Many U.S. Senators won't rule out Global Taxes (My Title)

Human Events ^ | 3-21-02

[The Old Hoosier]

Capitol Q&A
Should Americans Pay Global Taxes?

In a March 19 op-ed in the Washington Post about the UN’s Monterrey Conference on Financing Development, Mexican President Vicente Fox indicated his support for a system of global taxation.

"As a stepping-stone on the path toward development for all," wrote Fox, "Monterrey should allow us to move closer to new and more far-reaching goals, including some proposals that didn’t make the radar screen this time. For example, global taxes such as the one proposed on carbon emissions could be used to finance global public goods. . . . The industrialized countries . . . [could provide] money for development and also a more efficient use of scarce resources."

Human Events Assistant Editor David Freddoso asked some senators last week if they would support Fox’s idea for global taxation.

Do you agree with Mexican President Vicente Fox that we should pay global taxes to support development in poor countries?

You know, not at this time. I think that probably can be considered, but I don’t think it’s for this time. Because many other nations have tax problems, so how can they do it globally? I think we’re the most advanced nation in taxation. But I think it’s an idea to think about. Because eventually, the way things are going, if there’s a war on terrorism, it should be the whole world fighting it, not only the United States.

So you would want American taxpayers to pay some kind of global authority to wage the war on terror?

I think we need to take care of our own country and our own needs, as well as global peace, which extends to other countries. That’s what we’re doing right now.

So we shouldn’t just do it through funding our own military and diplomatic corps, but also some kind of super-governmental structure?

I think we’re not ready for that kind of tax.

But maybe later on we will be?

In the future, maybe. As other nations come up to a higher caliber, that may be a good idea. As we keep saying, the world is getting smaller and smaller, you know? And maybe, you know, "One nation on earth."

A one-world `government?

Yes.

—Sen. Daniel Akaka (D.-Hawaii)

Do you agree with Mexican President Vicente Fox that we should pay global taxes to support development in poor countries?

I have no idea. I haven’t thought about it.

You might be open to the idea of paying global taxes?

I have to look at it in more detail before I’d have an opinion.

—Sen. John Breaux (D.-La.)

Do you agree with Mexican President Vicente Fox that we should pay global taxes to support development in poor countries?

No, I don’t think we should do anything like pay global taxes. We pay our own taxes to our own country. If our country chooses, according to the law, to help poor countries, we ought to do that, but before we join in taxing ourselves for global commitments, we should tax ourselves for our own government’s commitments.

So you’re in favor of using domestic taxation to support development in other countries?

Sure. We’ve been contributing to Israel and Egypt since the peace accord was signed between the two countries. We’ve wasted a lot of money with bad formulas during the Cold War just to be competitive. But I think we’re on a much better approach now, because countries of the world are looking more for capitalist-type development, along with some kind of freedom or some kind of openness. That’s what America’s been doing, and that’s what we’ll continue to do. I think that’s okay. If we do it discreetly, consistent with something that’s rational—because it is a burden on the American people—but if it works right it gives us a better world to live in, a world that we can do more business in, and it’s a commitment of very wealthy countries to help lesser developed countries get rich, like we are.

—Sen. Pete Domenici (R.-N.M.)

Do you agree with Mexican President Vicente Fox that we should pay global taxes to support development in poor countries?

. . . There has never been anything accomplished by the redistribution of wealth. What you have to do in order to help people become better off economically, is to help them to help themselves. You can give a man fish, and he’s got fish for a day, but you can teach him how to fish, and he’ll have fish for the rest of his life. . . . But there will be a lot of ideas cropping up. The most recent one is what’s come through the World Bank and the [IMF]. They want to keep their bureaucracies going through lending. Now our President at least has tried to short-circuit it, try to cut out all the efforts to mislead the people of the world, that really when we give loans to these poor countries, that the money is going to come back. It’s just like giving them money in the first place. So let’s just cut through it, short-circuit the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund bureaucracy, and get right to it. But let’s make sure that that money is used to build the economy and structure of a nation—particularly with small entrepreneurship—and forget about this business of just redistributing wealth. It doesn’t accomplish a thing.

