this post was submitted on 10 Mar 2025
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Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.10-195341/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-10/us-says-will-retaliate-if-poland-introduces-tax-on-big-tech

Poland will face consequences if it introduces a levy on large technology companies, the incoming US envoy to Warsaw warned on Monday, as the spat between the two allies escalated.

The government seeks to present a model to collect taxes from the so-called Big Tech firms in the coming months, Digitization Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski was reported as saying by PAP newswire on Monday. Tom Rose, whom President Donald Trump appointed as US next ambassador in Poland, called the plan “not very smart” in a post on social media platform X.

Rose said that the new tax would hurt the relations between the two countries and the US president would “reciprocate as well he should.”

The response comes a day after Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski clashed with Elon Musk on the X platform over Starlink satellite-internet system for Ukraine and was also accused by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio of “making things up.”

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[–] boreengreen@lemm.ee 49 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I think Europe needs to use european made tools and services. US software- and cloud providers can't be trusted with nation critical things. At this point any data they have access to, will eventually find it self on Putins desk. Trump will use these companies as leverage and to make threats.

[–] segabased@lemmy.zip 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

US cloud supports our military endeavors and it spies on you. That AI facial recognition drones and police are using are powered in large part by google and other big tech companies. The immensity of the data centers and how much they cost to build and operate is staggering. You have no idea how much simply not using google would impact the world as google has it's hands in everything.

Stop using American tech.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 42 points 1 day ago (8 children)

what is donald trump trying to achieve again? i don't get it

[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 day ago

In Trump's syphilitic brain, "Making America Great Again", means every other country with the exception of Russia and China, bends the knee and does what America wants, no questions asked. To him, THAT is power. He's too stupid to comprehend the concept of soft power and his diplomatic intelligence amounts only to trying to force others to be nothing more than client states.

This is just bullying tactics to try to make them do that. With the added benefit of destabilizing the west for Putin's benefit.

[–] nicky7@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 day ago

I'm convinced he's trying to incite riots for martial law, and force an economic collpase so he and his cronies can buy up the bankrupt companies and assets.

[–] TheBat@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago

It's OK. He doesn't get it either.

[–] Doctor_Satan@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

for what purpose? prices have been lower and standard of living higher than anywhere else in the world because of the trade imbalances. unemployment is low unless you're in tech. i don't understand what is meant to be achieved by any of this

[–] scholar@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

Benefit Russia

[–] seeigel@feddit.org 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

According to Yanis Varoufakis, to end the tade imbalances so that the US don't lose their production capabilities

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

the low prices and high standard of living are due to the manufacturing being outsourced. i don't understand what the end goal of boosting production capabilities is

[–] khannie@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i don't understand what the end goal of boosting production capabilities is

Wartime manufacturing capacity would be my guess. Probably an element of self sufficiency too.

Shipbuilding capacity is just a fraction of China's now for example. Same goes for electronics.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

why do you need self-sufficiency when you are the defense and economic leader of the global hegemony?

[–] UsernameHere@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

To maintain that leadership.

[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I saw that, but surely if you wanted to protect US industrial base you’d be much more targeted about it? Unless the point is to create uncertainty and devalue the dollar that way.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 1 day ago

i think it's possible that they want to devalue the dollar. but this all defeats everything that distinguished life in the usa from other countries

[–] misk@sopuli.xyz 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Protecting interests of American businesses, possibly ideological although bribery could be involved too. Trump has been consistent on tariffs for nearly 50 years so it’s safe to assume it’s one of his few core beliefs that’s not as easily affected by his other personality issues.

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

American Business is modelled on importing and outsourcing. I don't understand how this protects business interests

[–] bugg@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You’re right and this disregard for the old system is making me nervous. These moves are so economically unsound that I can only draw the conclusion that the old neo-liberal business interests are not a concern anymore. If America tanks its importing and outsourcing model, what will it be replaced with? I’m not confident there’s a plan here (other than isolation and destruction).

[–] nutsack@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 day ago

I've been trying to figure out many of the conservative viewpoints for a long time. some of them I can steel man a little bit, but this one really confuses me a lot. it's just too stupid

[–] misk@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Taxes make companies earn less money. Trump tries to dissuade Poland from taxing American companies using threat of tariffs. I’m not sure how to put it in easier terms.

