A letter from Norm Baker in the Tribune on Dec. 8 stated that since 1945 the United States has paid the United Nations $30 billion. That is a period of 60 years. I just looked up on the Internet the current cost of the Iraq war. The figures kept changing in front of my eyes -- it was a running total. The total? $225 billion and counting! Somehow, the cost of war dwarfs the cost of trying to attain peace. The U.S. is underpaying its fair share to the U.N. toward the goal of peace, not overpaying.
I hadn't heard about the global tax idea, but I think it's a good one, if used for peaceful purposes. The U.N., through its agencies, has many of these.
Karen Westby
Willmar
