morality police

[Mariez]

I find it quite ironic how the police arrest and prosecute protested for smashing up windows on marches against massive companies not paying tax, but do they go in and arrest chairmen of these giant companies when they too are breaking the law?

No.

it seems the police are picking and choosing what law breakers they arrest....

stinks.

YABU... The chairmen of large companies using legal ways to be more tax-efficient are not breaking the law. Yobbos randomly smashing windows because of some deluded idea that 'rich = bad', are.

tax avoidance is completely legal, evasion is a different animal entirely

its not tax efficient though, its avoidance. semantics...call it what you like.

We should get the french over here, show our police what real marchs/riots are like.

See CinnabarRed's tax thread for an interesting discussion of tax issues.

Can you give some examples of the sort of illegality you mean in reference to chairmen of giant companies? Perhaps you can report them to the police if you're aware of them.

Or is this just a police-bashing thread? If so, as you were...

they aren't breaking laws, they are using loopholes to their advantage.

Police are not there to make moral decision, but to arrestthose who have broken the law.

so yes yabu

Unfortunately, as long as they work within the law they can get away with it. But smashing windows on a protest is not the answer. That's a riot, not a peaceful demonstration. There is a difference.

It is avoidance, and it's legal. Therefore YABU I'm afraid.

Yes, the law is the law. And the police enforce it as best they can. It doesn't cover everything we think is immoral. If you mean tax avoiding, yes there are always ways. But unless you manage to adjust tax laws that cover everything, there ain't a lot you can do.

Do you expect the police not to intervene when a crime is taking place in front of them?

no moral decision? ok why didnt the police arrest tony blair? that man has as much blood on his hands as many "evil dictators". didnt see the police do anything then either.

I dont think it as anyway suggestable that the police look evenly accross all law breakers and treat them the same.

Santander, Topshop- this level of tax avoidance, evadence, flying aliens (call it what you like ) dousnt go against the SPIRIT of our tax laws? contribute wholly to the uk?

no. to say any different is insulting.

(I meant the criminal damage, window smashing, setting fires etc)

And the police don't make the laws or run these corporations you realise? They can't arrest people who haven't committed a crime.

And police have different branches just so you know, different specialisms. I presume the economic crime unit is who you want. Bit like the throwaway Daily Mail comments of 'if they weren't out giving out speeding tickets they'd have more time to stop little old ladies being mugged'. Well, they'll be roads police and actually are just doing the specific jobs.

Just in case you were labouring under the illusion that the 'police' are one big nameless, faceless, specialism-less blob.

i think when the police can see that injustice is being done to citizens of the uk they have an obligation to let things go.

I cant wait til the gov pisses the police off enough that they start standing up for themselves too, maybe then they will be less likely to be bothered about a few grands worth of damage to the Ritz.

squirt squirt squirt

thank you show of hands I am well aware of different crime units. Just so you know, like.

i would like to revise my earlier YABU.

you are actually being Ignorant AND unreasonable.

squirt?

"Why didn't the police arrest Tony Blair".... because, to date, he is not accused of any crime.

And if you want to go down the route of moral decisions on tax then I hope - assuming you're a tax-payer - that you'll be straight down to HMRC tomorrow morning with an extra £100 for the nation's coffers because it's morally right. Most of us - individuals as well as companies - see tax as a necessary cost of being part of our society and would like it to be as small a bill as possible. If we don't pay more than we're asked for, that's not immoral.

is that what this site has come down to, me being called ignorant because YOU dont agree with me?

Feel free to stop reading and commenting and reply to threads by non ignorant people

why would i give them an extra 100?

MAriez can we assume you got kettled and couldn't get to a toilet? Poor you.

The Police don't enforce morality. They enforce the law.

Immaterial that it's the Ritz. The police are there for all of us. If your home was being smashed up by thugs in masks would you expect the police to stand by idly and say you had it coming?

You're not being completely ridiculous because law and morality often coincide don't they? But not always or even usually, plenty of laws are unjust and their application and enforcement will only ever be as even as the people who make and break them I suppose.