Finnish Leader Says Global Lottery Could Fund UN

Reuters ^ | Aug 5, 2002

[Tailgunner Joe]

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Plans for a global lottery to help fill United Nations' coffers have taken a step forwards and could become reality within 18 months, according to a former Finnish leader promoting the idea.

Martti Ahtisaari, a former president and U.N. peace broker, said on Saturday the United Nations had recently agreed a cooperation project with the World Lottery Association (WLA), and if it got the go-ahead, it could be running by late 2003.

"We will know at the end of the year how lottery support can be put into practice," he told STT news agency in an interview.

The plan was originally proposed by Ghana in 1972, but failed to win sufficient backing.

Ahtisaari proposed the idea to the WLA, which has 140 member organizations around the world, over a year ago and Finnish President Tarja Halonen spread the idea in March in a speech to a U.N. development summit in Monterrey, Mexico.

She said a world lottery could help fight on poverty by supplementing official development aid. A feasibility study would be ready later this year.

Ahtisaari gave no details about how it would be operated.

[lelio]

She said a world lottery could help fight on poverty by supplementing official development aid.
And what a way to finance it with a "you don't have to do any work, just be lucky!" philosophy.
Now I can see it: a lot of patronage jobs to get on the UN lottery collection team. Yada yada yada

[Mike Darancette]

Good idea, now we can take money from the Third World Poor.

[bernie_g]

Given that a lottery is basically a tax on people who can't do maths. I don't think this idea is totally without merit.

I guess it all depends whether one objects to the whole idea of what the UN is/does or just the way it raises the money.

[College Repub]

I'm all for it if it means less money from the US Govt directly to the UN.

[Lockbox]

Yea, I'd buy a ticket.......................NOT!

[AF68]

I can just imagine dirt-poor tribesmen queuing up to buy U.N. lottery tickets and 40-ounce cans of malt liquor at their local Quickie Mart.

[Corin Stormhands]

Good idea, now we can take money from the Third World Poor.

Exactly.

[Consort]

[AdamSelene235]

How about a tax on self-righteousness...I hear you get less of what you tax.

[TightSqueeze]

If they really want to generate a little cash, truly a game for the age.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

.

[umgud]

Support American business. Buy penny stocks. It's a much better deal than the lotto and the odds ar much better. I'm not a big gambler, but used to spend $20-$40/month on lotto. I got out 5 years ago and replaced my habit with penny stocks. best move I ever made. Besides, I wouldn't give the UN one plug nickel.

[ZOOKER]

DISCLAIMER

Odds of winning: One in SIX BILLION (You'll be struck by lightning 10,000 times first).
Contestants must be present to win.
Winnings subject to Usual 90% UN Gift tax plus local taxes if applicable.

[Dog Gone]

This is incredibly funny at first blush, but do we really want to see a UN lotto machine in every Quickie Mart?

[Prodigal Son]

This is about the stupidest idea I have ever heard come out of the UN- the Kyoto Protocol is actually very clever in comparison.

Consider, it would, by necessity, have to be rigged. An African would need to win every single time. Think about how it would look to have all the poor people in the world shelling out for a ticket only to have some fat guy with a two car garage, three story house, 6 figure salary in Sarasota, Fla win their money. Back to the drawing board Kofi.

/Walks off muttering.../

[F.J. Mitchell]

Rather than a lottery to support the UN in their scheme for the demise of sanity on planet earth-I recommend instead a turkey shoot, with the targets being the dodo's who are still in lock step with the dove turned bird of prey- the United NAtions.

THat lottery is one voluentary tax that this good ol' boy will never of his own free will pay.

[Paul Atreides]

I know giving the U.N. more money is a high priority in my life. While I'm at it, why don't I just sell myself into slavery.

[mysonsfuture]

One more example of I thought I've heard it all but *amn this is truly crazy. Words can only begin to decribe the insanity. I'll start with globalism.

[Paul Atreides]

You would think they'd just hire Cattle Futures Rodham to manage their finances. I'm sure she could increase their coffers tenfold.