OT: Oil Shale

[Raellus]

Originally Posted by kato13

You really think that a "Carbon Tax" in the US would be small potatoes? The lowest estimates I have seen is 1000 dollars per household with some people saying it would need to be 5000 dollars per household to effect real change in peoples usage. That is some serious money running into someones hands and it would of course be dispensed to worthy green projects not horribly run businesses run by connected political donors (**cough** Solyndra **cough**). Maybe i am more of a cynic that most because i see this as an extension of Chicago Style politics, but it is clear as day to me.

And big oil isn't a connected political donor? I'm a cynical as you when it comes to politics, but perhaps I'm a little more cynical when it comes to the political influence of multinational corporations. Look at the top earning corporations over the last decade or so and big oil dominates the top five nearly every year. I don't have any figures to back it up, but I'd be willing to wager all of my worldly possessions and life savings that fossil fuel and petrochem companies spend more on political donations and advertising than solar, wind, hydro, nuclear and every other conceivable sustainable energy company combined, each year, every year. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

If big oil can profit from a carbon tax, well then I'm right there with you in thinking that it will eventually happen because they have the financial muscle and political influence to get it done. Solyndra and Al Gore and the California State University System simply don't.

I just don't see scientists, the media, and liberal politicians conspiring to raise taxes by crafting what would be the biggest, most wide-reaching hoax of all time. To quote the late, great Bob Marley, "You can't fool all the people all the time."

I respect you Kato and I don't want this to get testy so this is the last I'm going to say on the matter. You've got the last word. I'm fine with agreeing to disagree on this one.