A Trial Baloon For The New Religion
By Greg L | 24 November 2007 | Virginia Politics | 22 Comments
Let’s say you’re an elected official, fresh of an election cycle where you discussed vague notions like “leadership” and “bold new ideas”. Now that the pre-filing period for legislation in the General Assembly has commenced, it’s now time to put action to rhetoric, and start actually delivering on “leadership”. But how does one vet which of these supposed “bold new ideas” are politically feasible, will gain the interest and loyalty of the electorate, and won’t end up being the political equivalent of a suicide bomb? One option is to get the idea floated on a blog somewhere, and test market the idea in a venue where you don’t have to take credit for the idea.
How else would one explain this entry over at Razing Kaine? The gist of this “boldness” is that in the face of a tight budget cycle, where liberals are interested in raising revenue to pay for socialized medicine, expanding the school systems by another grade for four year olds, reducing carbon emissions, and various other “important” initiatives, you need to find a creative way to raise taxes in such a way that the electorate is happy that the government is confiscating an ever greater portion of their wealth. Enter the “carbon tax”. This little gem of liberal brilliance has every hallmark of a campaign line from George Barker, Bob Brink, or Brian Moran, and RK is just the place to float such an idea.
A distinguished panel of scientists have definitively concluded that humans are responsible for global warming. Never mind that this distinguished panel included a plastic surgeon, two landscape architects, a hotel administrator, a gynecologist, seven sociologists, a linguist, and a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, or that in this body which “settled” this question, 90% of the panel had no scientific background in climate whatsoever. They tell us that the sky is falling and it’s because of us, and as a result the liberals have a great opportunity here to expand the reach of government. An idea like a “carbon tax”, if sufficiently punitive to generate huge revenues, could fund all sorts of government programs that could guarantee equal outcomes for all Virginians.
The best part of this, in their minds, is they think the electorate will actually be happy about paying this, and even happier the larger the tax becomes. For every dollar tithed to this new religion, each taxpayer would receive the personal satisfaction of doing their part in changing the planetary climate, and receive a similar indulgence as AlGore obtains when he buys a carbon offset in order to assuage a conscience troubled by the vast amounts of fossil fuels his lifestyle demands. If one dollar is sacrificed on the altar of the human-induced climate change ideology, ten dollars is even better. The more you pay, the better person you are.
In order to collect such revenues, the government would have to come up with a way to assess exactly how much atmospheric carbon loading each taxpayer is responsible for. New public employees would have to inspect each taxpayer’s energy usage and individual conservation efforts, and render a final verdict on what fraction of this future planetary destruction will be assessed to the taxpayer. They might even have a chance to “educate” taxpayers about how well they’ve made their choices of appliances, vehicles, and other personal property, and perhaps get a chance to tell the taxpayer just how many polar bear deaths he or she is responsible for because they’re not driving the right vehicle, or using a dryer when doing laundry. The outcomes here for the liberal elitists are enough to send them into premature rapture.
The RK crowd, although disappointed that simply raising taxes as was recently done in Maryland isn’t likely to happen here, is awfully excited about this idea. It can fund socialized medicine, and save the planet at the same time. It forces taxpayers to comply with the new secular global warming religion, which is a lot more compelling an idea than simply destroying the economy under punitive tax rates. This gives them a much more holistic reason to destroy capitalism.
Just watch for this insane idea to show up in the next session of the General Assembly. Who the sponsor will be will tell us not only who is most devoted to this new liberal religion, but also just who thinks that the RK crowd is the right place to vet “bold new ideas” that they want to impose on Virginia.
H/T: Bearing Drift
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Do you want to do your part to reduce global carbon emmissions? Then boycott things made in China.
Everyone just turn your paycheck over to government and let them return to you what THEY think you are entitled to keep.
Greg,
I so appreciate your voice - may I say prophetic voice since I know you are a Christian? Your values so easily mirror Christian values. I mean where in Scripture does it call on people who claim to follow God to care for the environment and be stewards of his creation? Where is Scripture does it call on the followers of Jesus to welcome the stranger regardless of legalization status? Oh, Scripture does that and more? Oops! I guess I was wrong about you.
Well, maybe you are just a good American? What? The strength of the United States is found in our history of welcoming people, building on the strengths of all people and not marginalizing some because they did not reflect the skin tone of the majority?
Well, maybe you are not a good Christian or a good American. Maybe you are just mean-spirited, selfish, and angry at people who do not do what you want them to. You see, Greg pluralism - as it was in the Roman Empire during the time of Jesus, and as it is now - is not something that threatens those who love God. No, cultural, ideological, and social pluralism is a context in which Christianity can shine, when Christians exhibit God’s love, mercy, and grace towards others that they have been shown themselves.
