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> Regressive consumer fuel taxes are a terrible way to fight climate change. Why? A fuel tax is not inherently regressive - it gives the correct incentive, be

> Regressive consumer fuel taxes are a terrible way to fight climate change. Why? A fuel tax is not inherently regressive - it gives the correct incentive, because a gallon of gas not burned is a gallon of gas not burned. It's "regressive" in the sense that poor people are hit harder, and I agree that the French government could have handled it better (well, obvious in hindsight), but there are other policies to help the poor while maintaining the fuel tax. Honestly, I find these "we're actually for the environment" argument suspicious - isn't it rather convenient that the things they want taxed are exactly what they aren't (directly) buying? As it stands now, addressing the climate will require radical policies. Some of them will hit the rich. Many of them will hit the poor harder, simply because they are the most vulnerable, whenever anything changes. There's no such thing as a painless easy fix, held back by evil politicians.

throwawaylinux 5y ago
I'm talking about the regressive tax in the example you brought up. Look, you can believe the powerful ruling class who have a long and celebrated tradition of implementing terrible, costly, unpopular agenda that helps them and their wealthy owners when they say they can't possibly do anything about climate change because in this one particular instance they suddenly care about the slightest bit of disagreement and oh what a shame the big energy companies won't have to pay for externalities from the product they profit from, this is all the fault of your violent nazi terrorist neighbor go get mad at him. But that's just denial of evidence and reality on par with denial of climate science, and I assure you that will not help things get done about it. "Your team" is not acting in your interests. I know this is incredibly difficult to come to terms with and accept. It feels much better to be valiantly side by side with the smooth talkers and celebrities and wonderful people battling the nazi Russians. But that's just not what's really going on here.

throwawaylinux 5y ago

I'm talking about the regressive tax in the example you brought up. Look, you can believe the powerful ruling class who have a long and celebrated tradition of implementing terrible, costly, unpopular agenda that helps them and their wealthy owners when they say they can't possibly do anything about climate change because in this one particular instance they suddenly care about the slightest bit of disagreement and oh what a shame the big energy companies won't have to pay for externalities from the product they profit from, this is all the fault of your violent nazi terrorist neighbor go get mad at him. But that's just denial of evidence and reality on par with denial of climate science, and I assure you that will not help things get done about it. "Your team" is not acting in your interests. I know this is incredibly difficult to come to terms with and accept. It feels much better to be valiantly side by side with the smooth talkers and celebrities and wonderful people battling the nazi Russians. But that's just not what's really going on here.