Gasoline/diesel prices hit record highs

I'm with Franz - 3.50 is nothing.

Fuck the whiners, make a new variable tax that solidifies the price of gas at a constant $7/gallon. Clearly, the only way to convince Americans to change their habits is to hit them where it counts.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Then make it a closed session or a voice vote or something. The US is approaching the situation Michigan's in:

1. People are stupid and can only see short-term
2. Hence any politician that does anything good in the long term but painful in the short-term doesn't get re-elected
3. Hence no problem is ever fixed

Michigan, for example, has cut taxes to the point where we can't fund any services, but we still can't get anyone to admit we need to raise taxes to get the state in a good enough shape to attract any sort of business.

It's a rather destructive cycle.

How ya doing, buddy?

Quote:

So again, this idea is political suicide, and no legislator with half a brain or who cares about keeping his or her job is going to touch it.

Which is indicative that the SYSTEM rather than the idea is retarded.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Bradylama

Yeah, I want a system where bureaucrats can implement sweeping changes to the economy with zero accountability. You are a credit to your race.

Psh, like there's any "accountability" now. When's the last time a politician was voted out of office for incompetence? Barring sexual scandal, I don't think anyone's paid attention to a politician's views in forty years.

I would RATHER have a system with unaccountable people who at least tried to do the right thing than a system with "accountable" people who act only in their personal interests without even pretending to care what was good for people.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Night Phoenix

He probably doesn't, Brady. All Arainach has revealed is that he wants an authoritarian government that decides for the people what's best for them. This whole illusion of being for liberty and freedom is just a facade.

Capitalism != Liberty. Hell, Accountable Government != Liberty, as we've seen. Capitalism is not some perfect solution. Given the choice between absolute communism and absolute capitalism, I'd pick absolute communism any day, since governments are more inefficient at screwing you than corporations. A balanced system is needed, and we've leaned way too far towards laissez-faire, as indicated by the fact that, you know, our entire economy is collapsing. I'm not discussing governments that are real and/or practical. I already admitted that earlier in this thread. I'm discussing that, in absolute terms, I would prefer an authoritarian government that paid attention and cared over a 'free' one that continued driving us towards starvation, chaos, anarchy, and destruction any day.

I was speaking idiomatically.