[lbo-talk] A Case for a Higher Gasoline Tax?

[Gar Lipow]

On 1/13/06, Wojtek Sokolowski <wsokol52 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Similar arguments were, no doubt, advanced to defend
> slavery in the US South - it would be the end of
> civilization.  If you engage enough spin doctors you
> can prove anything - that tobacco is good for your
> health, lead is harmless, and the 6 thousand year old
> flat earth sits in the center of the universe around
> which everything else revolves.
>
> It is amazing how far the human mind can go on the
> road of self-justiciation of one's "way of life."  To
> paraphrase Karl Marx,  "way of life" is like religion
> - everyone else's is "man-made" i.e. artifical, ours
> is "god-given " i.e. the only true one.  I guess the
> iron Lady taught you right - there is no alternative,
> so shut up and keep consuming.
>
> Wojtek

However there is one grain of truth in Jame's assertion. The U.K. has
penalized motorists a great deal and car use has increased. Because at
the same time in put all these penalities in place, the U.K. still
neglects it's non-motor transport infrastructure. Nor has it done much
to encourage the use of electric cars in spite of having a population
willing to use smaller cars than the U.S.   Compare car usage in the
U.K. to car usage in nations with similar gas taxes, but which invest
in rail and non-auto infrastructure. Yes the UK  use energy more
efficienctly than the U.S. ( Again price signials don't have zero
effect, just not sufficient in energy.)  But public investment and
regulation have greater effects.
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