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
sure I'll go along with a new tax - as long as I am represented!
Actually, Chirac is really calling for US taxes.
Socialist idiot......handouts won't fix this problem. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime...
I wish that SOB would stop breathing my air!
This goes along with the UN's little wanna tax everyone to pay for all this crap. Now we are to be responsible for the total welfare of every person on the planet. Tax AMERICANS because WE ARE THE EVIL RICH!!! This Republic got to be what it is through work, not sitting on your lazy ass.
Yet another case of... "We miss the Oil for Food program. Give us another cash cow to steal from!"
Oh come now, he knows from whence he speaks. How can you be so critical, when he's done such a wonderful job growing the French economy. (Sarcasm off)
He may be correct but many of us are armed, as they may discover someday to their great chagrin.
Chirac Urges Taxes to Help World's Poor [COMMIE WEASEL ALERT]
"French President Jacques Chirac called on the world's richest nations Wednesday to provide billions of dollars in aid for poor countries that would help combat AIDS, poverty and natural disasters."
Sounds like our adminstration ?????
Why don't we tax 100% all the profits the FRENCH made on arms sale and food for oil programs with IRAQ.
Give a starving man a fish bone and the UN can grab the fillet as the minor handling fee.
ya he should be proud of his 1.1% growth.......LOL
For a guy who profits from tyrants, he`s got one hell of a lotta nerve opening his yap. French POS. Leave the tyrants alone who starve their people to death and let`s tax everyone more.
Chirac is just looking ahead to the day when he is no longer of government employee. He needs to find an opportunity where he can steal as much as he has in the past. These international taxes, like the UN finds, represent giant pools of cash with very, very little public oversight. Chirac, if he or his kind were in charge, could easily skim 2-5% of a ten billion a year fund and still pay enough anti-Americans to get righteously indignant at any suggestion of mismanagement.
How much aid did Frogland send to the tsunami-affected regions?
Very little? I thought so.
If the Frogleader wants to be generous, tell him to do it with the Frogpeople's money. He can set a good example, and then he'll have the right to preach to us, the most generous nation in the world.
This is so good, so great and so LIBERAL. The solution to terrorism is more taxes. Can it get any better than this?
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