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HOW GLOBAL TAXATION WILL COME IN THE BACK Given its [the United Nations]
current structure and the recently added 75,000 troop rapid deployment force,
the only component missing to make this a complete governmental structure is
taxation. By Joan Veon DAVOS,
SWITZERLAND - There were many hot topics here at the 2005 World Economic
Forum. They included: the spread of global terrorism, American foreign
policy, the value of the dollar, and climate change. The hot buttons,
however, were poverty and disease in Africa the spread of global terrorism,
and what has been called "An International Tax for the Poor." Having
been to seven of these meetings, I can tell you that this is a very complex
place Since
the World Economic Forum has NGO consultative status at the United Nations, the
underlying philosophy of their meetings is to spread that gospel to the
participants. This is evident in the mixture of over 200 workshops. To be
fair, the World Economic Forum brings together CEO's for networking purposes,
to share experiences, and to "understand the state of the world."
The quality of speakers is unparalleled and the topics cover everything
happening in the world. Although the United Nations would probably not exist
without the financial and material support of the United States, it clearly
is an important component of the international structure and (what I
consider) world government. Having covered 65 global meetings in every part
of the globe except Asia, I have yet to change my mind. In
the eyes of the governments that sponsored the birthing of the UN, it was to
be a place to solve the world's problems. It should be noted that America's
representative, Alger Hiss, who chaired that meeting and who was its first
secretary-general, was convicted of lying to the government about his
involvement in the Communist Party. The Charter of the United Nations is not
based on the U. S. Constitution where are freedoms are unlimited and come
from God, but on the Russian Constitution where they come from government and
can be taken away. Sixty years later, the UN has expanded with a structure
that looks like any other government in the world, with the exception of an
international taxing mechanism. Given
its current structure and the recently added 75,000 troop rapid deployment
force, the only component missing to make this a complete governmental
structure is taxation. In addition, UN has been working on a way for
non-governmental organizations-NGOs or civil society to be represented with a
voice in the General Assembly. Other than setting up an International House
of Representatives with the people of the world electing their own
representative, the Right of Petition is being formulated so NGO's can go
directly to the General Assembly, possibly avoiding the need to set up a lower
chamber. Therefore,
the fact that French President Jacques Chirac laid on the table for business
leaders to consider the idea of global taxation to raise money for the
poor, was equal to a nuclear bomb being set off in London. His proposals were
basically old one with a little updating or modification. Chirac's
modified "Tobin Tax" or tax on speculative international currency
transactions will probably never fly. I have been in IMF/World
Bank Meetings where the experts said it was too
complicated to do. I believe the reasons for brining it up again is that it
is so radical that what they really want will be easier to swallow. While he
recommended a $1 tax on airline tickets, a tax on fuel for shipping and
aviation, and a tax on capital flows in and out of countries with bank
secrecy, there are two key suggestions that are the real tax schemes. The
real tax that they want is an increase in Overseas Development Assistance
which can be leveraged through the new international facility which British
Finance Minister, Gordon Brown suggested. In
response to Chirac's international tax proposals, former president Bill
Clinton said that while he was in favor of an "income stream to fund the
Millennium Development Goals, there has never been an international tax. Who
would approve it?" It is thought that it would take five to ten years to
put an international tax scheme in place-many said that would take too long. The
real stealth tax bomb is the Overseas Development Assistance-ODA which are
funds given by countries for debt relief, technical cooperation and emergency
and disaster relief along with food aid. America is currently appropriating
0.23% GNP for ODA or about 6 cents per $100 of national income. Interestingly
enough out of the G8 countries, we are giving 6 cents per $100 of national
income whereas the UK is giving 2 cents, Canada is giving 5 cents, Germany is
giving 4 cents, with Japan and Italy giving a bit less than or 1 cents.
America has been castigated at every international conference for her
"stinginess" which I believe is a tactic by some of the world's
most prominent socialists. At
the World Economic Forum, Britain pledged $1.8B over the next 15 years which will
come from raising their ODA from its present rate to 0.7% of GNP. France and
Germany have committed to raising theirs ODA as well. World
leaders have pledged over the years, with the last major pledge in 2002 to
raise ODA to 0.7% and have not. The momentum building over the poverty and
disease in Africa is now the impetus, NGO's say, for the rich countries of
the world to rise to the challenge. For America, this would mean adding $55B
a year to ODA. Interestingly enough, the UN says the amount it needs to meet
its Millennium Development Goals is $50B a year. Surprise, surprise--what a
great transfer of wealth! What
is the difference between giving and transfer of wealth? The outpouring of relief
that we witnessed over the South Seas tsunami came from the heart. It was not
dictated. To add injury to insult, British finance minister Gordon Brown has
unveiled a mechanism called the "International Finance Facility"
that would take the ODA pledges and float international bonds in the market
to leverage country pledges. This leveraging would commit America for 30
years (bonds are 30 years). Can you imagine a $10T mortgage over 30 years
(0.7% ODA = $72B year x15 years)? That's the bottom line. Then let us add the
cost of $2T which is the projection to change Social Security and the
possibility some kind of VAT or national sales tax! If Satan is in control of
the world, debt is his tool for transfer of wealth. Again,
we should consider all of the poor African countries that can't pay their
bills. A great many of them are former British colonies and they are very
rich in gold, bauxite, diamonds, iron, copper, cobalt and coal, not to
mention forests and agriculture. In a speech by Tanzania President Benjamin
William Mkapa, he said that because his country
trades in commodities there is no value added, the prices are unstable, and
they get unfair prices. Furthermore, he admitted that they borrowed very
heavily from the IMF/World Bank as well as other lenders which is why they
are impoverished and highly indebted. Unfortunately, this is the story of all
the other poverty stricken African countries. On top of that, there is
warring going on over control of their natural resources. I
posed the following question to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, "As a
former colony of Britain, I know what happened to us when we de-colonized,
and I know where we are today. I too am very concerned about Africa and its
plight. Could you help me understand what happened to
many of these African countries that were at one time colonies of Britain and
now are members of the Commonwealth. How did what happen, happen in Africa
and what are the reasons as to why they happened?" Blair, said,
"Briefly," the people in the room laughed and he basically gave me
a non answer but was kind enough to end with, "I realize this is
probably not the answer you wanted." I believe we are being set up for a major
transfer of wealth that will put a greater burden on the backs of Americans
which already have more than what they can handle. Am I for world peace? Yes,
but it will never happen because it has never happened. Man is not capable of
world peace. It is a utopian ideal for which the socialists and communists
want control of the world for the sake of control. The only peace we can have
is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that
the "effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much"
(James 5:16). © 2005 Joan Veon - All Rights Reserved Sign Up For Free E-Mail Alerts E-Mails are used strictly for NWVs
alerts, not for sale Joan Veon is a businesswoman and international reporter, having covered 64 Global meetings around the world in the last ten years. Please visit her website: www.womensgroup.org. The Women's International Media Group, Inc. P. O. Box 77, Middletown, MD 21769. For an information packet, please call 301-371-0541 E-Mail: jveon@adelphia.net |
