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The UN Tax???? - The UN wants to tax us!
Front Page Mag | Daniel Mitchel

Posted on 12/22/2003 7:32:21 PM PST by Conservomax

Many politicians seem to think that the answer to every alleged problem is higher taxes. Howard Dean, for instance, has said he would repeal the Bush tax cuts -- even though this would boost the average family’s tax burden by nearly $2,000.

This initiative sounds radical, and it is. But some proposals out there are even worse.

The United Nations, for instance, wants to create an International Tax Organization (ITO) that would have the power to interfere with national tax policies.

This crazy idea first surfaced two years ago in a report from the world body’s “High-Level Panel on Financing for Development.” Since then, the U.N. has been working to turn it into reality. For instance, U.N. General Secretary Kofi Annan recently called for the creation of a global tax commission. But no matter what it’s called, an international bureaucracy with power over tax policy would be an assault on American sovereignty.

An international tax organization, of course, would mean higher taxes and bigger government. Indeed, U.N. officials have been quite open about their intentions. The chairman of the U.N. panel that first endorsed the creation of an ITO said that it would “take a lead role in restraining tax competition.” According to this mentality, it’s unfair for America to have lower taxes than places such as France and Germany, especially if it means that jobs and investment flee Europe’s welfare states and come to America.

For all intents and purposes, the U.N. wants to create an “OPEC for politicians.” Governments would conspire to keep taxes high, and countries with free-market tax systems -- such as the United States, Switzerland, Ireland and Hong Kong -- would be targeted for persecution.

The U.N. also wants the power to levy its own taxes. The original report looked at two options, a tax on currency transactions and a tax on energy consumption. Both of these proposals would hit America hardest. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. In the past, the U.N. has endorsed new taxes on the Internet, including a tax on e-mail. Again, the U.S. economy would pay the lion’s share if this reckless idea took effect.

But the prize for the worst U.N. idea probably belongs to the proposal to give governments permanent taxing rights over emigrants. You see, the U.N. thinks it’s unfair when talented people leave high-tax socialist nations and move to places such as America. But since even the U.N. realizes it would be unacceptable to prohibit emigration, the bureaucrats are instead proposing to let governments tax income earned in other nations.

This scheme is a direct attack on American interests because of our high levels of immigration -- particularly the well-educated portion of the immigrant population. For instance, if a doctor from the Caribbean moves to America, his home government would get to tax income he earns here. If a Chinese entrepreneur moves to Silicon Valley, the Chinese government would get to tax his U.S. income.

Foreign-born workers in the United States, including both citizens and resident aliens, earn nearly $600 billion each year. Imagine the damage if foreign governments could tax that income. Even if they imposed only a 15 percent tax rate, foreign governments could drain nearly $100 billion from our economy.

There is an understandable temptation to dismiss these U.N. proposals as silly. After all, the United States can veto any bad initiatives. But this passive approach is a mistake. What would happen, say, if Howard Dean were president when the U.N. was voting whether to create an International Tax Organization? Could we trust him to veto this nutty scheme?

Another reason we should worry: The U.N. is just one of several international bureaucracies working to undermine fiscal sovereignty. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) targets “harmful tax competition” and the Brussels-based European Union enthusiastically backs “tax harmonization.”

What’s particularly troubling is that U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for much of this nonsense. We don’t belong to the European Union, but we pay 25 percent of the costs at the U.N. and the OECD.

Fortunately, some members of Congress are trying to address this. For example, Rep. John Sweeney, R-N.Y., has introduced legislation that would end U.S. funding of these bureaucracies if they insist on pursuing policies that undermine America. Bureaucrats at the U.N. and OECD don’t want to risk their bloated budgets and tax-free salaries, so this is a good approach.

Clearly we have to do something -- unless we want to see our tax bills soar


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: highertaxes; kofiannan; taxes; un; uniteddictators; untaxes
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To: Conservomax
this is ridiculous, the UN is funded by member states on a voluntary basis. To have the UN talk about enforcing a tax is madness violation of its own charters.
121 posted on 12/26/2003 7:19:09 AM PST by JudgemAll
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To: backhoe
CAN YOU just imagine a child coming to a un refugee camp thinking that they will get help only to be raped, I know what I would do if I were in charge of the un, but you will see or hear nothing which leads me to believe that they are complicit in the whole thing.
122 posted on 12/26/2003 10:29:49 AM PST by douglas1 (i)
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To: Conservomax
If this is ever tried in this country its time to 'Lock And Load'.
123 posted on 12/26/2003 11:41:26 AM PST by vladog
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To: Conservomax; GeronL; jgrubbs; Mid-State Constitution Party; sheltonmac
Clearly we have to do something -- unless we want to see our tax bills soar

For starters, let's elect officials who would stop transferring federal tax dollars to the U.N. and reward those who are currently in office and make such an effort with re-election (such as Congressman Ron Paul).

