No Taxation Without Representation” – A famous quote from Colonial America that we all learned as school children. But the quote is not “No Taxation”. Many feel that was what they meant. However, a brief review of history will show differently. For many, many years prior to the Declaration of Independence and through the first year of the Revolutionary War, most colonist were looking for reconciliation. It is true that taxes were a major rift between the King and colonies, but taxes were the secondary issue. The main issue was that the colonies were not allowed any representation in British Parliament. The King and Parliament could, and were, levying taxes on the colonies who had no say or recourse for injury. Our Founding Fathers, immediately after winning independence started to levy taxes. Monies were raised to pay off the war debt, set up the judiciary, providing for defense, etc.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) once again has shown their anti-American agenda. The European Union (EU) banned importation of American and Canadian beef in which growth hormones had been injected. Fair enough, a country has the right to decide what comes into its country. In response the North American countries added penalties (which I assume is a larger than normal tariff) to certain goods imported from the EU. The EU argued to the WTO that those countries were unfairly “sanctioning” the goods in retaliation for the beef ban. Again, a country has a right to decide what can come through its borders, and at what price. Of course, as usual, the WHO ruled against America (&Canada) and further ruled that the tariffs must end. I haven’t heard yet, but normally a heavy fine is issued to the offenders. If any punitive judgment is handed down, it will be in the billions of dollars, of which a portion goes to support the WHO.