The reality is that the Vikings were extraordinarily successful because they were an amazingly well-organised and highly centralised commercial entity.
At its zenith, their trading network stretched from the Black Sea to Iceland, revealing a sophisticated level of boardroom preparation, meticulous planning and mercantile reasoning behind their specific conquests, combined with a finely tuned degree of diplomacy which allowed their future leaders to learn in the great courts of Constantinople and Baghdad, before coming back to Scandinavia to rule the Vikings.
The reason I’m getting all Viking this morning is that I am writing from Oslo looking at a statue of perhaps the greatest Viking of them all: Harald Hardrada.
Harald eventually came a cropper at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, which (for Chelsea fans) was not an irrelevant, mid-table dogfight but a battle that marked the end of the western Viking Empire and the beginning of the new era of the Normans.
For me, the fascinating aspect of the Viking Empire was its economics. Dublin was a slave centre. Don’t be fooled by our history books: the Vikings didn’t come to Ireland to rob a few manuscripts from the monks. They came for one of the most valuable commodities of the Dark Ages, and that was slaves, particularly women and children. Ireland was full of them, typically undefended and easy to corral in Dublin for export. We know this because of the abundance of skeletal remains of people with our Celtic DNA found in Baghdad, modern day Iran, and around the Black Sea.
These poor wretches were transported from Ireland to Scandinavia, then through the Baltics and down the great rivers of Russia. They would have passed the huge Viking trading city of Kiev, in long ships navigating the Dnieper River towards the Black Sea and out to what is now Istanbul, where they were exchanged.
Other Irish slaves, probably originally from Wicklow, Kildare and Meath, were taken by the Vikings right down the Volga river to the Caspian Sea and down to what is now Iran but was then the great Kingdom of the Persians.
This traffic explains why deposits of coins from the ancient cities such as Baghdad and surrounding Arab empires have been found in Viking settlements in Scandinavia, York and, of course, Dublin.
In tandem with this trade, the Vikings had their own sophisticated monetary system of coinage – the first trademark of empire – and a highly efficient, centralised tax system. After all, what is the purpose of an empire if not to tax the subjects? And it was critical to tax them evenly, extracting an equal amount or proportion from all. The Vikings had this down to a tee. Not for the Vikings one part of the trading system going off on a solo run with its own tax policy. They wouldn’t stand for that.
Obviously, the reputation for ferocity and cruelty was a good marketing and branding tool. It brought your enemies to the table faster. The Vikings used this fear of crazed warriors, marauding up the rivers in their long-ships as a negotiating tactic – the implicit under the table threat – for distant parts of the empire that didn’t obey the central rules.
Stretched right across the known world, the Viking Empire didn’t last for 300 years because of constant war and volatility. Obviously, that’s not a recipe for longevity. Rather stability, diplomacy, agreement, peace and organisation are the recipes for durability. Most empires are run this way, which brings me to the modern European empire, known as the EU. All empires have their rules, and that’s probably why the detached Norwegians decided to stay firmly outside the EU. One of the rules is taxation. No empire can tolerate “beggar my neighbour” tax policies indefinitely.
Now the EU has Ireland’s corporate tax policy and tax regime in its sights.
Yesterday, the EU announced formally that it wants multinationals to undertake ‘country-by-country’ reporting, where they’d have to make public their revenues, profits and taxes paid in each country where they operate. This is a strike against Ireland. It is aimed at no other country. Let’s not cod ourselves otherwise. I’ll give you an example of what this is all about.
Take the case of Facebook in the UK. In 2014, it was revealed that Facebook, one of the richest companies in the world, paid just £4,327 in corporation tax. This ridiculous sum is less than a single British worker on an average salary of £26,500 (€33,000) would pay (£3,180 in income tax and £2,213 in national insurance contributions).
When you dig a bit deeper into the figures, Facebook suggested that it had British revenues of £105m (€131m). This is a company with global profits of $2.9bn (€2.5bn) and revenue of $12.5bn (€11bn).
Could it be plausible that operations in the fifth largest economy in the world, with a rich population of 65 million people and internet usage among the highest on the planet, could account for less than 1pc of Facebook’s global revenues?
