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

[walden]

Oh please. Most of these guys were just sputtering, "DUH???". The idea of global taxes may be on the radar screens of paranoids and/or unusually thoughtful people who actually LISTEN to fringe groups, but most everyone else has never thought about it, and that's what all but one of these guys said. They just haven't thought about it-- it's not on their radar screen.

[tcostell]

I'm sure that as a convenience to the taxpayer, those elected officials who support a "wealth redistribution" plan will call it a "global tax". That way, no one will be confused, and we can all understand exactly what we're voting on.

[Iconoclast2]

Shouldn't a Republican senator have enough principles/knowledge to reject a global tax out of hand, without the need to read up on the issue?

[mamelukesabre]

What's the difference between paying a global tax and paying dues to the UN?

[GuillermoX]

It's coming!! Bet your life on it.

These things don't happen overnight, it takes decades. But all the wacko ideas start out this way.

[o_zarkman44]

If we the people have been hearing about global taxation by the UN for awhile, how can we be so naive to think that members of Congress haven't heard about it too?

The art form of avoidance from public accountability has been demonstrated as a refined practice by Congress for years by claiming ignorance of the facts.

No doubt in my mind they have an opinion. They don't want to show their trump card yet, preferring to sign off on a midnight vote, as we would expect from the gutless of Congress.

[Honcho]

Does anyone have any idea why Ted Stevens and John Warner got so bent out of shape at the question? Ted Stevens answer makes me want to get out my tin foil hat.

[samtheman]

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

Exactly. The RINOs have never thought about it??? Aren't able to have an opinion about this??? They aren't just RINOs... they're complete f*cking morons!

[Mulder]

Remember the last time they tried "Taxation without Representation"? It's "Tea Party" time!!!

Yeah. We settled this over 200 years ago.

But tyrants seem to have a slow "learning curve".

Generally that works out okay for them, since the tyrants usually win, unless Americans or Texans are opposed to them.

And just so the tyrants know, Americans and Texans will be against them if they try a global tax.

[Mulder]

This, my FRiends, is why we must throw all these babies out with the bath water. They will do the deed in the dark of night on a voice vote with this piece of crap buried in an appropriation bill.

Yep. My guess is that a global tax will be implemented within this decade.

The question is: "will we Americans pay it?" I've already answered that question for myself.

[Mulder]

.... We are being nibbled to death by ducks.

The latest being this illegal CFR bill, which violates our Constitution. It was implemented by both parties to ensure that only the "party boys" will have a voice in selecting the puppet candidates for us. The purpose of that bill is to 1) keep grass-roots candidates from winning, and 2) to put fear in people who want to speak out on political issue. They seek to criminalize Free speech, just like they seek to criminalize the Right to self defense and the Right to bear arms.

What the "breaking point" will be is anyone's guess at this point. The tyrants are betting that when that day comes, we will roll over for them. I hope they are wrong.