The UN wants to put taxes on video games to help the poor

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February 24th, 2008, 10:43
wraggster

The UN wants to put taxes on video games to help the poor

This is one of the options the UN is taking into account in its attempt to find new ways of financing its fight against poverty.

Philippe Douste-Blazy, the newly-appointed Special Adviser on Innovative Financing for Development for the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has recently declared that the branch he is leading (the UNITAID- the international drug purchase facility hosted by the UN World Health Organization) is behind schedule with implementing the measures required by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agenda:

"We are halfway in the timetable with the deadline in 2015, but we are not halfway in terms of results. The truth is we are late." He added that global development assistance has fallen for the first time in 10 years.

In order to find new resources, Douste-Blazy, who was also the French Foreign Affairs minister and a member of the European Parliament, said to French newspaper La Croix that "the UN is reflecting on the possibility of putting taxes on video games and Internet commerce to finance the fight against poverty". Another option would be to convince citizens to "contribute voluntarily with one or two euros".

The high-ranked official unveiled the fact that more than $500 billion are needed to reach the targets established by the world powers in 2000. Although to some this might look like an insanely huge amount of money, Douste-Blazy said that transactions worth more than $1500 billion are being rolled on the world's financial markets every single day.

Mr. Douste-Blazy's conclusion is that "new means" of financing are necessary, like putting taxes "on Internet video-games and the e-commerce".

However, the irony is that in the fight against hunger and poverty, money is actually not a problem. Corruption is. Prestigious magazine Wall Street Journal has recently unveiled that more than 90% of the funds allocated by the World Bank for Indian health programs have been wasted on badly executed repairs or have simply vanished (read "have entered the pockets of corrupted Indian officials"). This adds to the massive thefts registered in Africa, where tons of food, medicine and construction materials never reach the hands of the poor.

And speaking of corrupted officials, not a year has passed since Paul Wolfowitz's resignation from the World Bank, after it was found that he personally negotiated a generous salary for his mistress at the US State Department. Former UN Secretay-General Koffi Anan's son was also investigated for using his father's influential position to obtain preferential oil contracts in Irak, during Saddam Hussein's reign.

We're just curious: what kind of new taxes does the UN have in mind, since the gaming industry is already paying a lot of taxes?

http://www.playfuls.com/news_12350_T..._the_poor.html
February 24th, 2008, 11:41
Klaus2

Oh Yeah, from the poor to the poor people, UN suxx balls.

Greets
Klaus
February 24th, 2008, 12:11
Keitaro Urashima

Thats great ideal.:D
February 24th, 2008, 13:53
mcdougall57

theres already such a premium on games i wont pay any more
February 24th, 2008, 14:06
kjetil1991

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcdougall57

theres already such a premium on games i wont pay any more

yeah we pay enough they can find something else to tax:mad:
February 24th, 2008, 14:49
Shadowblind

I'm confused. Why don't they tax high government officials every time they use taxes to buy what they want, or every time they send someone to war because they're too cowardly to go themselves instead? Fairly certain it will end poverty, video game tax will only scratch it.
February 24th, 2008, 16:24
Cerepol

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard only in the big countries like Canada, a bit of Europe, U.S and Japan are the video game prices even close to fair. In most other places they are getting ripped off horribly everytime they buy a game and now they want to add another tax onto that?
February 24th, 2008, 17:36
mike_jmg

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cerepol

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard only in the big countries like Canada, a bit of Europe, U.S and Japan are the video game prices even close to fair. In most other places they are getting ripped off horribly everytime they buy a game and now they want to add another tax onto that?

Yep, my thoughts
February 24th, 2008, 18:56
jmendes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cerepol

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard only in the big countries like Canada, a bit of Europe, U.S and Japan are the video game prices even close to fair. In most other places they are getting ripped off horribly everytime they buy a game and now they want to add another tax onto that?

Agreed. It´s so stupid it made me laugh. Here in Brasil video games taxes are so ridiculously high that most people simply have to rely on pirated games. For example, a psp game sold for U$30 in the US ends up costing the equivalent of U$100 in stores here. :mad:
A ps3 is about U$1500.
February 24th, 2008, 19:56
Gene

I'm sick and tired of the way they always treat gamers. I'm not rich. $9 an hour is nothing. So what, I have a Ps3. I paid for it with 3 months worth of saving up at work. Thank the UN for stealing money from kids and teens to feed the lazy people sitting on welfare with their 15 kids. Yeah what a great Idea. Why can't they jut take if from casinos. They make more money in one day than any teen has.
February 24th, 2008, 20:18
jdnation

I don't mind paying a bit extra to help the poor, but I don't trust the UN or any governments these days. Donating to legitimate religious charities is a far better option! At least they are also the ones out there doing any actual thing with the people that we need to help rather than government suits in their cushy offices!
February 24th, 2008, 20:20
Accordion

Here a nice plan:

Force America to pay up the Slave Trade Debt back to the poor in installments [for those that dont know, the USA owes the British Empire an extremely large amount of debt for slave trade that was happily forgotten due to morality issues.]

