As a beacon of freedom advocacy, it’s critical that we address a scenario undermining our liberty that has surfaced from the World Health Organization (WHO). Dated December 5, 2023, WHO proposed a plan to use taxes as a tool to strip away your hard-earned freedoms under the guise of public health. They argued for imposing a steep global tax hike on alcohol and sugary drinks, insisting that a 50% price increase on these products would cultivate healthier societies.
Interestingly, this proposition is framed in the narrative of promoting good health. However, beneath that attractive veil, lurks a more prepossessing catch – an astonishing US$17 trillion in new revenue. Relying on a 2017 study, WHO postulates these tax hikes will “avert over 21 million deaths over 50 years and generate nearly US$17 trillion in additional revenues. This equals the total government revenue of eight of the world’s largest economies in one year.”
Skimming the surface, WHO’s strategy appears beneficial. However, diving into the depths, it’s clear that this strategy pivots around exploiting individuals as statistical chess pieces manipulated to maximize tax income. Alcohol and soda are just the starting points, the possibility of branching out to other products is wide open. This proposed scheme sacrifices personal freedoms at the altar of government revenue, propagating the concept of health as a weapon to extend governmental reach while eroding individual freedoms.
Dr. Rüdiger Krech, WHO’s Director of Health Promotion, supports this perspective, stating, “Taxing unhealthy products creates healthier populations. It has a positive ripple effect across society—less disease and disability, and revenue for governments to provide public services. In the case of alcohol, taxes also help prevent violence and road traffic injuries.”
But be cautious, for this vision they’re painting is of an elusive utopia. Our concerns arise when we contemplate what else may fall under this “health tax”. Meat? Gasoline-powered vehicles? Firearms? If accepted, the consequences will ripple through the personal lives of every individual, essentially driving the affordability of alcohol and soda into the reserves of the rich, consequently disenfranchising those less affluent.
Recall the devastating impact of Prohibition? The surge in crime rates and bootleggers who made fortunes out of the freedom to consume alcohol? This episode in history is a cautionary tale showing that escalating tax impositions can lead towards a society where freedom is determined by wealth, not inherent rights, thereby fostering a lucrative environment for illegal economies.
This piece is not an attack on the WHO per se, but an acknowledgment that like any other organization spanning the globe, the WHO is not immune to instrumentalization. This institution, which we initially entrusted with global health, appears to be playing into the hands of powerful entities like the World Economic Forum and parties who strive to control individual rights for their perceived moral superiority, profits, or both.
In a pithy summary, WHO’s tax proposal isn’t just another economic reform; it’s a political Trojan horse threatening to compromise our liberties. This unassuming proposition discloses a startling revelation: Your God-given rights are dispensable; your health and personal choices can be commoditized, weaponized, and selectively distributed following the hierarchical structure of wealth. Let us not forget that we reside in an imperfect world and stripping away individual freedoms will not rectify it. Freedom is the very essence of our existence, a priceless gift we must vigilantly guard against infringement from those with differing agendas. Curbing these God-given freedoms won’t repair our flawed society—this task is only achievable through our collective moral compass, our shared belief in individual freedom.
