Friedman's Middle East Plan: Raise Taxes
Friedman of Arabia is on a crusade to liberate the Muslim world. All he needs is for Americans to "dramatically cut our consumption of oil and bring the price back down to $20 a barrel."
Friedman's plan is simple: Price Control by taxation. After all, our tax policy is structured to engineer our society. Since Friedman believes our behavior is all wrong, and we're too stupid to know better, he wants others to decide what is best for us, to proscribe our behavior, and to limit our possible choices.
What the heck, we're only paying 22.5% of the price of a gallon of gasoline in federal and state taxes, so another dollar more per gallon in taxes should not be too painful. Since rich folks like Friedman have ample disposable income to keep this additional cost from effecting their fuel consumption, the true social cost of this tax will fall upon the less fortunate. That is, those that are not part of Friedman's social class will pay his bill as well as theirs.
Friedman justifies this by telling us we can pay down the debt, a worthy and noble cause indeed. What will we do, Friedman, put all that money in one of those Gore "lock boxes"?
Didn't we hear people tell us the Tobacco Settlement money would go to health care costs associated with smokers? Only it didn't, since much of it got diverted to pay for other noble causes. Haven't we heard our Social Security money is set aside for our retirement? Only it isn't, since it gets diverted to pay for or finance other noble causes.
Yet, we're suppose to believe this tax money will be used to "pay down the debt"? It defies common sense to believe it will be used as promised.
Friedman cries the "Arab-Muslim world is in a must-change human development crisis" due to Demon Oil. There are many oil addicts over there, and we need to help 'em break their vile habit.
It's probably bad form to point out: in the 55 centuries of recorded human history, those living in the "Arab-Muslim world" have not known anything but autocratic and despotic government; that is, until two countries were liberated enough to move from tyranny or despotism to be called a "chaos" or a "quagmire" by journalists, politicians, and pundits that had never freely traveled in either place.
Friedman points to Bahrain and Jordan to prove his thesis: No oil revenue and all is hunky-dory in the Arab world. Friedman loves to quote others to prove his pet theories, so maybe we should find an expert to unravel Friedman's "Arab-Muslim world crises."
Freedom House tells us Bahrain and Jordan are "Partly Free" and score "5" in both "Political Rights" and "Civil Liberties." On a 7 point scale, both countries scored 5 points, and 7 is the lowest value. Egypt is labeled as "Not Free" scored 6 points in both categories. Saudi Arabia is labeled as "Not Free" and got 7's in both categories.
Freedom House data suggests Bahrain and Jordan should not be held forth as examples of what the Arab-Muslim world should become.
Another point that tends to disprove Friedman's thesis: I haven't heard too much about huge oil reserves in Egypt. Maybe Friedman and the Sphinx are the only ones that know where those oil fields are.
Freedom House data proves: Friedman's thesis is flawed. And this tells me, Friedman doesn't understand the problem he believes he has solved.
Friedman's plan is simple: Price Control by taxation. After all, our tax policy is structured to engineer our society. Since Friedman believes our behavior is all wrong, and we're too stupid to know better, he wants others to decide what is best for us, to proscribe our behavior, and to limit our possible choices.
What the heck, we're only paying 22.5% of the price of a gallon of gasoline in federal and state taxes, so another dollar more per gallon in taxes should not be too painful. Since rich folks like Friedman have ample disposable income to keep this additional cost from effecting their fuel consumption, the true social cost of this tax will fall upon the less fortunate. That is, those that are not part of Friedman's social class will pay his bill as well as theirs.
Friedman justifies this by telling us we can pay down the debt, a worthy and noble cause indeed. What will we do, Friedman, put all that money in one of those Gore "lock boxes"?
Didn't we hear people tell us the Tobacco Settlement money would go to health care costs associated with smokers? Only it didn't, since much of it got diverted to pay for other noble causes. Haven't we heard our Social Security money is set aside for our retirement? Only it isn't, since it gets diverted to pay for or finance other noble causes.
Yet, we're suppose to believe this tax money will be used to "pay down the debt"? It defies common sense to believe it will be used as promised.
Friedman cries the "Arab-Muslim world is in a must-change human development crisis" due to Demon Oil. There are many oil addicts over there, and we need to help 'em break their vile habit.
It's probably bad form to point out: in the 55 centuries of recorded human history, those living in the "Arab-Muslim world" have not known anything but autocratic and despotic government; that is, until two countries were liberated enough to move from tyranny or despotism to be called a "chaos" or a "quagmire" by journalists, politicians, and pundits that had never freely traveled in either place.
Friedman points to Bahrain and Jordan to prove his thesis: No oil revenue and all is hunky-dory in the Arab world. Friedman loves to quote others to prove his pet theories, so maybe we should find an expert to unravel Friedman's "Arab-Muslim world crises."
Freedom House tells us Bahrain and Jordan are "Partly Free" and score "5" in both "Political Rights" and "Civil Liberties." On a 7 point scale, both countries scored 5 points, and 7 is the lowest value. Egypt is labeled as "Not Free" scored 6 points in both categories. Saudi Arabia is labeled as "Not Free" and got 7's in both categories.
Freedom House data suggests Bahrain and Jordan should not be held forth as examples of what the Arab-Muslim world should become.
Another point that tends to disprove Friedman's thesis: I haven't heard too much about huge oil reserves in Egypt. Maybe Friedman and the Sphinx are the only ones that know where those oil fields are.
Freedom House data proves: Friedman's thesis is flawed. And this tells me, Friedman doesn't understand the problem he believes he has solved.
posted by Tony Harrison at 1:21 PM
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