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Tim Worstall

Tim Worstall - Author Archive

Don’t worry about the Bulgarians flooding the country

FOR a lot of them have already left Bulgaria. There aren’t that many left to leave.

As you may or may not know soon enough the Bulgarians and Romanians will be … (read more)

Posted: 25th, February 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

European Union is looking into imposing import duties on cheap Chinese solar panels: facepalm

THE European Union is looking into imposing import duties on cheap Chinese solar panels. If they go ahead with this it will be one of the most ludicroulsy stupid things … (read more)

Posted: 25th, February 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

Apple and Microsoft gadgets are more expensive in Australia because of politicians and their taxes

THE Aussie politicians are getting all angry at the tech companies because Australians have to pay more for their shiny shiny tech than do Americans. But you would think that … (read more)

Posted: 22nd, February 2013 | In: Money, Technology, The Consumer | Comment

Why do we contract out public services – and lifeboats?

WHY do we contract out public services? Zoe tells us in The Guardian that it’s all just a terrible idea:
What happens when these firms, with their inexorable expansionist logic, bite … (read more)

Posted: 20th, February 2013 | In: Money | Comment

Whinging about salaries at tech companies is plain stupid

THIS does get depressing, vaunted media experts pronouncing on matters economic without actually understanding anything about economics. The Observer’s John Naughton wants us to get all upset about the way … (read more)

Posted: 19th, February 2013 | In: Money, Technology | Comment

Dell does go private – but why?

IT’S been announced that Michael Dell is going to buy back his company and take it private. The buyout price is $13.65 a share for a total just north of … (read more)

Posted: 18th, February 2013 | In: Money, Technology, The Consumer | Comment

Business fashions do move in cycles: Another World on BB 10

THAT old DOS computer game, Another World. has just been ported over to the new BlackBerry operating system, BB 10. Which just goes to show that fashions in the business … (read more)

Posted: 15th, February 2013 | In: Money, Technology | Comment

Consumerism, Eh? The £7,000 mobile phone

THIS did rather make me giggle. A company that makes outrageously expensive mobile phones. Their latest model costing £7,000.
The Vertu Ti costs 7,900 euros (£6,994) and is made at the … (read more)

Posted: 13th, February 2013 | In: Money, Technology | Comment

Is Microsoft’s Excel the most dangerous software in the world?

IS Microsoft’s Excel the most dangerous software in thewWorld? It could be actually. That is, that the very existence of Excel itself makes it the most dangerous software in the world.

There’s … (read more)

Posted: 13th, February 2013 | In: Money, Technology | Comment

Now that’s what I call tax avoidance: the Cup Trust

THIS story is really rather mindboggling. A charity that raked in £176 million over two years and then donated £55,000 to other charities. The rest of the £176 million went … (read more)

Posted: 11th, February 2013 | In: Money | Comment

Those tax dodging swine at Amazon!

GRRR! Amazon! Coming over here, making vast sales, and not a penny of tax do we see out of them. Or something like that. You know, all they’re doing is … (read more)

Posted: 8th, February 2013 | In: Money | Comment

John Redwood Does Sarcasm

JOHN Redwood can be sarcastic:
The top 1% took home 11.2% of the nation’s net income under unequal Labour in 2009-10, and a much lower 7% this year under the much … (read more)

Posted: 6th, February 2013 | In: Money, Politicians | Comments (2)

This is a damn good way to spend the education budget: more orgasms

THIS is a damn good way to spend the education budget:
The University of Minnesota is spending $3,400 to host a symposium this spring specifically designed to help its female undergraduate … (read more)

Posted: 6th, February 2013 | In: Money | Comment

No, really, Apple still isn’t avoiding UK tax

THE Sunday Times has done yet another of its pieces on how tech comapnies are avoiding tax in the UK. Given that that paper’s gated, here’s the Telegraph telling us … (read more)

Posted: 5th, February 2013 | In: Money, Technology | Comment

Why is David Beckham only playing in France for 5 months: tax

A VERY nice little catch here by The Mirror on why David Beckham is only playing in France for five months:
The star’s contract at PSG runs for only five months.

If he … (read more)

Posted: 4th, February 2013 | In: Money, Sports | Comment

Behavioural economics: oh yes the French do move because of taxes!

ONE of the great current tropes is that the rich must pay more in taxes because that is fair. One of the current answers is that try taxing too much … (read more)

Posted: 1st, February 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

Oh Noes! EU carbon price is too low!

I’M not sure what hope there is for the human race when even the FT gets things like this wrong. Everyone and their mother is complaining that the carbon credits … (read more)

Posted: 31st, January 2013 | In: Money | Comment

Apple’s sales rise, profits rise, shares tank: WTF?

A USEFUL little reminder of something that economists keep trying to tell people but which often doesn’t seem to get through. Stock markets are forward looking.

So, we have Apple reporting … (read more)

Posted: 29th, January 2013 | In: Money, Technology | Comment

This sexual equality thing’s gone a bit too far now, hasn’t it?

IT’S most certainly true that we didn’t go far enough with this equality thing in the past. Heck, it was only in the 1970s that a woman could have a … (read more)

Posted: 28th, January 2013 | In: Money | Comments (7)

China shows why Microsoft is screwed

THERE been some recent whining from Microsoft about how they get to sell bugger all in China. As opposed to Apple who can’t make things fast enough. Some of this … (read more)

Posted: 25th, January 2013 | In: Money, Technology | Comments (3)

Now That Europe’s Got A Robin Hood Tax Let’s Not Have One

THE Robin Hood Tax people are all ever so excited. Half the countries over in the eurozone have now been given permission to have one and it looks like France … (read more)

Posted: 24th, January 2013 | In: Money | Comments (6)

Let’s tax fuel to reduce fuel poverty!

THERE really are loons out there. Here’s a case in point. The argument is that energy is getting more expensive. This puts some people into “fuel poverty” where they are spending … (read more)

Posted: 21st, January 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

What the hell’s wrong with Goldman Sachs’ profits going to the workers?

I DO desperately struggle to understand what it is that people are whining about here
Goldman Sachs was accused of a ‘lack of sensitivity’ last night after handing out average pay … (read more)

Posted: 18th, January 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

So what has this neoliberalism ever done for us?

WHAT has neoliberalism done for us. So asks George Monbiot this morning. All this pandering to the rich, allowing offshoring, the hollowing out of all that was good and wondrous … (read more)

Posted: 16th, January 2013 | In: Money | Comment (1)

Sugar: the latest godawful health scare

IT has to be the Mail reporting this, doesn’t it? But here it is, the shocking news that UK cereals contain more sugar than US cereals.
Breakfast cereals sold in Britain … (read more)

Posted: 14th, January 2013 | In: Money, The Consumer | Comment

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