The UN would have neither the ability nor the gall to demand any money from the American People if we were to cut off this parasitical drain on our earnings.

Defund the UN from the U.S. budget, and pass along the savings in an income tax elimination.

124 posted on 12/26/2003 12:49:56 PM PST by The_Eaglet (Peroutka for President)
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To: The_Eaglet
I bump to that
125 posted on 12/26/2003 5:17:41 PM PST by GeronL (The Revolution should be televised! Imagine the ratings!)
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To: Cultural Jihad
It would've made a better airplane target 27-some months ago too...
126 posted on 12/26/2003 9:19:36 PM PST by solitas (sleep well, gentle reader; but remember there ARE such things...)
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To: Blue Highway
"Kofi-no-cream"! (I think Bernie McGuirk first said that on Imus' show)
127 posted on 12/26/2003 9:21:42 PM PST by solitas (sleep well, gentle reader; but remember there ARE such things...)
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To: Conservomax
The UN is by parasites, of parasites and for parasites. The US needs to de-worm itself of this bunch, NOW!
128 posted on 12/26/2003 9:27:17 PM PST by luvmysuv
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To: Conservomax
I'm really not worried. It would be instant political suicide for any president, R or D, to ever agree to such a thing, for him and his whole party.
129 posted on 12/27/2003 4:18:34 AM PST by zbigreddogz
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To: backhoe
RE the sex book for children: "That book was a product of the Mexican government, supported by UNICEF financially as part of UNICEF's support to the Mexican government," Mr. Ironside said.

Interesting.. makes you wonder if they were attempting this as population control for the 'underclass'.. instead they're sending them to the US in droves ..

130 posted on 12/27/2003 8:47:27 AM PST by Zipporah (Write in Tancredo 2004)
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To: zbigreddogz
It's the idea that counts.
131 posted on 12/27/2003 2:18:21 PM PST by Conservomax (shill: One who poses as a satisfied customer or an enthusiastic gambler to dupe bystanders into part)
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To: Carolinamom
How much longer does Kofi Annan have in his UN position/job?

Good question -

Too long.
132 posted on 12/28/2003 6:25:56 AM PST by flamefront (To the victor go the oils. No oil or oil-money for islamofascist weapons of mass annihilation.)
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To: Conservomax
not only no but Hell no.
NYC is not so far away that one cannot drive there, and the UN doesn't have so many delegates that one cannot...
133 posted on 12/29/2003 9:43:45 AM PST by King Prout (oh, finding your "core values" in the latest poll, are you, Mr. Dean?)
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To: MichiganCheese; All
It is already happening indirectly. Our government taxes us. Our government is the major source of funds for the U.N. Therefore, we are paying taxes to the U.N.

Thanks.

Also, for all the people who think the U.N is pure Communist evil and are right now locking and loading against the black helicopters, I got news for you - the U.N. takes orders from us, not the other way around! The U.N. is only as powerful as the United States allows it to be. After all, we created it and fund it! Don't be so paranoid.

134 posted on 12/30/2003 1:06:24 PM PST by conserv13
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To: Conservomax
This reeks of Soros' one world vision...
135 posted on 12/30/2003 1:07:50 PM PST by antaresequity (...)
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To: Conservomax
>>International Tax Organization (ITO) that would have the power to interfere with national tax policies.

Oh, please...can't the libs just stay drugged 24/7?
136 posted on 12/30/2003 1:09:19 PM PST by The Raven
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To: jjm2111
Who cares what it could read, how about what it does read! 30 seconds on google yields:

That was a correct use of an elipses because it did not change the original message, it only condensed it to make it easier to read.
137 posted on 12/30/2003 1:20:23 PM PST by chudogg (www.chudogg.blogspot.com)
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