XXVIII/YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE!
The UNDP's 1998 report calculates that a 4 per cent tax on the
assets of the world's 225 wealthiest people would bring in 40 billion
dollars. This is the modest sum that would have to be invested annually
in 'social spending' worldwide over a period of ten years in order to
provide: universal access to clean water (1.3 billion people went
without such access in 19 9 7); universal access to basic education (one
billion people are illiterate); universal access to basic health care (17
million children die annually of easily curable diseases); universal
access to basic nutrition (two billion people suffer from anaemia);
universal access to proper sewage and sanitation facilities; and
universal access by women to basic gynecological and obstetric care.
Meeting these ambitious targets would cost only 40 billion dollars
annually worldwide over a period of ten years. The UNCTAD report
compares this figure to some other types of spending which
humankind could easily do without: in 1997,17 billion dollars were
spent on pet food in the USA and Europe; 50 billion dollars were spent
on cigarettes in Europe; 105 billion dollars were spent on alcoholic
drinks in Europe; 400 billion dollars were spent on drugs worldwide;
there was 780 billion dollars in military spending worldwide; and
one trillion (1,000 billion) dollars were spent on advertising.
1999 and 2000 are Jubilee years in the Judeo-Christian tradition
which culturally dominates the select club of G 7 countries. With yet
another debt crisis upon us, Jubilee tradition demands that we ener
getically call for the complete and total cancellation of the debts of the
countries of the periphery.
A host of other measures must be implemented urgently, such as:
a tax on international financial transactions (as called for by the
ATTAC coalition); an inquiry into the overseas holdings of wealthy
citizens of the countries of the periphery, leading to the expropriation
and restitution of these holdings to the peoples of the countries in
question when they are the result of theft and embezzlement; bold
measures to restrict capital flows; an across-the-board reduction in
the working week with corresponding hiring and no loss of wages;
land reform providing universal access to land for small farmers and
peasants; measures favouring equality between men and women.
Though incomplete and insufficient, these measures are a
necessary first step towards satisfying basic human needs.
Eric Toussaint
6 December 1998