Image by John Hain from Pixabay.
Businesses are not divorced from the community they operate in.
Big businesses have always tried to have things both ways.
In good times, many seek to minimise or avoid paying taxes altogether. They credit their own hard work for their opportunities and successes. In bad times, they immediately look to the government to bail them out. Suddenly, they are crucial and indispensable members of the community. There is an arrogant assumption that they don’t have to plan for disasters because the public purse will deal with those.
Business is not divorced from the community they operate in. The two are inseparable. Businesses have a duty to support the community because they rely on the community:
- The community is the source of customers and workers.
- The community educates and cares for their customers and workers.
- The community provides essential services like police and fire response.
- The community builds infrastructure like roads, water, and waste disposal.
It is no surprise the Danish government has barred companies operating a tax haven and engaging in other anti-community practices from receiving taxpayer aid. If only more governments had the spine to take a similar stance.