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36 comments on McCain wants a gas tax "holiday." It's a no-brainer, right?
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Jerome - the no brainer of course is the magical power of increasing gas taxes:
• Reduce oil consumption and pollution
• Reduce US reliance upon imported energy
• Increase tax revenues and reduce budget deficit
• Reduce trade deficit
• Stimulate engineering excellence and energy efficiency
But all this takes courage and leadership which seem to have been trademarks of the 20th century that somehow didn't come over to the 21st.
I drove to Edinburgh on Sunday with a friend in his Audi A5 estate 1.8 turbo diesel. On the highway with cruise control set to 70 mph we were doing between 50 and 60 mpg (statute miles per imperial gallon). And this is a big comfortable powerful car....
Vorsprung durch Technik
I think it shows some of the weaknesses of the US political system where the legislative and executive branch are separated. Both branches claim credit when things go right but are quick to point the finger when it goes wrong. Ultimately it leads to wedge politics which is what McCain is engaging in.
John Howard in Australia was a master of this sort of sneaky politics. McCains job is made easier by the Democratic party tearing itself apart over Clinton and Obama and it shows weak leadsership as the best that the American system can produce.
The most important thing that any US government can do today is to balance the budget (and then aim for substantial surpluses). It seems that neither of the parties really have any interest in that. The American public doesn't seem that interested either so I guess you will get the government you deserve.
The mixing of executive and legislative powers is characteristic of Absolutisitc regimes. In Europe the US is regarded has not possessing a strong enough power separation, with the nation's leader holding executive and some legislative powers.
Luis,
The entire Westminster system is built on the mixing of legislative and executive power.If by Absolutistic you mean that they can actually get things doen then I agree. Governments should not just be about popularity contests and sometimes hard decisions need to be made and implemented by governments. My point about McCains ludicrous idea is that he can only get away with it because he will never have to implement it. A Prime Minister in any Westminster Parliament, or even the alternative gaovernment simply couldn't float such stupid ideas without being blasted in parliament. The crazy US system elects the most popular personality who then hand picks an unelected cabinet. I can see merit in both systems but the parlous state of the Federal budget is a disaster that neither branch wants to own. McCAins comments show he just doesn't really get the program either. The rest of the world doesn't know whether to laugh or cry at America when the best they can throw up is clowns like McCain to be the next president.
And if the USA had equivalent modern turbodiesels for sale, maybe we'd learn to like them too. American car companies probably don't even know how to build them, and the Euro companies don't import them.