Posted on 12/28/2004 4:11:38 PM PST by Howlin
Earlier today, responding to these remarks by the UN's Jan Egeland
But U.N. Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland suggested that the United States and other Western nations were being "stingy" with relief funds, saying there would be more available if taxes were raised.
"It is beyond me why are we so stingy, really," the Norwegian-born U.N. official told reporters. "Christmastime should remind many Western countries at least, [of] how rich we have become."
"There are several donors who are less generous than before in a growing world economy," he said, adding that politicians in the United States and Europe "believe that they are really burdening the taxpayers too much, and the taxpayers want to give less. It's not true. They want to give more."
I sent this email to Jan Egeland
You seem to be under the impression that the ONLY way that individuals can donate money to charities and disasters is if the government TAKES the money from them in the form of taxes and gives it to YOU.
Leaving aside the fact that the UN is the last place I want MY government to give money (see Oil for Food scandal), we don't need to be taxed into giving. The United States is a generous country and we WILL give a lot of money to this cause; we're just not going to give it to YOU to spend as you see fit.
The people who really need and deserve the money will get it, without you having the opportunity to cut your slice off of it.
Howlin @ FR
Raleigh, NC
P.S. Forget about a UN and/or world tax; it's not going to happen.
LOL! I was saying it out loud. Great minds, huh?
GOD bless you for owning up to your mistake. It talkes a BIG man to do so;especially on FR.
An awful lot of people think that you and I are guys...which I never have been able to figure out. LOL
The UN so desperately wants to tax our country they can hardly contain themselves.
Nice cage-rattling!
Sue 'em! I'm not kidding.LOL
I sent an e-mail to Cici, asking her how stingy she thought the Clinton Administration was in their donations to Rwanda. I also told her that I was telling Roger Ailes that whenever she is on Fox I am switching the channel.
On another FR thread comes the news that EU has "pledged" $4 million. How many countries make up the EU? Ceci can use her "stingy" remarks for THEM.
You take care, Waitie. You have friends here who care.
The UN owes you your donation,PLUS INTEREST,back. :-)
No UNICEF boxes for me... I went to Catholic school and had RCIA and Marynoll Missions boxes. Not only does the UN rip off money from adults but they fleece kids too!
Good for you! :-)
Howlin -
It appears that the main rate of taxation is 55.3%, with some lower rates for people in rural areas, married couples, and young people saving for a house, etc. http://odin.dep.no/fin/engelsk/p4500279/p30004927/bn.html
My friend is a foreign student from Norway, but she is at home for the Christmas break, so I can't get the exact details. I just know that everytime I say something like '70% tax rate in Scandinavia' she says that's not true, anymore. : ) However, apparently they can look up what people have paid in taxes on the internet. She spent some time doing that one day at work and I was flabergasted. While curiousity is one thing, I can't imagine the invasion of privacy that that entails! Americans would never agree to such a thing.
She's a good socialist who's told me that paying a high tax rate gives her the freedom to not worry about the basics of life. The constant refrain I hear is, "You Americans should pay more taxes, then you would have ..."
Too bad her country couldn't provide her with the nice doctoral education she is getting over here.
As life would have it, it turns out I work with a bunch of Scandinavians here in the US and overseas. I'm getting to see socialism and its effects on the human character close up. Scary.
Thanks; that means something, coming from you.
I'm amazed that the UN chose a time of horrible disaster to take another nasty swipe against the USA. Calling us "stingy" is over the top. Before you say you were "misquoted" I've read the transcript. You were not misquoted at all.
This country bends over backwards to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever it's needed around the world. When the UN has looked the other way the USA has found a way to step in and help poor people around the world.
I'm well aware that the UN ranks the USA last on the generosity scale (compared to yours and other nations). I'm well aware you do not give credit to America for millions of dollars donated privately since it "wisely" isn't donated through the UN ... which, by the way, we no longer trust (can we say Oil For Food?) and whom the majority of Americans would like to see cut loose from our shores and sent elsewhere to spread their hate and discontent.
In addition to private donations, the UN does not give credit to the USA for all the food we ship around the world, free of charge, to aid world hunger. We are usually the first people to volunteer to send our doctors, Marines, (you name it) to aid people who are suffering. Nor is it giving us credit for the BILLIONS (of Tax Dollars) we're spending to fight this war on terror, liberate and help rebuild Afghanistan and Iraq.
Our elected President and Secretary of State, etc., may sit back and say nothing while members of the UN badmouth our country and beat us up daily, but a lot of very proud, caring, American Citizens are fed up. We've had it with the attitude you and others take toward us. We don't need the UN. The UN needs US.
If our President asked I can guarantee you over 70% of our population would vote to drop out of the UN -- to which we contribute just under 25% of the total amount each year. Every time you make comments like calling us "stingy" that number grows.
Before you call us stingy I sugest you look at what this country REALLY contributes around the world. If you want to pay exorbitant taxes and live in a Socialistic Society, good for you. In America we started one war with the Boston Tea Party. In case you are unaware of American History (I know the UN is against us teaching it the way it REALLY happened) that war was over taxation. American's like to work hard and we like to keep our money and donate it as WE see fit, not the way someone who isn't even an elected member of our Government sees fit. Most of us do not see fit to let the UN distribute our money.
By the way... where were all your European Relief Organizations this past summer when Florida was decimated by Hurricane after Hurricane? Oh, yes, they were too busy saying the hurricanes were the fault of President Bush because the USA refused to sign and join Kyoto!
Sincerley,
"I am usually a lot more tactful than that......LOL."
LOL, and meek as a lamb too.
Way to kick butt, Howlin.
You guys are busting me big time.
it's time to throw some corrupt UN officials in the ocean
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