Not anymore. CLIMATE CRISIS is the current boogeyman.
Did you know the “Climate Crisis” allows the EPA to tax folks, without calling it a tax?
The government basically has created an artificial market, complete with supply and demand, brokerage firms and all!
https://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/allowance-markets
And that is where you take an imaginary threat and convert it into tangible and real cash. But guess who pays for that?
This of course makes cars, electricity and EVERYTHING else more expensive, because we build in a “nontax” in the supply chain but the customer doesn’t see an additional line on his earning statement or from the IRS calling it a tax. You see, as long as public don’t really understand, it’s OK.
The climate crisis is a not the sort of “green agenda” the kiddoes protesting to save the whales think it is.
Everyone wants to be nice up until it costs them.
If you can make it to where the average American does not see the cost, does not realize that money is being pulled from his pocket, they will support it.
If I would ask 1,000 people if they want to donate $600 on a new car purchase for carbon offsets on a pickup truck, take a guess what MOST would say?
Socialists are always the same. They think they are smarter than the consumer himself, they are smarter than a market, and that the consumer as well as market needs steered by them. Only they know what people actually need. Of course they always make sure to carve out a little to pay themselves.