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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[–] 110 points 2 years ago (1 child)

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

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years 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.

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  • [–] 108 points 2 years ago (3 children)

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

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  • [–] 27 points 2 years 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

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  • [–] 51 points 2 years ago (7 children)

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

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  • [+] 44 points 2 years ago* (2 children)
  • [–] 2 points 2 years 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.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (2 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.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago (1 child)

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

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    I just hope that this huge rearmment investments that are being talked about are going to proceed immediatelly and not in a typical EU fashion - that is after 5 years of talks and letters of intent and summits. Ursula, Donald, don't fuck this up!

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  • [–] 50 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] 16 points 2 years 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.

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  • [–] 45 points 2 years ago

    The US is sanctioning itself

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  • [–] 42 points 2 years ago (23 children)

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

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  • [–] 20 points 2 years ago (9 children)
  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (8 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

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (6 children)

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

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (3 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

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (2 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.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    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.

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  • [–] [S] 9 points 2 years ago (6 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.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago* (5 children)

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

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    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).

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years 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.

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  • [–] 32 points 2 years ago

    Please tax and regulate the fuck about US big tech.

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  • [+] 23 points 2 years ago (4 children)
  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (3 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.

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  • [–] 15 points 2 years ago* (last edited 1 year ago)
    [–] 15 points 2 years ago

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

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  • [–] 15 points 2 years ago*

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

    ######*to defend it

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago
    [–] 8 points 2 years 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.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago*

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

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