—Sen. Chuck Grassley (R.-Ia.)

Do you agree with Mexican President Vicente Fox that we should pay global taxes to support development in poor countries?

No.

Will you pledge to vote against any legislation instituting global taxation?

Yes. That’s easy.

—Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R.-Ark.)

Do you agree with what Mexican President Vicente Fox wrote today in the Washington Post, that we should pay global taxes to support development in poor countries?

No.

Will you pledge to vote against any legislation instituting global taxation?

Yeah, but I’m sure it would never come up in the United States Senate.

—Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.)

Do you agree with Mexican President Vicente Fox that we should pay global taxes to support development in poor countries?

That hasn’t even been on my screen. I’m sorry. I don’t know.

The idea of paying—

Did you hear me?

Sure, you—

Did you hear me? Did you hear me?

You wouldn’t reject outright the

idea of paying global taxes?

I have no idea. I’ve not been even in that area. I haven’t read about it. I make no comment, all right?

—Sen. Ted Stevens (R.-Alaska)

Do you agree with what Mexican President Vicente Fox wrote today in the Washington Post, that we should pay global taxes to support development in poor countries?

I can’t do interviews like this on one subject. I have not had an opportunity to study the statement, or what the pros and cons are. So I’m not able to give you a response, but I commend you for your diligence.

Thanks. But just the idea of global taxes, you wouldn’t reject it outright?

Sorry, interview’s over.

—Sen. John Warner (R.-Va.)

Do you agree with what Mexican President Vicente Fox wrote today in the Washington Post, that we should pay global taxes to support development in poor countries?

You know, I have not had a chance to look at this proposal. I don’t even think I’ve read the article yet. Sorry about that.

In general terms, he was talking about—

Who are you with?

Human Events. [Fox] wrote, "Global taxes, such as the one proposed on carbon emissions, could be used to finance global public goods. This is based on a simple premise—fairness. The industrialized countries that generate a disproportionate share of carbon emissions into the atmosphere, should pay accordingly, providing money for development, and also a more efficient use of scarce resources." Would you be in favor of something along those lines—would you be open to it?

I don’t know. I learned a long time ago, until I have a chance to really study something, to just say I don’t know. I’m not sure I would be in agreement with him, but I’d have to look at it more carefully.

You wouldn’t reject the idea of global taxes outright?

I don’t know. I don’t know. I mean, I have no idea.

—Sen. Paul Wellstone (D.-Minn.)

March 25, 2002

[The Old Hoosier]

Scary.

[Iconoclast2]

Boy, this one sure separates the RINOs from the patriots, doesn't it?

[SCARED]

LOCK AND LOAD!!!

[The South Texan]

I noticed they didn't ask McCain but I would be willing to predict McCain is in favor of McGlobal Taxes

[4CJ]

Unfortunately, given the comments above, that is not far-fetched. Global socialism/communism? And here I was - worried about criminals in my back yard - the ones in Congress can do far more damage.

[dheretic]

The real problem with global government on earth is that we lack a single planetary culture. This will present a very real problem for us if we start to colonize other worlds sooner than expected. Take Mars for instance. Mars will most likely be colonized initially by mining and defense industries because it provides the perfect platform for a go-between for earth and the resource rich asteroid belt. A single planetary culture would probably take very little time to arise on Mars and Mars would have a single global culture thus facilitating cooperation among its inhabitants on a level not possible on earth. Within a few generations of successful colonization Mars would have the unity need to declare its independence as a new republic based most likely on the Swiss constitution since ruling a planet cannot be efficiently done using any other country's constitution, even perhaps our own.

The issue of one world government is something we as Americans must face. A federal union of Earth is not practical because there are too many cultures with too many millennia of hate and distrust for one another. Thus a confederacy is the only option we would have. Unfortunately as science advances, that puts Earth at a strategic disadvantage. Any large future breakaway colony such as Mars would have the national cohesion necessary to obliterate any Earth-based nation that opposes its independence without any real struggle.