Greg, quit blogging, quit speaking and just learn to accept God’s grace. Maybe - a big maybe - then you will have something to say. Until then you will are resounding gong and clanging cymbal.
Wow, 19th Centurion, you sound so tolerant of others. You can start your own blog, you know, open borders go in both directions, don’t they?
19th Century Evangelical:
I believe God’s grace makes room for everyone’s views, even if you don’t.
I wish some of the global warming would come our way, It’s Way too cold here
Rob,
Wow, another conservative who blames a liberal for intoleranc when that is exactly NOT what I was saying. How original you are. You know what amazes me? Conservatives who believe in the free market for everything but opinions. In the most tolerant way I can express it, you guys are so lame.
19th Century Evangelical -
You’re absolutely right. I don’t know how I could have possibly miscontrued the phrase “quit blogging, quit speaking and just learn to accept God’s grace” as a sign of your intolerance of Greg’s views. I guess I just read your prose and formed my own opinion. Hey, the free market lives again!
I suppose I just haven’t had the benefit of your many pearls of wisdom long enough to be as original as you are. But maybe if you hang out long enough, you can be as lame as us.
Don’t think it will take all that long, Rob…:)
I sure hope not. I clearly need all the help I can get!
The free market extends to religion… there are many choices… to each his own.
Amen to Anonymous 7:06.
Anonymous@ 7:06
To each his own is right.
I believe that some sort of religion in better than none.
Again Patty and I have found common ground.
Boycott China…
I also agree with Layfayette and Anon 7:06
As for Raizing Kaine, who reads it any how?
It’s a nutty idea.
19th Century Evangelical said on 24 Nov 2007 at 5:33 pm:
Rob,
Wow, another conservative who blames a liberal for intoleranc [sic] when that is exactly NOT what I was saying. How original you are.
Actually, Mr. Steinbach, what other reason would you have for going totally off-topic? Only one line in your entire lengthy admonition of Greg (I mean where in Scripture does it call on people who claim to follow God to care for the environment and be stewards of his creation?), and everyone else, on this blog referenced the original subject matter. Under the circumstances it would be reasonable to view your comment(s) as an intolerant attack upon the opinions of others.
Wow Mr 19th Century Evangelical !, did you miss the first part of Genesis that gave man dominion of animals and the creation and not the other way around? If we are supposed to cherish the earth and environment and don’t he’ll punish us becuase he made it ..not Liberals with Taxes to feed on or “so called evanelicals” who need to fill a sanctuary to feel needed.
I think Matt 7:2-5 “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged…” pretty much sums up my opinion of 19th Century Evangelical’s comments.
The “carbon tax” is hardly a new idea. And these people call themselves “progressives”?
Ok, going out on a limb here but (whispers to “19th Century Evangelical”), “Jesus was NOT tolerant.”
Prime example, what did he do/say in the church when the merchants were selling?
Think he was tolerant? Check out Matthew 10:34-39(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2010:34-39%20;&version=31;).
And if you so much as bring up the fact that Christ said, “Ye who are without sin cast the first stone” I will argue that He also admonished the adulterous woman not to sin again.
I once said that I would not dissuss religion, but when a friend is attacked as not being Christian or “Christian enough”, then I will defend (though Greg requires no defenders as he does an excellent job on his own).
I believe a point is being missed here. One is the issue of tolerance being confused with criticism.
What if a person’s rantings about how much they don’t think a particular issue or reality is a good idea actually has no basis in fact. What if the approach to counter this lack of fact is to create fiction in the form of manipulative blogging? Many people who twist the truth do so with anger, and misinformation, and distorted half-truths. If you can character assasinate “politically” you can win your case even if facts prove you to be a totally mis-lead and mis-informed person?
Many religious people are found by truth in history to be guilty of this over and over. I think that was the point of the criticism, not the intolerance of free speech.
Global Warming is here, the world’s leading scientists confirm it. Ignore it at the peril of the human race. Critisize ecological taxes all you want, but we better find a reasonable way to reverse it and SOON.
The human race really doesn’t deserve any breaks. We created our own demise… let’s get it over with and give some other species a chance to evolve. We just don’t deserve to survive.
And for those who believe in God, Global warming certainly looks like the end of the world predicted in the bible… why fight it?
I agree
Anonymous said on 24 Nov 2007 at 12:23 pm:
Everyone just turn your paycheck over to government and let them return to you what THEY think you are entitled to keep.