Posted on 07/14/2009 6:43:27 AM PDT by Zakeet
If you're wondering what Sarah Palin will do after leaving the Alaska governor's office, look no further than her op-ed in the this morning's Washington Post. She writes, "at risk of disappointing the chattering class, let me make clear what is foremost on my mind and where my focus will be: I am deeply concerned about President Obama's cap-and-trade energy plan, and I believe it is an enormous threat to our economy."
As a card-carrying member of the chattering class, let me say that I am in indeed disappointed by this development. Not because Palin is showing a greater interest in policy, or because she'll be focusing on an issue that's near and dear to my heart. I'm disappointed because Palin's op-ed displays an ignorance for the subject so profound it's almost gutsy.
[Snip]
The point of cap and trade is to solve a problem of social cost: As an energy consumer, I am imposing a cost on society (pollution) that I do not take into account when I make the original decision to consume.
This happens all the time. My decision to drive creates traffic that imposes a cost on society. A company's decision to fish in the ocean imposes a cost on the world's common stock of fisheries. A banker's decision to take on a huge amount of risk creates danger for the economy as a whole. The problem is that none of these private actors adequately bears the cost of their decisions. So, the usual solution is to increase the price of these decisions -- with congestion charges, or private property rights, or taxes -- so that private consumers take into account social costs.
[Snip]
I think this is a small price to pay. Why doesn't Sarah Palin?
(Excerpt) Read more at andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com ...
This is why I would suggest putting a “barf alert” or something beside the title. Without it the posters are often attacked as if they agree with the anti-palin article, which sometimes they do. We do have a small percentage of people on FR who do not support Palin. A small percentage, but we here from them often, and they are nut budging one bit.
Personally I would not spread MSM garbage on Palin here anyway. Just reading misleading headline like the “Palin to stump for Democrats” can cause irreparable damage, for the many who read and comment on only the headlines.
Since progressives are so concerned about accounting for their imposition upon society that isn't being properly accounted for then they should be thrilled if someone proposed an idiocy tax...of course that means that progressives will be taxed into destitution but that's a small price to pay to account for their burden upon society.
Climate change and the punishment of consumers through cap-and-trade is akin to white guilt and the guilt of consumers in contributing the rape of the environment. I had never thought of that before.
The writer does not understand economics.
THANK YOU FOR HELPING GET SARAH ELECTED IN 2012!!!
Why doesn't Sarah Palin think people should throw good money away so their government can get bigger and stronger? Because no sane person thinks that. The leftoids are getting more and more hysterical and incoherent.
Sarah is over the target.
You should have posted this as a barf alert from a rag which employs Andrew Sullivan.
But they studiously avoid the obvious indications that 0bama’s “autobiography” was not written by himself,
and that he can’t speak articulately without a teleprompter.
With national unemployment at 9.5 percent, is the writer nuts??!!!!!
Sorry, Conor, it's you who don't understand. Energy is a necessity of life, but your unlearned opinion is another matter all together.
Ah, the typical nonsensical viewpoint as so eloquently presented by the typical leftist. The underclasses are causing damage to MY environment, MY planet. Therefore we, your superiors, have decided to punish all of you by raising your taxes. This, of course, is our birthright...ruling stupid, unimportant people and teaching them all lessons. Oh, and the science behind our decisions? Well that is none of your business. We have decided. We are better than you. Therefore we are right.
Andrew Sullivan is an extreme sufferer of Palin Derangement Syndrome. Isn’t he the moron that still, to this day, propogates the theory that Trig is actually Bristol’s baby? Needs a straight jacket and some heavy meds.
Palin’s right on the money with her editorial.
“I think this is a small price to pay”
You are clearly a dumbass.
Bingo!
With cap-n-trade in place, it will be impossible for a new business to take off or for an existing business to expand, because this would require energy, which will be capped. So for every business that starts up, one will have to shut down - or pay the government “protection money.” Right?
That author is a complete fruitcake. A social cost? Give me a break.
To folks like Conor Clarke anybody who is bourgeois or petty bourgeois is an enemy of the state and unworthy because of their gullt in contributing to the rape of the environment.
Now there’s a tax that would surely generate some
revenue :-)
Absolutely correct. CO2 is as you noted, a plant food, more CO2 more and healthier plants.
The Global warming alarmists can not argue CO2 in and of itself causes significant warming, they MUST have a positive feed back mechanism in order for greater atmospheric CO2 to cause warming. The feed back is increased H20 vapor causing atmospheric hot spots. However after YEARS of searching for these hot spots not one was found. The alarmist are losing the scientific argument and the Earth is cooling not warming as they predicted.
As for the consumer not paying the social costs of pollution when they make a purchase, total BULL. The cost of cleaner energy is built into the purchase price,
exhibit 1) A modern Automobile, does anyone think that they are not paying for all that pollution fighting stuff the car contains when they buy said car? Jeeeeez
exhibit 2) Electricity, does anyone think that the cost of producing electricity in modern clean plants is not passed on to the consumer?
etc.
The author of this article is ecomonically challeged to put it mildly.
I tell ya what - if you think it is a small price to pay for your actions, why don't you pay additional tax to the energy company and pay an additional tax for whatever method you use to get around (car, train, subway, etc), and you can pay an additional tax for whatever other method you use to bloviate on this subject, then you won't feel so guilty for destroying the planet.
Meanwhile, Cap & Trade is the new shell game - folks who aren't using their allotted "carbon credits" can sell them to big factories/energy producers who are still using the same amount as always so it is just the new mafia shakedown.
Cap and Trade does not end carbon release - it merely adds another tax and government control prodecure.
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