John McCain, Republican candidate for President, would declare a gas tax holiday.
McCain launched a new campaign front by pandering talk of a summer-long holiday from the federal gasoline tax, which is just under 18.5 cents of the $3.40 or so cost of a gallon of gas. While the government is doing too little to confront economic recession, this would be a terrible signal. It ducks the nation’s ginormous energy, global warming, infrastructure and budget challenges. (Seattle P-I)
Oh, it does more than that. By encouraging Americans to believe that the Happy Motoring Age will go on forever, it helps directly finance the nation’s own decline. Every time a dollar is sent overseas to an oil-supplying nation (or borrowed from them to finance the U.S. debt), America puts more power into the hands of those who don’t really like them.
The accumulation of dollars in sovereign wealth funds is changing the balance of power; it’s only a matter of time before the dollar is no longer the world’s de facto reserve currency. Those who are presumed to be allies now will eventually be able to challenge the American hegemony. Or simply wait until the U.S. is financially overextended, exhausted and without options. This is not a good thing, even for those who think the Americans have it coming.
If nothing else works to convince our neighbours to wean themselves off oil, then such an effort should be positioned as a matter of National Security. That’s the impetus that got the Interstate system funded, and helped make America car- and oil-dependent. Maybe it’s the only way to get them off it.
Wow. That’s the complete opposite of what Gore is urging for (http://www.celsias.com/2008/04/15/the-inconvenient-truth-20/)
Is McCain… insane? I mean, they spend billions upon billions on oil, and get revenue from the tax… why would they abolish the tax over the peak summer months, requiring them to SPEND more and EARN less? That makes no fiscal sense. Unless he wants the country to actually fall apart.
Somebody give that man a smack to the head.
Gore pointed out the debates included 2 or less questions about climate change, on the 3 or 4 major networks. So what does that tell you? Nobody’s rootin for the planet except Gore, and that’s frightening. The US will take the world down with it.
All neocons want the country to fall apart. They’ve projected the Iraq war has cost $2 trillion already, and by offering tax cuts to the wealthy, elimination of the estate tax, which will help to create an aristocracy (those who never have to give up their wealth in their families)… coupled with axing most social programs like funding for education and their failed attempt to privatize the entire social security (retirement) system (which would have completely bankrupted itself with the current subprime mortgage loan ordeal)…
good stuff. As an american, I’m half-expecting to have to go camp out in the countryside with my victory garden for the rest of my life… or take up fur trapping.