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I may be naive, but I think the real problem here isn't Americans per se, but American corporations; once an industry in the states is large enough, taxing it (
by bsmith 7y ago
I may be naive, but I think the real problem here isn't Americans per se, but American corporations; once an industry in the states is large enough, taxing it (in any meaningful way) is virtually impossible because of lobbying dollars and backdoor dealings with politicians (e.g. "regulators," lol). Look at sugar, plastic, corn, beef, etc. There are examples a plenty.
- skybrian 7y agoWe're in a world where some auto companies are doing a deal with California for higher efficiency standards, rather than going along with the administration's attempts to lower them. So, I wouldn't assume that all or even most American corporations would fight a carbon tax. It seems like more of a partisan ideological thing?
- graeme 7y agoA bit of both. Corporations can’t lobby for open murder or human sacrifice: they have to hew to popular opinion, as politicians do. PR and propaganda can sway this somewhat, but not in a limitless way. The single biggest factor blocking more urgent action is human nature: we tend to the short term, we like to be comfortable, and we have a hard time imagining things being radically different than they are. I am not saying it’s impossible to convince the populace. I only mean to counter the perception that resistance comes only or even largely from corporations. Iirc correctly americans only have a 10-15% spread on climate issues compared to europeans.
- chris1993 7y agoMotivation for broader action may wait for a climate change Pearl Harbor