While your statement seems noble and progressive, a similar same mistake is made. Not believing in the possibility of human flight is along the same error as believing we can fix market forces and or outcomes.

Which is more insane? Not believing that man can overcome the seemingly complicated obstacle of flight, in spite of empirical evidence such as birds. Or, Believing that we can control every little detail required to fix the most complicated systems ever created, in order to have one specific outcome? This is true for fixing the energy predicament or the ever popular global warming.

Believing you can control (not influence) human instinct, economic markets, foreign ideals, etc and even the environment on Earth as a whole is insane.

The USSR is a prime example of what can result when thinking centralized control over highly complex systems (human nature or economics) is plausible. This is truly the most illogical and arrogant of all human misconceptions.

People who proclaimed the world was flat did so in spite of simple observations of nature. I would go as far to say, some disclaimers preached the illogical simply to control the ignorant. Watching a ship sail over the horizon or a bird lift from the ground demands a scientific answer, not ignorance or wizard mumbo-jumbo.

However demanding that the ship become a whale or the bird to become a heart surgeon is either insane, or incredibly stupid. Yet it is precisely what many people in this world demand of business. Make energy out of thin air and while you are at it make it free, and make me rich.

I can safely say that we all, as Americans, can think of nothing more satisfying as ending the money flow to those backward thinking idiots in the middle east. However legislating solutions in spite of real inabilities and reality is also insane, or incredibly stupid.

 

I unfortunately think you may be right. Adding taxes though is not an incentive. It will have quite the opposite effect desired most likely. Added taxes will simply increase the burden on people and business. Business will simply pass that burden back on to the customer. In the end nothing has changed except possible stagnation in the market and loss of production and consumption.

Lessoning the controls is a better solution. In fact, reversing taxation based on fuel consumption is about the only incentive left to influence the gas problem. Interestingly as a nation we are currently in uncharted waters as far as the economy goes. The choices and policies made by the US government in the next 5 years may spell the final power-shift away from the US as numero uno.

 

Again, smartass, I'm by no means one of the "rich."

But it should be MY decision how I want to distribute my money charitably. I'm not a damn anarchist, I know government is necessary and beneficial in some capacities.

You used the term "redistributed," which is exactly what is going on. What gives the government the right or the moral authority to just take from those who have and give it to those who have less? Besides, I already said I can relate to a flat tax (or flat sales tax in lieu of income taxes), which hits everyone at the same proportion but STILL means the better off people will pay more money.

No, I don't think that every person has exactly the same hand of cards dealt them, and if they all put in some effort, everything will be fine.

Selfishness? Sure, that's true of every person to some degree or another. You know, self-preservation, concern for your own life, liberty, and property, and that of your loved ones. Selfish, if you wish.

Entitlement? No, that is the result of people expecting the government to just give sh** to them because that's the government's job.

Racism? Sweet, so now now if you think the government should take the same AMOUNT or at least the same proportion of money from all people, you are branded a racist. OH, and CAFE is definitely dumb. IF we decide that government interaction is needed (even though the market is magically working, and people are changing to more fuel efficient options all by themselves as prices rise), then an increase in the price of fuel (via a revenue neutral tax, if such a thing could ever happen) is the more fair way to do it.

Given your attitude toward taxing the rich, though, I figured you'd rather stick the responsibility on the evil corporations like GM and Toyota than on the actual consumers who are using the fuel.

 

Every tax you mention is paid everywhere. In your case as a small business, you'd probally be paying heaps more amounts of taxes and fees if you were in any other first world country.

I do happen to agree with you 100% about the need for a gasoline tax of 1 to 2 dollars. So does every auto industry CEO, and seemingly every economic analyst and so called expert on reducing our dependence on oil, and creating a market where it's profitable for our industry to invest in developing smaller fuel efficient tecnology and vehicles. Unfortunately, the idea of taxes is a 3rd rail here despite having the lowest tax rate of any country at our level.



The European Union's Value Added Tax ranges from 15 to 25% maximum (not 50%), and is included with any price displays, much like Australia's (which is 10%). It's also broken down farther. For instance, food is at a very low percentage (5-8% typically) while more expensive items like cars might run 25%.

Fuel is taxed pretty high overseas. Here in the USofA, our fuel is taxed at a maximum of 17%. On a global standard of other first world nations, that's chicken feed.

In France, gasoline taxes are 70%.

In Great Britian it's 75% plus annual inflation adjustments. But without taxes, gasoline there runs roughly 50 to 70 cents cheaper per gallon than non taxed gasoline here.

The European Union has a witholdiong tax on investments and intrest, roughly 15%.

The average corperate tax rate in the EU is just under 30%.

The highest tax rate on income in Australia is 45% if you make over $150K. Meanwhile, middle class taxes are a very reasonable 12-23%.

Germany, top income tax rate is 45%. Germany also still has a 5.5% tax going towards the cost of reunification. Corperate tax there is a flat 15%, one of the lowest in Europe. They also have a 19% VAT on goods & services and 7% on food and books.

All of this doesn't include local city and regional taxes in each area.

Taxes are all a part of business. Here in the United States we have it far better than anywhere else in the world where any of us would actually want to live where we would have at least a similar standard of living.

No one likes to give their money away.

Here in the US, IMHO, our mistake is that we don't include taxes in the price of anything we buy like other countries do, and money isn't automatically deducted out of our paychecks to pay our income taxes. We actually see and are reminded of taxes every time we buy something or get a paycheck, unlike many other countries.

Bottom line, US tax rates are CHEAP!!

That's why so many wealthy foreigners migrate here.


http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0826/p01s03-woeu.html
http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/21/news...ion=2007052116