Tax against poverty

Dear Emektar,

Mr. President thanks you for your letter dated 14.5.1983. He appreciates your struggle against hunger in the world. As you know, the president calls for a donation every year in the Thanksgiving festival with a declaration against hunger in the world.

I find it very interesting to lay a tax on consumer goods such as oil, telephone charges and fireworks to struggle against the hunger problem in the world.

However, the applicability of this proposal can be investigated by the ministry of finance, not by the presidential office. For this reason, your letter has been forwarded to the ministry of finance.

Best regards

Dr. Pieper

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Dear President Karl Carstens,

I kindly would like to ask you to attract the attention of the government’s worthy politicians to the taxation of some consumer goods against poverty in the world, since I cannot stand by thousands of people living in poverty losing their lives of starvation.

Please allow me to ask: who would be harmed if a small amount tax is laid on luxury consumer goods under the name of the solitary tax, or who would this impoverish? (Fireworks, phone charges, jewelry, expensive vehicles, expensive properties, luxury trips, cigarette, expensive alcoholic beverages)?

According to your valuable appreciation, cannot this suggestion be put into practice step by step?

The fact that all these disasters are happening far away from us cannot be accepted as reasons why noble people to say “BUT” and pretext. No noble person can close their eyes or ears, as millions of poor people around the world are suffering in pain. Love forces man, because of his talent and obligation arising from his very nature, to thrust out a hand and embrace all living beings in the world to ensure they are in a good condition. Therefore, I beg you to take the initiative and attempt to show affection to all mankind.

A small percentage / drop of our calculator in our wallet and a happy future without war, or indifferent to the world of people who are in the forefront of children living in hopeless and bitter poverty in the day ahead.

Either a small percentage/drop in our wallet/glass and a happy future without war/drought, or to stay indifferent to the world of people with children in the forefront, who live in despair, pain and poverty.

In this world, we can realize social justice only by the solidarity of those, who give and receive, and by friendship albeit limited.

No human being and no power can ignore this truth, because, without exception, we all have to behave worthy of our name, HUMAN.

Best regards

Cengiz Emektar

Bommichring 12 8752 Glattbach

14.05.1983

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Dear Secretary General of the UN Ban ki Moon,

Ladies and gentlemen,

I apologize for feeling that I have to appeal to you for an ideal, because I can neither ignore nor accept the growing worldwide poverty that leads the humankind and the nature to a disaster. As a simple earthling, I feel responsible for doing things with my limited opportunities and keep the matter on the agenda. I do not want to take too much of your precious time, but I'm pretty sure there is a great silent majority in the world who thinks that something must absolutely be done against poverty. Below, you may find some of my humble suggestions against the worldwide poverty:

- A mutual understanding should be reached worldwide about laying a solidarity tax on the luxury consumer goods (jewelry, luxury cars, yachts, luxury trips, luxury restaurants, expensive properties, gasoline (to compensate for the damages against nature), cigarette and alcoholic drinks) in order to end the poverty.

Who might be suspicious that poverty in the world will end in the near future if such a practice is carried into effect? If such an application is realized, children will be able to go to school, adults will be able to work and produce, and positive behaviors will gain importance around the world.

-Please, I want to ask: Who will become impoverished with such an application that will solve/eliminate poverty beyond any doubt? Who would object to this, what could be the reason? In addition, maybe even nobody would be aware of this little deduction from luxurious consumer goods under the name of solidarity tax.

Among those who witness people die writhing in pain, who would stand against such an application? We, all of us, have to be aware of our humanity and take the initiative accordingly. It is the most noble behavior to give life to others that fall apart. In this world, every individual has certainly a child, mother, father and close friends to love. Therefore, we must show empathy towards those who lose their lives of starvation and people who they leave behind and extend a hand to them with our human identity. People who do not have anything to lose and hope for the future pose the greatest danger for the peace in the world because these people are open to be used/exploited for bad purposes against very small benefits. There is no power or weapon to remove this danger, because poverty and impossibilities, which are the source of this danger, must be removed first.