The problem for Ireland is that the revenues were being diverted from England to Ireland. We were party to it by accepting what might be called ‘ghost revenues’. These are revenues booked in Ireland, which were not generated in Ireland.
Many years ago, this column coined the phrase ‘ghost estates’, referring to estates that were being built that would never be occupied. Now we have ghost revenues. These are revenues that are being booked here, but which could never have been generated here.
The EU wants to stamp this out by demanding this “country by country” rule. It is a game-changer for us because obviously our domestic market is tiny in comparison to the declared profits of multinationals operating here.
According to the US regulators, American multinationals generated profits (not turnover) of $100bn in Ireland. How much of this activity is generated abroad and funnelled through Ireland in the form of ghost revenues?
And if the EU comes after us, in the year that the British exit, will the case of Ireland in a much more French or much more continental EU be compelling? Could it be, like the battle of Stamford Bridge, the end of one era and the beginning of another?
Might we look to Norway rather than Berlin as our geo-political model for the next 30 years? Maybe the next 50 years for Ireland might not be one wedded to continental Europe but one in a loose gathering of nations that looks more like the old Atlantic Viking Empire of Ireland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden – after all the Brits, the Danes and the Swedes have already opted out of the Euro and are semi-detached already.
Stranger things have happened.
I feel that Brexit will be the beginning of the end for the EU as we know it. The organisation that was formed to ensure that the apocalyptic disasters of 1914-18 and 1939-45 could never happen again was based on sound objectives, and focused on equality and democracy. We have watched the EEC morph from a community to a Union (EU),run by a bloated parasitical bureaucracy controlled by unaccountable faceless apparatchiks and incompetent,failed political hacks a la Phil Hogan. The monster has fed and fed voraciously for the last thirty or so years and is finally so morbidly obese and… Read more »
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“hen you dig a bit deeper into the figures, Facebook suggested that it had British revenues of £105m (€131m). This is a company with global profits of $2.9bn (€2.5bn) and revenue of $12.5bn (€11bn).”
Because the IP and webservice is Irish. Most of the time the advertisers come to Facebook not the other way around. They log onto a website and load up their ads. The website and the IP are not in the UK.
A couple of points on today’s article: (1) The battle of Stamford Bridge has nothing to do with the Chelsea Football Club. The battle was fought on the river Derwent in Yorkshire. The similarity of the place names is purely coincidental. Regarding the defeated Scandinavians and the successful Norman French in conquering and ruling England it is a bit of a stretch to suggest that despite the Norman success at Hastings in Sussex on 14 October 1066, just a few weeks after the Scandinavian defeat at Stamford Bridge on 25th September 1066, that Britain is still more Scandinavian than Normand-French.… Read more »
Morning Antaine and Mike, 6.32am – 23 degrees C. No breeze whatsoever so feels like 30. Early bird catches the worm. Subscribe.
Today David has chosen to highlight the undoubted anomaly of what he calls ‘ghost revenues’ rather than analyse the more important issues that will be decisive in the event of a Brexit. Foremost among those important issues is the future of Ireland’s massive exports of subsidized agricultural products to Britain after a Brexit. In this article he implies that somehow Ireland is robbing England of tax revenue. He wrote “the problem for Ireland is that the revenues were being diverted from England to Ireland. We were party to it by accepting what might be called ‘ghost revenues’.” Even a Brit… Read more »
There’s no strategy Mike, you’re right.
There never will be, not with the criminals in charge of Ireland and the numbskulls who continue to elect them, time after time after time.
There never is a strategy when it comes to Ireland – it’s all made up on the hoof and dependent on who is lining whose pocket or licking whose arse.
Language of Discourse
……..has not been selected that will result in a meaningful discussion and conclusion . The words used in this article are outside the orbit of dialogue and would be similar to loose debris floating everywhere and nowhere at the same time. This article is dangerous and damaging academically and obtuse and obfuscating . Tax as a word is not even understood by their own professionals because no one I know as members has ever been able to do so when asked.
