The fact that MauganN20 will pull his hair out when someone suggests a sin tax on your side of the pond is just a testament to how big the cultural divide is. Over here, it's something that's viewed as increasingly necessary.
Well, I'm admittedly very extreme on the matters of governmental involvement. I'm of the opinion that government should butt out of a lot of things such as welfare, education, healthcare, and "pet projects".
So you are you guys going to "catch-up", or have we really got it all wrong? Time will tell, I guess.
I'm still trying to figure out just how an additional tax on the lifeblood of the American economy is going to help anyone?
Cost of petrol here is several times what it is in the US and yet we're talking about further taxing it under the banner of "green taxation".
The cultural divide here, is not over gasoline. Its over the role of government and its authority to alter an economy. Personally, I'm not willing to give that power to any pencil-necked dweeb in Washington, regardless of his/her party affiliation.
Europeans are generally being taxed at what we consider obscene and downright criminal rates. Unlike the generally socialist nature of Europe, we like having direct control over where our money is spent. Over there, apparently you think that government knows best how to spend your earned income. Over here, government is the LAST place I'd want to put the trust of my money. Adding a tax to something as critical as fuel prices to further an agenda that I think is bogus to begin with isn't something I can exactly stand behind.
So you are you guys going to "catch-up", or have we really got it all wrong? Time will tell, I guess.
You say this as if you believe that socialist style taxation is an evolution of government, whereas I see it as a deficiency. You get offended at our "obscene consumption" well I'm offended at the "obscene elitist attitude" that is drooled down upon us "ignorant" Americans on an almost daily basis.