For this reason, at least a part of the expenditures made to fight/kill today must be made to sustain. Otherwise, the world will have to add new ones to the disasters it has experienced throughout history, which is inevitable according to my personal conviction. For this reason, I invite you and all noble/ conscientious people: Please do not hold over this problem that may be solved today, because the senses of nobility and justice require this. Nobody can claim the opposite of this.

Yours sincerely

Cengiz Emektar

13.10.2014

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Dear Dr. Wolfang Schäuble,

Please forgive me as my conscience has made me occupy your precious time.

Please see and read the subject matter in the attached documents. In my identity as a simple citizen, I feel responsible towards the victimized people in order to transform what I can do within the bounds of possibility into practice, because it is unfortunately very difficult to see people who are writhing in pain and be happy.

I wrote a letter containing my suggestions as to whether or not some taxes might be levied on some luxury consumer goods to our president Mr. Karl Carstens in 1983 for the sake of fighting poverty as I could not just be an onlooker without doing anything for the people who perished because of hunger for any reason whatsoever from day to day.

You will read the letter of this high-minded person dated 26.05.1983 and will read that he welcomes my struggle against the global poverty and that he considers it very interesting However, in the same reply given by the presidency, it was written that my proposal had been sent to your ministry for the investigation of the issue.

No one has the right to disrespect your Ministry’s silence in the case of such messages. But if I could get a small reply, it would make me extremely happy and give strength to my struggle. In order to continue this struggle, I am knocking on the door of all the philanthropists that I think they cannot keep silent on this call.

Forgive me, but in my opinion, no one who believes in rights and law and has conscience can close his eyes and turn his back to the catastrophe of such suffering people (wherever they are and wherever they live) despite the solutions that are not impossible.

I wholeheartedly ask you to initiate an initiative to impose a solidarity tax on all luxury consumer goods in Germany and then in the European Union and around the world, to set an example to prevent further damage to poor people.

Resorting to your tolerance, I would like to ask: For whom would it be inconvenient to pay a tax of (±) 0.1% to 1% on fuel, jewelry, expensive cars, properties, drinks and luxury travel? Luxury consumer goods are consumed only by people with more than enough income, and such people have more than what is necessary for a normal life (Please forgive me if I’m wrong in thinking this way!).

These people do not even realize that they pay taxes against global poverty through luxury consumer goods. But sooner or later, they will surely see how they are happy with the happiness of these people they have saved from the brink of death and with the resulting happiness of the world.

If you take the first step in this matter or bring it up to the agenda, please be assured that the world will never forget it and that this step will take its place in history in gold letters.

At first glance, the language I use for these thoughts may seem absurd or irrational.

But please visualize look into the eyes of the children who are skin and bone and lack a slice of bread left to eat and women who don’t even have a few drops of milk to breastfeed their babies!

To hide behind the assumption that all this occurs so far away in order to justify their indifference and the so-called helplessness of the persons of means, please forgive me, fails to suit the frame of mind in which humane values prevail.

Please take action in accordance with your nobility and your supreme soul and put an end to the writhing of these people in pain and the non-existent shedding of their tears that no longer exist.

With my best regards

Cengiz Emektar

02.11.2014

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Dear Human

I cannot really understand the fact that those with power and money do not take the initiative without inflicting pain, suffering and aggrieving to anyone, to be able to easily eliminate the disgraceful global hunger disaster.

What kind of obstacle could it be in front of the global power holders to make such an attempt? Is it money, possibility, intelligence, will or empathy… what is needed to organize this? Is it courage and talent? Is it not enough for the solution of this problem to receive solidarity tax of 1000 dollars or euros from seventy-eight million super rich who make up one percent of the world’s population and two hundred Dollars/Euros from other riches for three or five years to eliminate the fate of poverty of children before everyone else and then adults?

I would like to ask a very simple question to all people with true justice: How would we respond when the unprotected people are tortured and killed by a barbarian in front of our eyes every day?

Do you think that we would stop this barbarity with our opportunities which are too much of our needs and cure those wounds of these people and turn them into a healthy life or would we continue to watch this painful situation?

If this barbarian called poverty tortures and kills tens of thousands of people day by day, then it can be said that it is a ruthless murderer. What about the fact that rich and powerful people ignore this situation? Doesn’t that mean to sit in the tribunes like a spectator is a connivance of these murders?

