Message-ID: <19991128203646.AAC15691@jubilee.ns.sympatico.ca@LOCALNAME> Date: Sun, 28 Nov 1999 16:36:54 -04 From: Kerry Miller <mailto:kerryo@ns.sympatico.ca> Subject: Re: Tobin Tax Update To: mailto:DEVEL-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
Bob wrote, > Who Determines:
>
> -What an "acceptable" level of tax is?
> -How the funds will be disbursed?
> -How the list of "acceptable" projects will be protected from "pet
> worthy causes"?
> -Which multiple "miniscule" increases are "worthy"?
>
These are all good questions - but when you add
> These problems have not been solved for any government yet.
it suggests that a more fundamental question, Why are you (of all people!) looking to government to solve *our problems? has been overlooked. If on the other hand, when raising such questions, you were to offer your thoughts on why .01 or .005% (to use the instances cited in the articles) are *not acceptable levels, then someone else might join in what might be called 'discussion.' As it is, your valuable contribution is likely to go precisely nowhere, until some kind soul bails you out -- rather like a government might do.
In the meantime (for I can hardly pretend to kindness), why should we not suppose (for the sake of *future discussion, at least) that financial traders will come to see that 'self-regulation' is their best interest, and that they will be able to set their own criteria of worth and acceptability, using all the wisdom and sagacity for which they are reknowned?
Cheers, kerry