Let’s face it if Britain left Europe it would make a lot of sense to join the UK again. Reunite the island, keep a devolved government, decide our own tax rates and become united with our closest trading partner. Transdev could also employ some of the Nottingham tram drivers to run the Luas on a more reasonable salary of £20k.
Hi,
The vikings were good at plundering silver and gold. So it seems are the latter day nordics in Deutsche bank;
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-04-14/case-closed-deutsche-bank-confirms-silver-market-manipulation-legal-settlement-agree
Almost 160 TDs in the Dail. And there are barely 16 that are serious about forming a government. Most of them are Independents. There are two csategories of useless. 1) Useless, but pretending to be serious. 2) Useless, but pretending to be outraged (at anybody else who tries to be serious). FF+FG+LP+SF are useless in two different categories. The only ones that are serious are adrift of a majority of TDs. We have a minority of serious politicians in the Dail. The same Trot/once slightly Stalinist collection of tools are wrecking havoc in DCC, doing all they can to cause… Read more »
Ghosts from the past. Phoenicians, Gaels, Brigantes, Breoghan, Ireland. http://www.libraryireland.com/Pedigrees1/milesian-irish-nation.php “According to Mariana and other Spanish historians, the “Brigantes” (a people so called after Breoghan, or Brigus, the grandfather of Milesius of Spain), were some of the Brigas or Phrygians of Asia Minor; and were the same people as the ancient Trojans! Brigus sent a colony from Spain into Britain; and many of the descendants of that Gaelic colony, who settled in England and in Ireland since the English Invasion, are erroneously considered as of Anglo-Saxon, or Anglo-Norman descent. Brigantia (now Corunna), a city in Galicia (where the Gaels settled),… Read more »
Is this the document you are looking for?
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/50282823/An_essay_on_the_antiquity_of_the_Irish_l.pdf
Peter
No Red Hair in Ireland until the Vikings came.
The Irish were a black haired blue-eyed people almost to the man.
The men in the main were ruddy in facial complexion.
The women were very white & / or pink in facial complexion.
Also, remarkable is the sometimes oriental [ Chinese ; But, without a particular slanting Chinese eyes ] look of Irish women.
Other matters to note :
Star of David is meant to have originated in Irish civilisation.
Likewise, the Ying-Yang symbol originates from the Irish.
Ancient Irish were not into forming cities ; Not even towns.
Tony, The 20th century’s most noted researcher Mr. Eustace Mullins from the U.S.A. — who emphasised that he not of Irish extraction himself — stressed that the Irish are the real Hebrews. He refers indeed to the Hebrews being the Hiberos ; The fierce raiding tribe of the Lavant / Middle East. Another comment by Mullins about the ancient Irish is that they were of independent mind ; Not given to consensus with each other. Freedom loving he said. Creative. “The Curse of Canaan” by Eustace Mullins. Apparently, available on internet for free as PDF download. https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=cr&ei=dD0QV9OAD4e1mwXqhoyQAw&fg=1#q=the+curse+of+Canaan+AND+eustace+mullins Eustace Mullins is… Read more »
The Norse have endowed us with the idea of elections and democracy. Back in Pagan times the Thing or Parliament was a structure where the freemen elected their leaders. Saxon kings were elected also although in Britain of 1066 Harold Godwinson rather took the crown than was elected. The had a clim to the crown through family connections. however his brother earl of Northumbria, Tostig Godwinson was , as we say, pissi that his brother one out. That was why Harold Olafson or Harold Haardraada (Wise in council),King of Norway and Sweden, undefeated in battle was cajoled to invade England… Read more »
So “Back to the Future” then. Always thought David and Michael J Fox looked a bit alike. The moral of this piece is united we stand. The narrative about Ireland and company is a joke. The French et al are trying to bully us. They’re picking on what they perceive as an easy targe . Why aren’t we talking about France’s continuous breaching of the rules. We shouldn’t be afraid to throw a few stones ourselves. Remember the Nice treaty. No! Well me too except for two things. One of the things I remember is Ireland had to go out… Read more »
Definition of tax.
Something I shouldn’t pay but everyone else should.
Origin of definition -See sponger.