[–] easily3667@lemmus.org 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Tariffs also lose businesses money, not sure how to make it simpler

[–] misk@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I need you to make it less simple because you’re glossing over the details. Walk me through how tariffs on polish sausages (or whatever product/industry you think is adequate) will affect American business. This is not a symmetrical relationship between US and Poland and we don’t trade as much as most think.

[–] shininghero@pawb.social 4 points 1 day ago

The political equivalent of grade school bullying. It even has the exact same consequences for your reputation, except now it's global instead of being limited to that school building.

[–] vxx@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

The question should be "What is putin trying to achieve again?"

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 5 points 1 day ago

Defend their propaganda machine at all costs?
Thems the basics.

[–] cocolowlander@feddit.nl 107 points 1 day ago (1 children)

EU really needs to at least get off of American tech in government service. Our tax shouldn't be going into their pockets.

[–] Duke_Nukem_1990@feddit.org 27 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Yeah let's see how that is going: https://blog.google/intl/de-de/feed/google-cloud-und-bsi-sichere-cloud-losungen-in-der-offentlichen-verwaltung/

The "BSI" is the German Ministry for security and information security btw

[–] lmuel@sopuli.xyz 13 points 1 day ago

Average German retardedness

Source: am German unfortunately

What the fuuuuuck

Corporate-owned/non-FOSS software is just mindrot at this point, in the sense that the vast populous apparently cannot fathom that there's another way than trusting big tech.

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 110 points 1 day ago (1 children)

All of Europe should impose those taxes. Trump can impose tariffs if he wants. Let's see how that goes for them.

[–] NewDay@feddit.org 8 points 1 day ago

If Trump impose tariffs on one of the member of the EU then the entire EU will impose tariffs too. He knows that and he will not do it because he tried it in his first term and their tariffs were not 2 days active due to counter tariffs.

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Germany better march into Polandball* before the Murikans do!!

######*to defend it

[–] match@pawb.social 45 points 1 day ago

The US is sanctioning itself

[–] Phytobus@lemm.ee 52 points 1 day ago (3 children)

How do you guys think Trump would retaliate? Trade tariffs can only be made against the whole EU instead of just Poland

[–] FelixCress@lemmy.world 45 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

I bet he doesn't know that.

[–] Don_alForno@feddit.org 2 points 1 day ago

We know for a fact he doesn't, because we know that Angela Merkel had to explain to him on multiple occasions that he couldn't negotiate trade deals with her but had to go to the EU as a whole. But since he later had to memorize "person, woman, man, camera, TV", that information was then erased again.

[–] Doctor_Satan@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

SPAIN IS A BRICS COUNTRY!

[–] AlpacaChariot@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

50% tariffs on imported shoe polish

[–] rzadkie@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

We have about 130 abrams, f16s make bulk of our airforce and patriots are our only modern long range sam platform. Not to mention f35s and apaches. The orangist could very easily pressure us but sadly our rulling class is bunch of bootlickers and probably are already figuring out how to undermine this bill.

[–] Phytobus@lemm.ee 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This is why we shouldn't buy any more US military equipment and cancel all standing orders.

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[–] balssh@lemm.ee 32 points 1 day ago

Please tax and regulate the fuck about US big tech.

[–] FelixCress@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Multinational companies should be taxed on turnover in the individual countries, not on profits.

And US companies are not above the law, for fuck sake.

[–] overcooked_sap@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Except the local versions of those companies make zero profit and have no taxable income. This why everyone agreed on a basic business tax rate until the orange monkey pulled out.

[–] FelixCress@lemmy.world 13 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Except the local versions of those companies make zero profit and have no taxable income.

They have income/turnover, they just don't have any profits - which is why I said the turnover of these should be taxed.

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[–] aaron@infosec.pub 15 points 1 day ago

The US can just impose a reciprocal tax on Polish tech's US earnings.

[–] middlemanSI@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago

Can't have money flowing in the "wrong" direction. Duuh

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago
[–] ThePantser@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago

How about some of those "protections" you are giving to tech given to the people?

Silly me we don't like the people anymore.

[–] albert180@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Send the ambassador home. They appointed one which loves PiS and hates Tusk just for provocation.

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