3 ms·

A relatively simple carbon tax could put us on the right path, but most voters aren’t pushing for it. If the voters were all pushing for it, even if it means li

by ericd 3y ago

A relatively simple carbon tax could put us on the right path, but most voters aren’t pushing for it. If the voters were all pushing for it, even if it means living a lower energy lifestyle in the short run and all that that entails, you’d see change. Write a physical paper letter to your congresspeople letting them know that you’re a single issue voter on carbon tax with carbon dividend and border adjustment. Help bring it to the top of their mind, above the huge number of competing priorities, if you want to see something done.

sph 3y ago
The biggest lie the political circus has managed to spread is that if the system is broken, it's because the voters should do more. It's never because of corruption, lobbyism, populism, billionaires funding political campaigns, corporations pushing their interests. No, always blame the voter. But please don't complain too loudly, say the protest laws. And so we keep the farçe alive for another 4 years. -- The carbon tax would be a swell idea, but no politician will ever table it, because none of the major players that put money in their pocket want it.
- ericd 3y ago
  Obviously everyone is pushing for their own interests, some of them more effectively than others. But I also don't see many voters ranking this as their single biggest issue, and politicians are well aware of that. Whatever forces you think are pulling the strings behind the scenes, getting to broad support seems likely to be a necessary precondition to overcoming the inertia of a system and a people that are generally comfortable with the status quo. How did the voters react to the gas tax increases in France? Was that the result of the evil billionaires and lobbyists? Or was it regular people afraid of the potential disruption to their lives?

3 ms·

A relatively simple carbon tax could put us on the right path, but most voters aren’t pushing for it. If the voters were all pushing for it, even if it means li

by ericd 3y ago

sph 3y ago
The biggest lie the political circus has managed to spread is that if the system is broken, it's because the voters should do more. It's never because of corruption, lobbyism, populism, billionaires funding political campaigns, corporations pushing their interests. No, always blame the voter. But please don't complain too loudly, say the protest laws. And so we keep the farçe alive for another 4 years. -- The carbon tax would be a swell idea, but no politician will ever table it, because none of the major players that put money in their pocket want it.
- ericd 3y ago
  Obviously everyone is pushing for their own interests, some of them more effectively than others. But I also don't see many voters ranking this as their single biggest issue, and politicians are well aware of that. Whatever forces you think are pulling the strings behind the scenes, getting to broad support seems likely to be a necessary precondition to overcoming the inertia of a system and a people that are generally comfortable with the status quo. How did the voters react to the gas tax increases in France? Was that the result of the evil billionaires and lobbyists? Or was it regular people afraid of the potential disruption to their lives?