Wednesday, May 12, 2010
WHO Seeks 'Tens of Billions' in New Global Taxes
Fox News, World Health Organization Moving Ahead on Billions in Internet and Other Taxes:
(Hat Tip: Woody McNair.)The WHO, the United Nations' public health arm, is moving full speed ahead with a controversial plan to impose global consumer taxes on such things as Internet activity and everyday financial transactions like paying bills online — while its spending soars and its own financial house is in disarray.
The aim of its taxing plans is to raise "tens of billions" of dollars for WHO that would be used to radically reorganize the research, development, production and distribution of medicines around the world, with greater emphasis on drugs for communicable diseases in poor countries. ...
Chief among them:
• a "digital" or "bit" tax on Internet activity, which could raise "tens of billions of U.S. dollars";
• a 10 percent tax on international arms deals, "worth about $5 billion per annum";
• a financial transaction tax, citing a Brazilian levy that was raising some $20 billion per year until it was canceled (for unspecified reasons);
• an airline tax that already exists in 13 countries and has raised some $1 billion.
https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2010/05/who-seeks-.html
Comments
For God's sake, can anybody explain why we are still bothering with the UN?
Posted by: RebeccaH | May 12, 2010 10:57:50 AM
Maybe if we don't pay up, the U.N. will kick us out and leave New York. I think that's going to have to wait until 2012, though.
Posted by: Woody | May 12, 2010 10:45:38 AM
Anyone elected to represent citizens of the United States who gives away our liberties by allowing us to be taxed by a world authority is a TRAITOR to the nation and his constituents, and deserves the fullest punishment for treason -- or at least kicked out of office!
You can't blame WHO for trying, really, but you can certainly blame our elected officials if they sell us out.
Posted by: Carol | May 12, 2010 10:22:06 AM
The aim of its taxing plans is to raise "tens of billions" of dollars for WHO that would be used to radically reorganize the research, development, production and distribution of medicines around the world, with greater emphasis on drugs for communicable diseases in poor countries
No it isn't dumbass. The aim is to empower the UN and by proxy the dictators who will get the $$$$$. Iz u stupid?
Posted by: King Obama | May 12, 2010 10:18:56 AM
They count on the limp-wristed Western democracies to accede to the noble UN bureaucrats and just pay up, using the taxing powers of those democracies to go over the heads of the mere citizens who'd have to pay. It's all part of that Western guilt trip.
Move UN headquarters to Ramallah, today!
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive | May 12, 2010 9:14:33 AM
Dinah, I have that exact question. I saw this story yesterday and I still don't understand how they could, say, raise taxes and fees for Internet usage on me or my Internet provider.
Then I thought, if the answer is "yes," where the hell is the glitch that could possibly allow that to happen?
Posted by: zombyboy | May 12, 2010 7:50:04 AM
The proper US response would be to withdraw all its funding and support for the WHO, to set up a new organization with none of the WHO current staff and to invite other countries to participate in the new organization.
Of course O'Bama will probably do the opposite.
Posted by: Over50 | May 12, 2010 7:39:41 AM
Since when does the UN have authority to tax anyone?
Is there some stealth treaty that got ratified behind our backs?
Posted by: Dougger | May 12, 2010 7:34:46 AM
So who exactly pays these taxes, and why? Will they send the blue helmets in to collect?
Posted by: Bryan C | May 12, 2010 7:28:26 AM
Obama's plan is to weaken or destroy the USA then move to the UN and do the same thing for the world. Be wary of his smooth talk. Obama lies are so believable even non-liberals are fooled. Who are his friends in high places?
Posted by: StealthCandidate | May 12, 2010 7:21:13 AM
What standing does this group of thieves have to tax anyone?
Posted by: DINAH | May 12, 2010 7:12:17 AM
As much screaming contempt as I have for the UN, they don't have the power to do this. As mentioned above, they are such a basket case they can't manage a to preserve a dollar in an pickle jar buried in the backyard and forgotten. More still, there is no mechanism to tax, let alone collect and enforce dues (we've refused to pay dues before and will do it again no doubt).
As for the House Democrats making this happen, get real for a second. Sure, they have no problem with raising taxes as long as they get to spend 'em *their* way, and who could blame them. They aren't going to let another bunch of unelected kleptocrats into "their" deep pockets after they've worked so hard to preserve their elected gigs every two to six years.
The WMO and anyone else can ask for a tax. They can ask for a pony. they can ask for a date on a saturday night, but no one is obligated to say yes. (And if they are smart, especially smart like a fox in a hen house, ain't nobody gonna say yes or even a serious maybe.)
Posted by: Bill | May 12, 2010 2:22:53 PM