Originally Posted by Another Poster
Liberals and Democrats prefer progressive taxes. Republicans and conservatives strenuously oppose them. Over the last 30 years of conservative ideological dominance the notion that taxes in general and progressive taxes in particular were bad has taken hold.
Democrats and liberals believe tax revenues are necessary and so support what kinds of tax increases that are politically possible. Conservatives are opposed to all taxes. As a matter of compromise sin taxes, use taxes, and sales taxes which are less offensive to conservatives are often enacted.
Carbon taxes are a conservative nostrum that some Democrats support to address CO2 emissions. If conservatvies and Republicans became convinced that it was necessary to control CO2 emissions, carbon taxes is just what they would suggest. Liberals aren't fans of carbon taxes.
Of course, conservatives deny CO2 has a role in climate change and so believe that no action is necessary. Thus, they oppose carbon taxes, not because they don't think they will work, but because they believe there is no need to reduce CO2 emissions.
Having only lived during the post-1980 era, you cannot really see the true difference between left and right, because viewpoints on the left have been suppressed.
In today's world, people who were once centrists like me, without changing, have become considered as part of the left. The old left has more or less vanished and rightwing viewpoints that back in the 1970's I used to see only in conspiracy-mongering undergound newpapers are now mainstream and openly held by millions, including many at this board.
The result is the crazies from the fever swamps of the Left simply are not heard. What is called left is simply the old left of center and what is called liberal is the old center. Hence when people observed that reality has a liberal bias, it is actually true because those labled liberals are the same folks who always were in the sensible middle, the people who acted on facts and logic.
The country has moved so far to the right that the folks now owning the conservative label aren't the rock-ribbed conservative Republicans of my youth (people like John McCain) but the right-wing crazies of my youth. People who consider McCain, who personally experienced "stress positions" as a young man, to be "weak on torture".
Liberals and Democrats prefer progressive taxes. Republicans and conservatives strenuously oppose them. Over the last 30 years of conservative ideological dominance the notion that taxes in general and progressive taxes in particular were bad has taken hold.
Democrats and liberals believe tax revenues are necessary and so support what kinds of tax increases that are politically possible. Conservatives are opposed to all taxes. As a matter of compromise sin taxes, use taxes, and sales taxes which are less offensive to conservatives are often enacted.
Carbon taxes are a conservative nostrum that some Democrats support to address CO2 emissions. If conservatvies and Republicans became convinced that it was necessary to control CO2 emissions, carbon taxes is just what they would suggest. Liberals aren't fans of carbon taxes.
Of course, conservatives deny CO2 has a role in climate change and so believe that no action is necessary. Thus, they oppose carbon taxes, not because they don't think they will work, but because they believe there is no need to reduce CO2 emissions.
Having only lived during the post-1980 era, you cannot really see the true difference between left and right, because viewpoints on the left have been suppressed.
In today's world, people who were once centrists like me, without changing, have become considered as part of the left. The old left has more or less vanished and rightwing viewpoints that back in the 1970's I used to see only in conspiracy-mongering undergound newpapers are now mainstream and openly held by millions, including many at this board.
The result is the crazies from the fever swamps of the Left simply are not heard. What is called left is simply the old left of center and what is called liberal is the old center. Hence when people observed that reality has a liberal bias, it is actually true because those labled liberals are the same folks who always were in the sensible middle, the people who acted on facts and logic.
The country has moved so far to the right that the folks now owning the conservative label aren't the rock-ribbed conservative Republicans of my youth (people like John McCain) but the right-wing crazies of my youth. People who consider McCain, who personally experienced "stress positions" as a young man, to be "weak on torture".
Word. This.
Even us center-right types have been marginalized. The Letters To The Editor Page from the old Globe-Democrat (where Pat Buchanan got started) has taken over. That page is called Free Republic nowadays.
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