Posted on 01/26/2005 10:30:20 AM PST by ejdrapes
DAVOS, Switzerland - French President Jacques Chirac called on the world's richest nations Wednesday to provide billions of dollars in aid for poor countries through new taxes and other measures that would help combat AIDS, poverty and natural disasters. He said the tsunami that struck Asian coastlines last month — possibly killing up to 300,000 people — should trigger not only aid to that region but a broader coordinated drive by developed nations to reach out to the Third World. "The world suffers chronically from what has been strikingly called the 'silent tsunamis.' Famine. Infectious diseases that decimate the life force of entire continents," Chirac said in a video message from Paris to the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. The annual meeting, in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, has taken on increased importance in recent years as globalization and common threats — from terrorism to increased vulnerability to natural disasters — have made the world's nations and governments more dependent on each other. Chirac alluded to such interdependence, saying that natural disasters, political unrest, uncontrolled migration and extremism are "breeding grounds for terrorism" — suggesting developed nations had a stake in resolving the problem. The French leader outlined a number of steps to raise billions of dollars through taxes on international financial transactions, plane tickets or fuel used by airliners and oceangoing vessels. He also proposed that countries with bank secrecy laws make a special contribution to Third World aid and that developed nations provide "coordinated tax incentives" to stimulate private donations. Chirac asked that the world's eight leading developed nations debate his plan at a G-8 summit in July in Scotland that will be hosted by British Prime Minister Tony Blair. He did not spell out an amount of money that would be generated, but gave several examples. A tax on international financial transactions — which the United States strongly opposes — would raise $10 billion a year, while a $1 tax on every plane ticket sold worldwide would raise "at least $3 billion" a year without causing the aviation industry much harm, Chirac said. Bad weather prevented Chirac from attending. Blair was to deliver an address later Wednesday at the gathering of the world's elite. Some 2,500 corporate, political and other leaders who spend five days debating an array of issues from AIDS to U.S. leadership, from Europe's anemic growth to China's phenomenal expansion. In over 200 workshops and debates, the Davos participants focus on "tough choices." One example is China, whose economic transformation is redrafting the world order and whose phenomenal growth has already triggered higher oil prices — which, in turn, sharpens the global climate change debate. China's growth will help spur "global demand for energy ... by 60 percent by 2030," said N.R. Narayana Murthy, chairman of Infosys Technologies of India. "There is no stopping this giant," said Takatoshi Ito of the University of Tokyo. China's economy grew at an annual rate of 9.5 percent in 2004, and many expect the 2005 figure to surpass that. He also said that China accounted for a staggering proportion of the world's consumption of some materials. "Last year, China consumed 25 to 30 percent of most major industrial materials, especially metals," said Stephen S. Roach, chief economist for Morgan Stanley USA. China was responsible for 43 percent of the world's consumption of concrete, he added. Conference attendees also focused on Europe's lackluster economic performance, the seemingly improved chances for peace in the Middle East, the future of U.S. global leadership, the fate of world trade talks, what to do with weapons of mass destruction and combatting poverty. "The three richest people in the world own more than the gross domestic product of 40 of the world's poorest nations," said Daniel Vasella, chief executive of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG. Former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans, who now heads the International Crisis Group, said 2005 was a pivotal year considering the pending world trade talks, a September summit of world leaders on global security issues and the need to meet U.N. development goals including halving global poverty by 2015. "If we don't understand the significance of 2005, we're just missing a really fundamental point," he said. "This is a make or break year." The administration of President Bush also has a crucial role, participants said. The United States "produces 30 percent of the world's goods and buys $600 billion in products from developing nations," said John A. Thain, chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange. "The U.S. leadership role in the global economy is an important one." Americans were also criticized, however, for borrowing a lot and saving little — suggesting excessive consumption. Stephen S. Roach, chief economist for Morgan Stanley USA, called U.S. consumers self-indulgent — terming them "an accident waiting to happen." Chirac Urges Taxes to Help World's Poor
I see, you have never lived anywhere else in the world? I have lived outside the US for 10 years. I must say, I would much rather live in California. Are you helping Africans yet? I am not, never will. Happily, most of my my historic knowledge lies in Asia in general, the Philippines in particular. I will help them, you help whoever you want to.
Not really.
Vichy?
I do hope you'll go off praising the French! On Free Republic, no less!
"Socialist idiot......handouts won't fix this problem. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime..."
And to expand on that thought, teach and encourage countries to adopt free markets, free elections, education. Basically democracy which is what we have spent trillions on in the last 50 years. Some countries adopt it and amazingly, their people are doing much better. Many people here in the States send donations internationally already out of good-will.
I agree, I think the US should tax all Frenchmen.
Surely you don't believe the gift of the Statue of Liberty remotely approximates in stature France's conduct of the 20th and 21st centuries?
"Well here's a thought, maybe the Africans could do soething about fixing up their own water. From time to time people have to do something for themselves however people get the leadership that they deserve."
France gets the leadership it deserves because socialist frenchman vote people like Chirac in. People in North Korea on the other hand havn't had much of a choice of leadership. Not every people can have a revolution to become free from tyranny and win like we did in the US.
Like many Americans, I am proud of my Scottish (and French, actually) heritage.
"Whats so hard about boiling water to kill bacteria and parasites?"
That is a great point. I posted something similar about the dictators of these countries hogging the resources and starving their people.
Worse than Scotland? Yes!
Sorry pal, I am no cowardly Brit like you. You drink that French piss called wine, not me. That is what makes you so cowardly.
The French weren't exactly displaying "well brought-up behavior" in the 18th and 19th centuries either.
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