I am not calling for a one world government. I am merely saying that we cannot ignore the possible necessity of some type of one, if nothing more than to provide a united military front in the event of a major attack by some other civilization on Earth. All of this may seem like a bunch of happy horse $hit to many of you, but it is not. Many luddites told our people that travel to the moon was not possible. At the turn of the twentieth century, flying was considered a fool's errand. We must start planning now so we don't end up getting caught up in something we as a nation or as a planet are incapable of dealing with.

And before any of you question why the private sector would make a mad dash to get into space and colonize ASAP, here's a little bit of info about our asteroid belt for you: it contains asteroids whose mineral count exceeds at current market value 5 trillion USD. The company that can exploit those asteroids has just unlocked the key to practically unlimited industrial productivity. The first person to get those will be the next Carnegie, Gould and Rockafeller rolled into one

[SCARED]

While my earlier comment sounds like an ignorant redneck. i actually believe that we are on a downward spiral from which we cannot nor will not recover, and that ultimately anarchy will reign. liberals are to blame, but the rest of us allowed themdo do the things that they have done to our society, one step at a time. i can easily see the mid east war escalate to world wide proportions. let us have a serious economic squeeze and watch for racial,civil war. it is not at all difficult to imagine out gov imposing facist rule to provide us with "safety." China, n. korea, iraq...we're in deep caca.no sane person wants this but we are rushing headlong to total chaos..IMHO hence my screen name.

[kaboom]

McCain, 6th response listed.

[4CJ]

On one hand I tend to agree - but I do think that things can be turned around. Not saying that they will, just that they could.

[Texas Cornhusker]

Do you not read the articles? Mcain is mentioned

[Major Matt Mason]

You have to wonder if many of these senators have even read the Constitution. If ever there was a part of our government that is truly corrupt, it is the U.S. Senate. These guys feel like they can do whatever the hell they want to, and maybe they are right.

[Dahoser]

[Human Events] Will you pledge to vote against any legislation instituting global taxation?

[McCain] Yeah, but I’m sure it would never come up in the United States Senate.

Apparently Major, they not only have not read the Constitution, but are clueless when they violate it and delude themselves that they won't vote to do it again.

[Jhoffa_]

"No."

Hey, way to go John McCain..

I am now sorry for a couple of those nasty things I said about you..

"No"

That should be the only answer, it's simple and unambiguous.

[Jhoffa_]

A one-world `government? Yes.

—Sen. Daniel Akaka (D.-Hawaii)

Calling George Orwell.

[Jhoffa_]

I don't know why I can't leave this alone.. It's not the idea that there are socialists and NWO types in our Government, I mean we have all known that for years..

I think it's the people who said they didn't have time to "study the issue" that bothers me the most.

What's to study? It's a very simple, straight forward question that deserves a very simple, straightforward answer.

Do these people walk around all day in a fog? Having no opinion on anything?

"Would you support a resolution to paint the Senate Building pink with purple highlights and then fill it with scorpions?"

"Um, I really dunno.. I have not read the proposal, so I have no opinion at this time"

What the hell?

[LantzALot]

"...global taxes such as the one proposed on carbon emissions could be used to finance global public goods. . . .

How about if the taxes so collected were then handed over to the countries that PRODUCE goods for the global public?

[weikel]

Ill take up arms personally before the UN gets one dime.

[RnMomof7]

Actually not at all scary .It is very much to be expected. We have a government that has made a decision to have a Northern Hemisphere "country" (open all borders and let the third world take our jobs)..the next step would be a natural progression..I actually would like to hear the opinion of our "New world Order " Open Border President on it..

My guess is you would not get a clear NO as an answer..just a little waffle

[weikel]

I favor free trade but not immigration close the borders to anyone without marketable skills and who is unlikely to learn the launguage.

[senorita]

At least Domenici, Grassley and Hutchinson were straight forward and gave a definite "no" immediately. I worry about Stevens, Warner and Wellstone. What are they thinking? People from their states better wake up and think again about who to put into office.