Mansfield Fox

Law student. Yankees fan. Massive fraggle. Just living the American dream.

Sunday, September 19, 2004

An International Anti-Poverty Tax?

Jacques Chirac wants an international tax in order to raise $50 billion to fight global poverty.
a tax could be imposed on greenhouse gas emissions as well as certain financial transactions, arms sales or multinational corporations.

Other proposed approaches raise the possibility of taxes levied on ships transiting key maritime straits, airline tickets, credit card purchases as well as an international lottery.
Over at NRO's The Corner, John J. Miller is not a fan.

In the abstract, I think some kind of global anti-poverty tax is a good idea. The poverty of the Third World is abysmal, the wealth of the First World (especially the United States) phenomenal. We have the means to help, and we should.

On the other hand, I can't shake the feeling that very little of the funds raised by such a tax would actually go to fight global poverty, and that much (perhaps most?) would go to enriching the UN mandarins and viceroys tapped to run the program. I know I should be more charitable, but after the Oil for Food Scandal and the Kosovo prostitution rings, I have a hard time trusting any of these UNniks, whether higher-ups or groundlings.