“Every time the system stumbles, the response has been for central banks to force greater control and regulation upon the monetary system to the detriment of free markets. It is the financial version of the Road to Serfdom. Central banks have become ill-equipped to allow markets to price risk, and in the case of the ECB, it is downright hostile to market-determined prices.”
https://www.goldmoney.com/research/goldmoney-insights/the-ecb-and-shadow-banking?gmrefcode=gata
http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=6&ved=0ahUKEwiE7pPat5HMAhVEaRQKHVvZAZcQFgg-MAU&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rte.ie%2Fnews%2F2016%2F0415%2F781919-whistleblower-aib-ecb%2F&usg=AFQjCNGiN9NK3azblCVpDwiuAeE8qEy3LQ
Time to talk about the IRISH MORTGAGE ARREARS PROCESS and false financial reporting by ” Irish bankers.” Why were the failed Irish bankers that overvalued the debt on land banks by 900%, apartments by 200% and houses by 100% allowed stonewall stressed bank customers with a bogus process. High debt ratio mortgage products that were not fit for purpose or did not meet the needs and objectives of stressed bank customers, should have been restructured. In my own view, The Irish Mortgage Arrears Process was a complete scam. “Where were the solutions that met both the lender and borrowers needs… Read more »
Get in there George, back with a bang after a brief hiatus.
I know David will be champing at the bit to read this:
“Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems”
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/neoliberalism-ideology-problem-george-monbiot
I imagine the only reason many multi-nationals set up shop in Ireland specifically is because of the tax system and various incentives. If language is an issue, the US companies would probably go to Britain otherwise. In the US model, most income tax revenue goes to the centre. If one looks at all taxes and fees, the Federal total and the State and Local total are pretty much equal. This is clearly different to the EU where all is collected at national level, and then a tiny bit passed onto to the EU. This massive amount of money collected by… Read more »
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/dec/28/origins-of-the-irish-down-to-mass-migration-ancient-dna-confirms
http://www.polishforums.com/history/poland-celts-30731/
Tony, I will address ur queries [ Ref. Tony Brogan April 15, 2016 at 6:49 pm ] in sequential order herein : 1. “I need more clarity as I fail to see what you are talking about.” says u Tony to me. Tony, I fail to understand how u can state that. My reply to u was most lucid & cogent & corroborable by good sense, & the common sense of the blogs body of knowledge, & with even modest amount of humble reflection & perhaps some research by u ahead of u returning to me as u have. 2.… Read more »
EU Rules
……this is what David infers in his caption above . I say ‘Enarchy is the New Power ‘…….even Ryanair cannot defeat it and never will .Look for even one base in France ….there are none and this is against the back ground that they fly there more than anywhere else in summer .
Basics Income Tax Acts 1967 was essentially the first Finance Act that embodied the national fiscal laws . This was written from bottom up that means from the ordinary people and what mattered to them up to the corporate simple system as it was then. Even though it was often misunderstood by Revenue and Practitioners it was accessible and fair in its appeal procedures. I can relate in the early 1980’s when I appealed against an assessment where a career lady married a small farmer in Co. Galway and was refused two annual allowances on year of marriage. After a… Read more »
“And, come to think of it, I am really the only blogger here to support & also question u.” This is demonstrably untrue. The rest is too convoluted to respond to. In general Harold Haardraada was King of Norway and Sweeden. Canute was king of Denmark around 1000 ad. These countries existed as states then but Ukraine did not until maybe 2-300 years ago. I never said that the Norse had a monopoly on the actions of elections for leaders. It was a comment on the actions of “vikings” and how the custom was enacted in Britain as Saxon kings… Read more »
I will try to keep this to the point…Despite our shared history with the Scandinavians we have very little if any solidarity with them. Some historical facts need to be considered. The source I refer if anyone would like to examine it is Prof B Cunliffe (Professor of European Archaeology at the University of Oxford from 1972 to 2007) summarised in his work ‘Britain Begins’. The Vikings (earliest raiders from Norway) never succeeded in advancing much into the island of Ireland. The locals put up too much resistance; it’s not much more complicated than that. Viking capture of what were… Read more »