the past and the murderous 20th century which was defined by competition. Why retreat into the past? Why regress to an imagined national idyll? It won’t happen.
“What interest does the world have in Scotland or England unilaterally? The nation state is dead. The 21st century is about interdependence.”
“Things are always bigger than we are. Therefore the bigger we are, the better it is. Isn’t that what we learned from our labour struggles? Isn’t that what we learned from our wars? Isn’t that what we learned from football and families? That’s the way it just is. It’s not me just inventing it.”
“It’s a very healthy sense to understand who you are as a people and your place in this world. That’s a normal human instinct. We have a word for it – it’s called patriotism. But when it’s manipulated into the base metal of politics, which is nationalism – when political people on both sides of the argument do that – you have to be very wary. You really must think through these things.
“Nationalism is a very dangerous political animal. I know this – I’m Irish. It’s a cheap political trick which twists the understanding of who we are.
“I completely understand the emotional impulse towards independence. But always consider independence in inverted commas because what the f*** does it mean?
“We are entirely dependent on one another. None of us, in our private lives or our political constructs, are ever independent.
“We are all sovereign unto ourselves but we’re dependent on one another.”
“You think you guys are p***ed off with Westminster? What do you think it’s like living in London? Fupping Londoners are pissed off with Westminster. The world is changing and needs different institutions, but not just removing ourselves from each other.
“Actually co-operating with each other – that excites me. That interests me more than the f***ing bagpipe playing. That sort of stuff drives me nuts in Ireland as well.”
“We [Ireland] were an occupied country for 700 f***ing years.
“We were never allowed to industrialise. You guys had the very opposite. You guys chose – very Scottish, very practical – you saw the way to utilise your genius was by joining up, together. F*** me did you do it – and ran the f***ing show and still do.
“Look what you did. The NHS – Beveridge’s dad was Scottish. Blair and Brown brought in the minimum wage. The actual benefits of this country are actually only derived by cooperation together.”
“Look at Ireland within the Euro. F***ed up. Completely f***ed up.”
“There’s going to be an independent Scotland and a united Ireland and it will all be great? What will be great about it? Please explain that to me. Do you have any less pride in being Scottish or Irish than you will have next week? Seriously? It’s the manipulation of that pride and spurious arguments like that which drives me nuts.”
‘Our time is now’ – what the f**k does that mean? The time is any time.”
Meanwhile…
Bob was asked about his tax affairs by The Times’ Lucy Bannerman at the World Economic Forum in Addis Ababa in 2012:
So how much is he worth? “I’m not telling you. But I am rich, let’s be clear.”
Can he understand why some might get annoyed when rich rock stars campaign about poverty?
He explodes with rage. “I pay all my taxes. My time? Is that not a tax? I employ 500 people [through his production companies]. I have created business for the UK government. I have given my ideas. I have given half my life to this. How dare you lecture me about morals?”
Any excuse.
The problem with God is He thinks He’s Bob Geldof (James Delingpole, Telegraph May 2012)
After his speech yesterday, I have lost my respect for Bob Geldof. Shame
It’s funny that every man and his dog in Ireland imploring Scotland to vote Yes is exercising their democratic right but as soon as Sir Bob tells them to vote No the same numpties get up on their hind legs to call him a Judas scumbag.
Ireland should be proud of Bob Geldof and what he did with LiveAid and as a businessman resident in the Uk who actually employs people whose jobs might be affected by the vote he has every right to express and opinion.
But instead a begrudging inward-looking country whose greed and avarice has left it sucking on the teat of Angela Merkel like a grateful,mewling baby is now urging the Jocks to make the same mistake.
Besides which it’s all irrelvant – Betfair are already paying out on the NO vote and the bookies get it wrong far less than the opnion pollsters who look to be heading for their worst cock-up since 1992 when they predicted a Kinnock win and Major swept in.
It’ll be a 57%-43% NO vote.
Let’s see the Salmond smirk then.
I think that he is a egotistical windbag regardless of what he did in the 80’s with liveaid or what he thinks about Scotland. The fact that people might have this opinion of him does not automatically make them begrudging, inward looking, greedy or avaricious. Get a grip.
plus one
by jove sirrah, you’ve told those paddes, what what tally-ho. goggles on, chocs away, last one back’s a homo! woof!!
