The 8th House in astrology is on the Possessions Axis of the chart, which relates to "my" possessions in the 2nd House, and to "your" (i.e. everybody's and shared) possessions in the 8th House. My short YouTube video, recorded back in September 2009, focuses on the 2/8 House axis and what we might consider to be our possessions alongside our communal, shared possessions in society as a whole. You can view it here.
I wrote about the Uranus/Pluto square earlier this year, and you can read what I said about it here. I've also added a recent update since the news broke about tax avoidance schemes.
The Uranus/Pluto square reached its first point of exactitude on 24th June, and around this time there was an eruption of news in the UK about the British comedian Jimmy Carr who had publicly let it be known that he partook of a tax avoidance scheme and managed not to pay his full whack. PM David Cameron responded by saying that it was morally wrong to avoid paying tax. This was followed by an outcry from those who said it wasn't morally wrong, because it was legal, and those who agreed that it was morally wrong.
Legal or not, I fall into the morally wrong camp. To earn a lot of money and to not pay taxes whilst being resident in the country and enjoying the benefits of having a police force, a National Health Service, the armed forces, roads, street lighting, refuse collections, public parks and playing fields - to mention just a few of the things that paying tax supports - is simply unfair. And it seems wrong that those who have enough money to hire the accountants to help them circumnavigate paying taxes are getting away with non-payment, whilst the average person who duly pays their tax is supporting them.
The administration on the Channel Island of Jersey has recently said it will seek to become independent if the government makes life hard on tax avoiders/evaders. This stance will probably be taken up by the neighbouring islands of Guernsey, Sark and Alderney, along with the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. All these islands have long been known to be tax havens and good places to keep off-shore bank accounts.
Now banks, banker bonuses and even more scandals are in the news once again, with the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, quoted in the Telegraph as saying that the bosses of Barclays bank must "pay the price" for rigging interest rates in a scandal caused by a culture of systemic greed and irresponsibility.
It is morally wrong and offensive to avoid paying tax. Surely it's time for the government to make it illegal to participate in such schemes, and clamp down on those who spend some time not living in the UK so they don't have to pay UK taxes, but who partake of the facilities that honest tax payers contribute to when they are here.
It is morally wrong and offensive to avoid paying tax. Surely it's time for the government to make it illegal to participate in such schemes, and clamp down on those who spend some time not living in the UK so they don't have to pay UK taxes, but who partake of the facilities that honest tax payers contribute to when they are here.
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