UN RENOUVEAU DE LA PARTICIPATION ASSOCIATIVE ? L'engagement et le militantisme au sein du comité Attac Isère

2.2.1.2 The D-appropriation of the Tobin tax by Attac

With the stressing of universalization and the facilities of circulation of capital which result from it, the speculative transactions took, during the years 1990, a proportion much more important than they did not have when Tobin made its proposal^203(*). Many economic crises followed one another : crisis of the debt of the countries of the South during years 1980, crisis of Mexico in 1994-95, crisis of the East Asia in 1997, crisis of Brazil in 1998. It is in this context that the idea to tax the financial transactions and the proposal with James Tobin reconsidered the front of the scene. The tax « Tobin » was evoked at the time of the European monetary crisis, in 1992 and 1993, during the collapse of the American peso in 1994^204(*). Mitterrand also proposed the tax with an aim « humanitarian » at the time of the World Social Summit of Copenhagen in 1994. Lastly, it was evoked in G7, in Halifax, in 1995. The idea accepted the support of several personalities : Jacques Delors (president of the European Commission of 1985 to 1994), Boutros Boutros-Ghali (secretary-general of UNO of 1992 to 1996), To bore Conable (president of the World Bank of 1986 to 1991). In France, in 1995, the Lionel Jospin candidate had registered this measure to his program of presidential campaign, it had also been taken again by the Socialists at the time of the European elections of 1995 ; it had been question more since^205(*). It reappeared in December 1997 in the leading article of Igniacio Ramonet. But is the proposal defended by Attac the same one as that of Tobin? How association it réappropriée this idea and T of them it has makes its war-horse ?

The tax defended by Attac is not basically different, in its methods of application, that which James Tobin had been able to conceive. It is about an imposition of the exchange transactions ata rate located between 0,05% and 1% and which would make it possible to reduce the volume of the transactions. However, Attac intends to take again on its account this tax in a «spirit » different from that which motivated James Tobin : whereas it wished above all to give again with the national monetary policies a certain autonomy and that it regarded the benefit of this tax only as one «by-product », association was initially based on the idea to collect a sum allowing the eradication of poverty and the development of the least advanced countries^206(*). Ramonet, in its leading article «To disarm the markets » called its wishes this «world tax of solidarity » which «would get, per annum, some 166 billion dollars, twice as much as the annual sum necessary for éradiquer extreme poverty from here to the beginning of the century. »^207(*) The members of the scientific Council of Attac specify, in addition, that it is not a question to replace the government aid with the development but to add the product of the tax to the already existing financings^208(*).

By réappropriant the idea of Tobin and by giving him a purpose different from that which it allotted to him initially, association, initially, gave the idea that James Tobin was humanistic economist a « »^209(*), whereas the context and the goal were not similar. What is astonishing, they is that many Attac militants represent James Tobin like a liberal economist not wishing to fight against the speculation but to protect it, while constituting thanks to the money collected reserve funds which permetterait in the event of crisis economic «to start again the machine ». Its intention was to prevent the formation of speculative bubbles which are harmful with the course of the capitalist economy and the correct operation of the markets^210(*). On the other hand, it wished well to slow down the speculation. It was a question for him «of throwing sand in the wheels of the speculation » in order to return to the States a more autonomous monetary policy. The finality of Tobin was to give more place to the policies of revival and to reduce the place of the market, it was above all keynésien and especially not liberal.

Fabien : In its preliminary draft, the word «universalization » did not come, it acted to make in kind put sand in the wheels to prevent that there are too many transactions of speculation. It is all. I do not remember any more which was its goal. But Attac I do not know even any more what they say on top. Them... Finally us since I form part of it... They were favorable to the constitution of funds which would make it possible to finance the social development. It is not the goal which Tobin had given to its idea but that does not shock me. I do not think that there is contradiction. That one takes the idea but one whom one tries to apply from a different point of view!

Cecile: In the tax I think that one can see there what one wants inside. People of extreme left see there a springboard for a total criticism of the company, a grain of sand which could bring an awakening of world capitalism and it is for that that there is a certain number of people of the radical left who find themselves in Attac. It there also of people who will see means of action there to improve the living condition of the populations, like people of the socialist party. There is Tobin itself which sees the means there to oil the financial system. I think that one can see there what one wants.

* ²⁰³ In 1970, the world volume of the daily transactions on the foreign exchange market rose to 10 billion dollars. It passed to 75 billion in 1980, 500 billion in 1990 and 1.800 billion in 1997. Only 7 or 8% of these transactions would correspond to commercial payments. Cf, Chesnais (François), op.cit, p. 52.

* ²⁰⁴ Sahuc (Michel), «  The Tobin tax  : palliative care of capitalism  », op.cit.

* ²⁰⁵ Fabre (Clarisse), «  The Attac committee of the French National Assembly prepares her offensive  », the World, 23/09/1999.

* ²⁰⁶ The charter founder of Attac notes that «Even fixed ata particularly low rate of 0,05%, the Tobin tax would pay nearly 100 billion dollars per annum. Collected, essentially, by the industrialized countries where the great money markets are localized, this sum could be transferred with the international organizations for actions of fight against the inequalities, for promotion of education and the public health in the poor countries, for food safety and the durable development», cf appendix n°7, p. 19.

* ²⁰⁷ Ramonet (Igniacio), «  To disarm the markets  », op.cit, appendix n°10, p.26

* ²⁰⁸ «  There remains duty of each national State to follow policies of social protection and solidarity, education, public health, and environmental protection, and to envisage the budgets necessary.  » The scientific Council of Attac, «  Ten questions about the Tobin tax  ».

* ²⁰⁹ A member of Attac wrote in this direction on Internet  : «  On the other hand there is an error on the intentions of Tobin when it proposed its tax, for him the collected money it was card-indexed some [...] In fact Attac made of Tobin an economist with humanistic aimings whereas the goal of its tax is of a purely technical nature and clearly reformist.  » Acounis (Henri), «  Extract of the daily newspaper the Duty of May 6, 2001  », http://www.attac-talkg.org. 8/05/2001.

* ²¹⁰ Cf, ARIANE Way, Laurent Mauduit, «the ministry for finances consider unrealistic a tax on the movements of capital», the World, 2/10/1998, p. 7.