Was it the aliens who signed the UN declaration on human rights? What does the paragraph 9 of the UN statement mean? Why don’t the Member States with high income levels make even little effort to stop the disaster that has left each conscientious person horrified? Isn't it a holy happiness to be happy all together?

Is it a normal, acceptable development that the poverty continues to kill in many parts of the world without facing any obstacle?

For this purpose, anyone with more than enough savings should be taxable on luxury consumption products as per their income and wealth. Increasing poverty is never going to bring this world to a happy, peaceful and fair future and the humanity will never be able to free the disaster of war/terror.

When everyone is winning, and a certain level of prosperity is ensured, and while being loved, what can be more natural than to feel happy. Why can't we urgently get into a solidarity with people who need help and don’t share our love with people more generously? Is it love, which is becoming increasingly widespread, or hatred does the humanity tend to? Which one carries us to the happy future? Is it the ambition of our interests, violations of rights and exploitation or solidarity with victims and love of people? This world does not only belong to you or me, it belongs to all of us.

If we withhold even “a few paper tissues” from children and adults that cry their eyes out in pain to wipe their tears, then I would like to ask: Is this consistent with our human values?

08.06.2018

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Subject: Poverty and climate conference

Dear Mrs. federal councilor Simonetta Sommeruga,

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

I don’t want to over-engage your precious time, but if you read the attached documents briefly, you will see what my purpose is. I’m neither a hero nor a man who struggles to become one. But if so many people are starving day to day, my conscience doesn’t leave me alone. In order to repel this poverty from our world, I had a recommendation to our late president Karl Carstens, who is still in my heart, about taxing all luxury goods 32 years ago. If our president found this proposal very interesting and even thanked me for this reason, I cannot understand why the politicians I wrote many times remained silent.

They could at least ensure that the feasibility of this proposal was investigated and analyzed by scientists. If this suggestion had been brought to the agenda even with a superficial research, believe me, I would have been very happy. But why hasn’t any attempt been made this is really an enigma for me.

Best Regards

Cengiz Emektar

28.11.2018

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My rebellion

I request everyone who reads this writing answer these questions that I ask to every fair person, even if only to their own conscience. No one in life can claim that a human being was born into this world as a thief, liar, murderer, robber.

1. So when this reality is there, from whom do people see/learn these qualities or why do they feel compelled to use these paths that do not overlap with human values? Why do predators in the wilderness attack others? Would the ferocity have occurred if these animals had no feeding problems? From this point of view, if not supported, what can a person do who has no means to survive? And how can he/she find the way to tomorrow without harming anyone or nature?

2. If this world is ruled with the ambition of interest as it has so far, what kind of inheritance can we give to the next generations other than these printed papers?

3. I wish everyone a long, healthy and happy life with all my heart. But in our last years, months, even days and hours before we go to that unknown, will we not ask ourselves what we did or did not do for humanity throughout our lives? How do we want to be remembered when we live or after we die? With our money/wealth or with the blessings of the gratitude, the smiling faces of the souls that we have saved and gave happiness?

4. I’m sure many of you think that this world cannot reach prosperous tomorrows with ever-increasing chronic poverty and consequent ignorance and hopeless people, and that this will be exploited by people who are not taught or somehow able to learn the feeling of satisfaction.

5. If we are human beings who claim to have human values, then should we have to fight against the mistreatment and find solution for desperation all-for-one and one-for-all with no thought of personal gain, or should we wait until the ‘stone’ touches us? If we do this together, neither the victim nor the guilty remains. Our future will certainly be at stake with the ignorance imposed on us without the removal of poverty and people forced to be servants with the increasing interest and power lovers.

There is one more question that I want to ask sheltering the riches’ tolerance: Do you think your happiness will increase even more if you win two, three or four times or get rich? If all the financial means of the world were yours, how could you be happy when people around you were starving? Can’t we give a glass of water in our oasis to a person roasted by the heat of the desert, take him to our shadow, or help him find the right way? If we don’t give this support, is it so difficult to see that we will suffer conscientiously and that our human values will suffer great losses? Are we human or the desert?

