For non-US readers (and most UK readers too!) he is the leader of the Liberal Democrats, the UK’s third political party. So his opinion may be somewhat biased!

Unjustified with respect to the Indian Mutiny, the Boxer Rebellion or the Mau Mau Uprising, perhaps.

Government says that it will raise taxes to make you use less fuel.

1. If it works, Government actually raises less tax.
2. If it fails Government should have a windfall to put away for a rainy day.
3. Government just blows the dough and raises fuel taxes for more – cos’ yopu cannot avoid paying it.

Big question for Governments and Enviros – where will all the missing tax going to come from if we stop driving cars/use tap water? Taxing motorists for using oil is one thing, taxing them for NOT using oil as a solution may be a little more difficult to sell.

At least for the first time in their lives Greenies will have to pay their fair share of running the country.

The cap-and-trade bill is DEAD. The senate realized it was one of those “10%-off-the-top” economic deals.

Chalk one up “for the children”. (Those who would otherwise have starved.)

I assume a typo (Tom not Tone). My last point on these off topic posts. Libertarians are not liberals. Libertarians believe in as little government as possible, and more specifically that the US government needs to go back to doing only those things that are allowed by the Constitution. including getting rid of the income tax. The most disturbing thing that I continually hear from politicians is that we the people are given rights by the government through the Constitution when that is 100% ass backwards. Through the Constitution, we the people have given our government limited powers over us in order secure our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

“and focus on climate and other important stuff.”

If we do not focus on the politics involved in this climate change scam, we will all end up losers. The motivation for all this is redistributin of wealth and control over people. It is the politicians who hold all the cards at this moment so we had better indeed focus on them.

“But this is so off topic that we really should just agree to disagree.”

Please, just issue a retraction; running away under the white flag only to mutter bravely out of earshot is so unseemly.

And while we’re covering that sort of behavior,

lads:
“A rather naive post, and promoting liberal politics on top of that.”

Opacity of intent when tossing out insults smacks of cowardice on this side of the pond.

Taxes on oil products in Europe have existed long before Al Gore came to be a senator and Jimbo Hansen decided it was too hot inside his office. The main objective of these taxes is to hinder dependence on oil.

Of course in the US this has been made in a different fashion, and hence the much healthier economy of the country (and its currency) when compared to Europe.

C’mon Tone, leave the liberal politics at home and focus on climate and other important stuff.

What part of that is not a lofty ideal?

Exactly, the public as a whole… not sectional, selfish interests.

” Power to the enterprising individuals of society, at the cheapest possible price….”

… Or else feed yer’selves…. : )

No need, I went into the military for purely selfish reasons. I only made the point because the post was referring to Libertarian ideals. Sometimes you must temper your lofty ideals with the reality that you gotta break other people’s heads sometimes in order to keep yours safe.