27 ms·

We're never going to get climate change under control until we have carbon taxes. I don't get why conservative politicians aren't behind this? It's the defini

We're never going to get climate change under control until we have carbon taxes. I don't get why conservative politicians aren't behind this? It's the definition of a libertarian free market solution! You could even make it revenue neutral by lowering income taxes. It's also arguably a better targeted tax. You tax the things you want less of. It's kind of silly to tax income when you could instead be taxing activity that's harmful to the planet. Far better for corporations to try and dodge taxes by emitting less co2 than offshoring to ireland.

nickpp 6y ago
Even better, a carbon tax would create a market for solutions of getting rid of CO2 in a cheaper way than the tax. Finally an incentive to put all that awesome entrepreneurial creativity that gave us all the benefits we are enjoying every day to work on saving the planet. Win-win...
eloff 6y ago
It makes so much sense, it's just crazy to see how little support there is for the idea. This and other things are starting to convince me that the average person is actually incapable of making smart policy decisions, and that if we used technology to implement a direct democracy, it would likely be worse than what we have now. I used to think it was a great idea, but I've lost some faith in humanity lately looking at people reacted to the pandemic.
- fallingfrog 6y ago
  I think if you put it to a straight popular vote it would pass. Unfortunately many things that have massive popular support are politically impossible, because of our deeply unresponsive political system which largely ignores the will of the people.
triceratops 6y ago
> I don't get why conservative politicians aren't behind this? Because it doesn't benefit them. They're politicians. "Conservative" is just the label they've figured out will garner them the most votes. And "conservative" voters have been brainwashed over generations to believe this isn't a real crisis.
jfengel 6y ago
1. "Tax" is anathema to conservative politicians, in any form. 2. They're heavily invested in the "it's a hoax" stage to global warming. It's a more engaging narrative than later stages: not merely a disagreement over facts but an actual enemy to be defeated: the hoaxers, and by extension their political opponents on every subject. People who, I would note, they can project as "pro tax", and more generally representing a threat to your hard-earned wealth. Ideally, libertarians would fall on the side of science. But there's heavy pressure to disregard the science and portray the scientists as failures. If there's no problem, then you don't need a solution.
- wing-_-nuts 6y ago
  I mean, if i were libertarian, I would much rather pay a carbon tax than have the government tell me what sort of car I can buy. Want a dodge viper that gets 10mpg? No problem, you just gotta deal with $8 / gal gas.
  - jfengel 6y ago
    Sure, but even better is to have a 10 mpg Viper with $2.50/gallon gas, plus a few bucks a year contributed to a political candidate who tells you that the other political candidate wants you to pay $8/gallon. It's a win for you and a win for that candidate. Classic win-win.
    - imtringued 6y ago
      It's only a win in the short term.

nickpp 6y ago

Even better, a carbon tax would create a market for solutions of getting rid of CO2 in a cheaper way than the tax. Finally an incentive to put all that awesome entrepreneurial creativity that gave us all the benefits we are enjoying every day to work on saving the planet. Win-win...

eloff 6y ago

It makes so much sense, it's just crazy to see how little support there is for the idea. This and other things are starting to convince me that the average person is actually incapable of making smart policy decisions, and that if we used technology to implement a direct democracy, it would likely be worse than what we have now. I used to think it was a great idea, but I've lost some faith in humanity lately looking at people reacted to the pandemic.

fallingfrog 6y ago
I think if you put it to a straight popular vote it would pass. Unfortunately many things that have massive popular support are politically impossible, because of our deeply unresponsive political system which largely ignores the will of the people.

triceratops 6y ago

> I don't get why conservative politicians aren't behind this? Because it doesn't benefit them. They're politicians. "Conservative" is just the label they've figured out will garner them the most votes. And "conservative" voters have been brainwashed over generations to believe this isn't a real crisis.

jfengel 6y ago

1. "Tax" is anathema to conservative politicians, in any form. 2. They're heavily invested in the "it's a hoax" stage to global warming. It's a more engaging narrative than later stages: not merely a disagreement over facts but an actual enemy to be defeated: the hoaxers, and by extension their political opponents on every subject. People who, I would note, they can project as "pro tax", and more generally representing a threat to your hard-earned wealth. Ideally, libertarians would fall on the side of science. But there's heavy pressure to disregard the science and portray the scientists as failures. If there's no problem, then you don't need a solution.

wing-_-nuts 6y ago
I mean, if i were libertarian, I would much rather pay a carbon tax than have the government tell me what sort of car I can buy. Want a dodge viper that gets 10mpg? No problem, you just gotta deal with $8 / gal gas.
- jfengel 6y ago
  Sure, but even better is to have a 10 mpg Viper with $2.50/gallon gas, plus a few bucks a year contributed to a political candidate who tells you that the other political candidate wants you to pay $8/gallon. It's a win for you and a win for that candidate. Classic win-win.
  - imtringued 6y ago
    It's only a win in the short term.