Trees cannot live without earth, water and sun, and people cannot live without being embraced with love. They cannot go beyond the so-called happiness created by money. Can this fact be denied? I want to ask, in today’s world is disrespect, marginalization and violence, or love and respect outweigh each other day-to-day?

I want this world to be ruled mainly by women, the earth of love. Because we, the men, (except exemptions) believe that we can achieve success only by accessing wealth, power and authority, and we strive for this.

Unfortunately, we don’t even want to see the wounds we created as we’ve fought for being the most powerful, richest and most respectable people. We have not been able to show mutual love and respect throughout history, but we have had to maintain peace only after the slaughter or victimization of hundreds of thousands of innocent people in the wars of interest.

If we don’t love and respect each other, then who loves and respect us?

If the world was ruled mostly by women, would we be like this again? Please let’s see this truth!

Why is it so impossible to share the existing with the poor, why is this world filled with the poor in both real and figurative terms? How is success measured in this life? Is it increasing wealth, striving for a wealthy future just for himself and his family by obtaining a university diploma for the purpose of owning property by working in a large business or being a large business owner, or in addition to all of these disasters, injustice, to make a difference, albeit a small one, by fighting against the disease of interest/dissatisfaction that does not refrain from even exploiting the poor without expecting any benefit and learning to be happy for the happiness we give?

To whom does it harm all super-riches to be subject to special taxation for solidarity with poverty? I couldn't find an answer to this question but surely there is someone who found one! In the meantime, why is it globally avoided from a solidarity tax of one/two cents per dollar/euro of all luxury goods? Why isn’t even an investigation made for this proposal? Or is it feared that sensitive hearts will turn the scale?

Is it not possible to conduct a survey on this subject? Even if it is negative (which I don’t think so), the result of such a survey will surely take its place in the history as our humanity record and will be the assurance of our future. Ignoring or distorting the facts and leaving innocent/victimized people to their fate in this worldly hell is nothing more than losing one’s humanity. Goethe said this world was a hell of a delicate heart. But if the arsonists of this hellfire aren’t those among us who suffer from chronic interest, arrogance and ego disease, then who can they be?

Aren’t those the legitimate liars and manipulators who make false promises and wheedle to get people’s rights, those they have and what’s in their pockets to the last penny and convince them with false smiling faces, but turn their back when it comes to giving?

Isn’t the number of sensitive hearts enough to extinguish this hellfire with the power of our love and the colors of our human values?

Or is it humanity when the poor/victims and children who are literally a skin bone lose all their color like a dry leaf on the lap of their helpless mothers in pain beyond the soundproof glass pane, when we turn around to eat and drink and toast the goblets in great happiness without any disturbance on this side? Is it possible not to rebel against these situations? How do we, as human beings, fall asleep comfortably in our bed with no worry?

In the meantime, I would like to ask all scientists and thinkers of all women’s associations and institutions to bring to light the practices and mistakes that cause this disaster and raise awareness of all humanity by creating a global human platform.

I want them to bring to the attention of all people that the damages inflicted on humanity for the personal interests of those who have the power to distort reality cannot be left to the initiative of politicians in many parts of the world. Dear scientists, if you could build a platform comprising of thousands of people, would it be possible not to hear your voice? My last words: Decisions and practices that aggrieve people by distorting the truth and without listening to the voice of conscience leave people without nobility, justice and humanity. If this is wrong, then (please forgive me) our human values have become diseased. Although no one takes my struggle seriously, I serve to my conscience and therefore humanity, not to benefit.

A person who protects his or her own values does not constraint his own love. Because human love is just like a river flowing. Around him, neither a tree nor colorful flowers wither. I regret to say that not being able to empathize with the poor and the victim keeps us down.

My biggest dream was to sow the seeds of happiness to the fields of despaired people and to allow some of these people to harvest it for a bit. But unfortunately, I see that the sense of adoration to luxury and glamorous is far more valuable than the lives of millions of people, and I’m conscientiously rebelling that such things are preferred to a bite of bread of these people.

Cengiz Emektar

25.05.2019