I don’t see anything in Spider’s comment that says Geldof doesn’t have a right to express his opinion. Just that he doesn’t respect him for it.
Tax evading Irish man spouting off about issues they know little about? Bono should be along soon…
Tax-avoiding. to be fair.
And it’s not like the rest of us wouldn’t do the same if we could.
Indeed. In fact, I have no problem with tax-avoidance, or celebrities lecturing Govts on how they spend their money per se; it’s when people do both at the same time that it irks me.
I wouldn’t. Some people actually believe in paying their way and contribution to the upkeep and running of their country. And I’m not a millionaire
completely agree
Yeah Jess, so don’t tell us what you would or wouldn’t do if you were a millionaire/billionaire.
I’ll tell you derval, you’re under no obligation to listen
In answer to his question, no giving your time is not a tax. What a fool.
But what about ideas? Like a flying toaster. Or trees that make luas tickets.
That’s at least 6 months tax. You’re welcome, Ireland.
Nice.
Makes Bono sound like a genius with something vaguely interesting/uncontrived to say
“My time? Is that not a tax? ”
No, no it isn’t. Thats work, tax is what comes out of earning from work.
Do I need to get the f%&!King sock puppets!
Ha!
+1
You see, this is the area where sooooooo many rich right off the time they spend devouted to charities… oh what am I worth today, €10,000 an hour, let’s spend a week helping kids in Africa… I’m sure you can figure the rest out for yourself.
I’m delighted that Bob said this, “My time? Is that not a tax? ”…. because it is total bollocks!
Also, he seems to be taking the ‘rich people create jobs angle’ too the c***.
Brilliant!
…he really does seem to have become even more deluded lately…unless he is some clever plant by the yes campaign.
where is he Dom’d then ?
He’s Irish. Ireland is his domicile.
Not the same as Residence
Sir Bob Geldof.
No, just Bob. No Sir.
If everyone wanted to pay the Revenue with their time, we’d be in some state. Bob sounds like a regular miser.
What a cringe when people go on about all the jobs they have created as if they have done so out of the kindness of their heart and not so that they can profit from the labour of others.
1867 called, it wants its pamphlet back.
Did James Delingpole actually write something I almost agree with?
“I’m not telling you. But I am rich, let’s be clear.”
Jaazus, I didn’t realise how much of a gobshite he is.
Can we take his Irish passport away from him before he embarrasses us any more.
What an uneducated fool. What an illogical analysis. What an absolute turncoat scumbag Judas.
I used to be a big fan of Bob, not any more.
I for wun hewp Scoshland vewts yaw, loike.
Absolute tosser
Geldof’s silence on Palestine tells you all you need to know about him.
Not sure it tells me anything other than maybe he doesn’t have an opinion on it.
I knew I liked him
Did Geldof really say “fupping”?
You don’t edit a quotation.
Was wondering that myself!
He must have cos of the use of ‘f***’ in parts….
I’m with Charlotte Brontë on the use of asterisks to spare our blushes. It’s a mimsy cop out. We can take it BS!
“Nationalism is a very dangerous political animal. I know this – I’m Irish. It’s a cheap political trick which twists the understanding of who we are.”
Yes, Bob, we know how bad British nationalism has been for our country. It is a good thing that Irish people stood up for their rights against an evil empire.
Ah the poor put upon Irish, if they had the Nazis or the Soviets run over them, they’d know what a real evil empire was… just ask the Poles.
2,014 including civilians in the Irish War of Independence?
1.5 million dead from starvation and disease between 1845 and 1849 (while another 1.5 million fled the island) all while the powers-that-be in London tut-tutted about the feckless natives and their failure to live up to the ideology of laissez-faire.
@Louis,
I think that one is called the strawman argument. It might also be “what aboutery”. We are so lucky that it wasn’t a worse empire that ruled us.
The killing of Irish people did not start or finish with the War of Independence.
“Remember I’m Irish but it was the UK which gave me my life. The people inside this political nation are truly extraordinary.”
“Nationalism is a very dangerous political animal. I know this – I’m Irish. It’s a cheap political trick which twists the understanding of who we are.”
OK, Bob. If you were born in the UK, let’s say in Derry or Belfast, rather than the liberated Dublin, I don’t think you would have the same “life”. I also reckon you would have been a nationalist, if you had been born there. Your patronising of the Scots and fawning to your masters, or is that peers, disgusts me.