End all exploratory schemes, NASA etc. [stop trying escape]

Stop the USA from developing so many weapons…

yes there is corruption, but it is everywhere and there is enough profit in this "western" world to fix it
February 24th, 2008, 20:31
Veskgar

Over Population

Want to help the poor? Stop over-populating the planet. Almost 7 billion people here already and we barely have enough resources as it is. Our oceans are being over-fished, rain forests annihilated, land over-developed, etc. Also, pollution is getting so bad its causing changes in the Earth's climate that will further decrease habitable land.

Also, its interesting to point out that the worlds wealth is concentrated to just 2% of the population. The other 98% of us on the planet are either poor or hard working middle class having to save up for months on end just to get a PS3. Do we need more taxes to make that 2% richer? I think not...

Its a sham, like many others. I'm sick of how wasteful humans are and the problem with immigration and people having like 6 kids.

In the United States the population is predicted to rise by 50% to about 450,000,000 from today's 300,000,000. Largely attributed to immigration. Where the hell are we going to put them all? Humans are getting more densely packed all the time causing rising crime levels, putting a strain on local communities, and lowering the quality of life for many people.

Simply put, most people figure they won't be around in 50 or 100 years so why should they care. Its that sort of selfish, irresponsible greed that could ultimately lead to our downfall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Accordion

Stop the USA from developing so many weapons…

Yeah, cause if we stop improving our military capabilities other countries will follow probably.... right? Maybe its best to give Iran, China, or Russia all the weapons instead. The USA, while nowhere near perfect is still the most generous country in the world when it comes to charities and international aide. Not to mention technological, biotech, and medical breakthrough's. And if we want to fight a few small wars to prevent or delay another WWI or WWII the world is a better place because of that. Even if you could magically *POOF* make all weapons in the world vanish, do you think us humans would get along with each other better? There have always been wars and as long as man exists there will always be wars. Its just a matter of deciding who you want fighting and winning them.

I am from the USA but I do want to give my support and thanks to the British people and their military for their brave efforts and sacrifice in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other areas where the world needs some cleaning up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pibs

Damn I guess ima have to start selling drugs to afford my games....

What a stupid comment. And that kids, is why gamers are labeled negative stereotypes.
February 24th, 2008, 22:05
Joe88

put more taxes on cigarettes
thats always work ...
February 24th, 2008, 22:20
pibs

Damn I guess ima have to start selling drugs to afford my games....
February 25th, 2008, 01:30
mcdougall57

nicely summed up veskgar , some good info there
February 25th, 2008, 07:29
pibs

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veskgar

What a stupid comment. And that kids, is why gamers are labeled negative stereotypes.

wow you really got me there:rolleyes: you should be working for the ESRB and help all games get that E rating:) so the world will have less drug dealers!

and the negative stereotypes come from the media last time I checked so you need to chill.
February 25th, 2008, 12:35
digitalhijinx

I can see the dialogue that took place in that meeting, "Okay Okay we need money right? Well gamers they have the most money right? We'll lets slap a tax on their games! We'll take an industry that is already is rife with pirating from the ridiculously high cost, and increase the pirates desire to steal! ITS BRILLIANT! This way everyone loses!"
February 25th, 2008, 12:37
Shadowblind

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veskgar

What a stupid comment. And that kids, is why gamers are labeled negative stereotypes.

No its not. Even the UN can easily see the sarcasm in his comment.
February 25th, 2008, 16:43
Gilrad

For everybody complaining in countries with reasonably priced video games... Grow up a little? Fact is, video games aren't necessary to live, food and rent bills are. The entertainment industry is an excellent place to target such bills (though I suspect the movie industry might be a little too big; they might not be so easy to tax for political reasons).

Of course, it DOES reach a little too low for what it's trying to do, but again for political reasons, I imagine a more top-down strategy is near impossible.
February 25th, 2008, 19:26
Veskgar

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadowblind

No its not. Even the UN can easily see the sarcasm in his comment.

Sarcasm or not, it was still a stupid comment. I called it for what it is. I'm not one to ever incite flame wars but I could give a damn if anyone finds my posts or criticism of other posts irritating. There are plenty of others who can relate and agree with my sentiments.
February 27th, 2008, 22:35
Christuserloeser

Well, I like the idea. Video games are cheap when bought pre-owned. No one needs a PS3. Those who do can afford it anyway.
February 29th, 2008, 22:05
stacer

ITA, there are more important things in life than a PS3. Like children,family perhaps Veskgar, right?