[mike_hearn]

European tax rates are not very different to American tax rates, they certainly aren't 20pp higher on income tax presuming that's what you mean.

> they project this tendency of theirs onto left-wingists to whom it doesn't actually apply.

Mmmm really. Here's an embarrassing article the Guardian had to write when just days after attacking Tesco for reducing its tax bill, it was discovered that the Guardian Media Group was doing exactly the same thing:

https://www.theguardian.com/help/insideguardian/2008/mar/06/...

Excuses offered included "The leader was written before journalists knew of the structure of the Emap purchase", "The relationship between the Guardian and GMG is a complicated one" and "the [Scott] trust was established in 1936 to avoid paying double death duties and ensure the continued existence of the paper".

Even Labour controlled local councils have been caught finding clever ways to reduce their tax bill, and they're a part of the government:

https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/embarrassment-for-...

Doesn't get more left wingist than the Guardian and Labour.