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Jacques Chirac Puts Other People's Money Where His Mouth Is; Makes Bold Move Toward Global Tax

by Freedom Alliance

September 2, 2005

French President Jacques Chirac has made an aggressive move to support what internationalists have long demanded – a global tax. Chirac told the French government to begin taxing airline tickets in 2006. Money raised from the levy would be earmarked to fight poverty in the developing world.

France will be joined by Germany, Spain, Algeria, Brazil and Chile two weeks from now at the United Nations in calling on the world body to implement the proposal across the globe.

Statement of Tom Kilgannon, President of Freedom Alliance:

"The idea of an international tax has been around for many years. There have been proposals to tax international travel, currency transactions and other plans. Until now, they have been little more than proposals. But this week French President Jacques Chirac has put other people's money where his mouth is.

"Mr. Chirac has said this is a pilot program and he would very much like to see the United Nations have the authority to impose and collect this kind of an international tax so the United Nations does not have to be solely reliant on voluntary dues.

"The United Nations has already issued a tax on America's economy in the form of an annual assessment of 0.7 percent of gross national product. The Bush administration has resisted the UN's proposal, but has agreed to increase the percentage of GNP the U.S. donates to third world poverty.

"Chirac's airline tax should not be dismissed as a stunt. There is widespread support among European and African nations for a global tax. International NGOs will spend whatever it takes to successfully lobby for such a proposal. We must remember that the International Criminal Court became reality despite the objections of the United States. If we don't fight this proposal, what is today the idea of a crazy French socialist will tomorrow be a United Nations global tax."

Where do I sign up to fight!  >:(   Course I know where this will lead to...... :D

          Hello PR and DW:

     Yeah,I do too,an International Global Currency.I can see it start of it already coming about.After an International Global Tax,they will want a Global Currency,etc.


                Yours in Yeshua,
                curious

the Clinton Global Initiative

Religion, Conflict, and Reconciliation

Nearly four fifths of the world’s population identifies itself as religious, and the allegiances stemming from that basic fact transcend partisan, national and ethnic lines. For many hundreds of millions, the most important community ties are born of faith— not nation; the most authoritative pronouncements are those of religious leaders—not statesmen; and the most effective provider of social and cultural resources are churches, mosques, and synagogues—not the state. Faith-based loyalties and providers typically outshine all others in terms of their ability to mobilize energies and tap into human resources of all kind, both material and spiritual.

With this reality come several implications. For one, religion remains a chief engine of deadly conflict, providing immediate pretext and overall context—from Northern Ireland to Sudan and from the Middle East to Nigeria. Clearly, terrorist attacks against New York, Madrid, London, Casablanca or Sharm el-Shaikh also cannot be understood without a grasp of Islamic jihadism and the role that faith plays in the radicalization of certain population segments in Muslim countries and Muslim communities in the West. Indeed, today we face a new and deadly challenge—that presented by the growing alienation of Muslim populations vis-à-vis the global system and the corresponding appeal of radical ideologies.

At the same time, religious organizations can play a critical role in preventing and resolving conflict, as well as in post-conflict peace-building. Likewise, they can play a pivotal role in marshaling resources to combat other destabilizing problems, of all magnitude. Inter-faith coalitions helped peace-making efforts in the Balkans and Northern Ireland, and, recently, Jews, Muslims and Christians reached agreement on the First Alexandria Declaration of the Religious Leaders of the Holy Land, a joint commitment to promote peace and oppose violence and terror. Other examples include the work of Imam Mohammed Ashafa and Pastor James Wuye, who through their teachings and experience helped bring an end to Muslims-Christians violence in Northern Nigeria. Or Pi Ouyporn, who uses Buddhist teachings to alter the sexual behavior of young girls in South Thailand, reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

And yet, despite the capacity of religion to both fuel and resolve conflict, this powerful instrument has often been neglected. The voice of religious leaders has been largely absent—often deliberately so—from peace negotiations, humanitarian interventions, and efforts to reduce poverty, disease, and environmental degradation. Such caution can be understood, and is sometimes warranted. Due to past and present experiences with religious conflict and legitimate concerns over the intersection of government policy and personal faith, involving religion in the public sphere has often been viewed as posing an unnecessary risk. Discussing the potential positive role of religion is especially uncomfortable in a delicate region like the Middle East, where the rising influence of Islamists in civil society confronts local governments and the West with a difficult challenge. But without a clear and honest discussion of what the religious dimension can bring to the table, one risks ignoring a formidable catalyst for action.

This is not an abstract debate but one with direct consequences for millions affected by deadly conflict or disease. It also has huge implications for the private sector, which in the age of globalization has become an integral player in countless conflict prone regions, including the Middle East, Sudan, Uzbekistan, and Nigeria. For corporations and private businesses, the cost of doing business can be staggering when conflict and humanitarian crises are factored in. To cite only a few examples, there are skyrocketing security and safety costs, a weakened workforce due to death and disease; destroyed assets and infrastructure; and exorbitant costs for raising capital, due to political risk. By the same token, the benefits accrued from preventing, mitigating or resolving such crises are equally substantial.

In addressing this topic, the Clinton Global Initiative will seek to assess the potential represented by religious organizations and intermediaries without avoiding the risks that they also bring. Drawing from specific precedents, panelists and participants will try to identify what practices have and have not worked.


Advisory Board

Dr. Don Argue
President of Northwest University

Preeta Bansal
Chairperson U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom

Edgar Bronfman, Sr.
President World Jewish Congress

Dr. John DeGioia
President of Georgetown University

Jeffrey T. Leeds
Co-Founder Leeds Weld & Co.

His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick
Archbishop of Washington

His Excellency Aziz Mekouar
Ambassador of Morocco to the United States

The Honorable Barack Obama
 United States Senator, Illinois

Zainab Salbi
Founder and President Women for Women International

Rabbi Arthur Schneier
Park East Synagogue Appeal of Conscience Foundation

William Vendley
General Secretary Religions for Peace


Clinton Global Initiative (http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/home.nsf/pt_religion_conflict)