Pandora's Box
All is not as it seems with globalization

A European tax revolt has been a surprising consequence of the drastic worldwide rise in gasoline prices. Instead of blaming oil companies, European citizens suddenly became aware of their governments’ confiscatory taxes on fuel and directed their anger at government leaders. Seventy-six percent of the cost of each liter of gasoline in Great Britain goes to the government for tax and more than 70 percent in Germany, France and Belgium.

Protesting French truckers and farmers blockaded France’s highways, airports, refineries and storage depots for days, shutting down the port cities of Le Havre and Calais.

In Great Britain, Tony Blair’s government seemed stunned at polls showing strong public sympathy for the protest movement and angry opposition to his government’s high gasoline taxes.

Germany experienced blockades in Berlin, which threatened to spread throughout the country. German leaders responded by approving oil subsidies and commuter tax write-offs. French leaders granted gasoline tax concessions to truckers and other groups.

Now enters the European Union, launching an investigation of France’s tax concessions. The EU believes it’s wrong for countries to cut fuel taxes and that French farmers and truckers will get an unfair advantage over others. It posits that Europe react only jointly to such challenges.

Individual countries are losing national independence, sovereignty and the ability to control their destinies. National identity is being sacrificed for “the common good.” Amid a tax revolt, these countries are restrained from acting independently as sovereign nations.

Following these events, Denmark’s September referendum to adopt the “Euro” currency failed. Although the Euro has now been propped up by World Bank/International Monetary Fund, many doubt that Britain will adopt the Euro.

What comes after a common currency – a common language? A common system of schools? Common military? Common courts? Would you trust these institutions to a bureaucracy whose leaders you could not elect?

Fast forward to Washington where the World Trade Organization mandated the U.S. to pass legislation bringing its tax laws into compliance with WTO rules. At issue is elimination of tax breaks for U.S. businesses selling products overseas. These tax breaks were intended to offset tax rebates given to European companies which sold products overseas. Once again, globalization has a downside regarding liberty and independence.

In September, the United Nations convened its summit in New York to further the concept of global governance. Its agenda contained some alarming objectives: Demands to demilitarize national security systems; prohibition of unilateral deployment of nationwide missile defense by any country; a “standing Peace Force” (i.e. a standing UN army); a declaration calling for the UN to impose direct taxes; implementation of treaties never ratified by the U.S. (such as one which denies private property rights) and, of course, the Earth Charter which demands that the UN “manage the use of renewable resources such as water, soil, forest products and marine life.”

International cooperation in dismantling trade barriers and resolving problems which cross national borders need not result in all-powerful global dictatorship. Cooperation toward mutual goals is one matter, but submitting to global authoritarianism is another matter altogether. While globalization is most often hailed and nationalism scorned, where does the right of self-determination fit into this international scheme? Liberty is so precious – and hard-won.

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