(The opinions expressed in guest op-eds are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of RedState.com.)
One of the very many problems with DC is it almost always remains steadfastly unconcerned with reality. Which is inherent in anything government – and especially so when the government is as HUGE as is ours.
To wit: Government doesn’t have to earn a dime. Everything it spends – it takes from us. So it has zero interest in the very many, awful implications of its very many, awful taxes, laws, and regulations. We the Employed waste WAY too much of our time and effort complying with – and paying for – government.
The result of decades of DC’s disinterest in the ramifications of its over-taxing and over-regulating? Tens of thousands of US businesses have closed – and/or moved overseas. Taking with them tens of millions of jobs – to nations that aren’t quite as stupid about abusing domestic businesses.
Over the last half century, the global marketplace has been warped into a grotesque, anti-US hell scape. Competitor nations (Hello, Communist China) offer slave labor, protectionist trade polices and massive subsidies – to the companies we have been over-taxing and over-regulating.
Shocker: Businesses have found the US to be a less desirable place to do business – than just about any other nation on the planet.
It is in this grotesque, anti-US global marketplace that governments are allegedly addressing “climate change.”
“Allegedly” – because most countries are actually doing nothing.
The Latest Round of Global Climate Lie ‘Pledges’ from International Polluters
Leaders of China, India, and Other Major Economies Skip Out on Biden’s Latest Climate Forum
Despite the Paris Agreement, China and India Continue To Build Coal Plants
Europe Still Building New Coal Power Stations
Japan Races to Build New Coal-Burning Power Plants, Despite the Climate Risks
Some of the international flagrancies are supremely absurd.
China’s Slave Labor, Coal-Fired, Mass-Subsidized Solar Panels Dominate the Planet
Meanwhile, there’s US. We have gotten dramatically cleaner….
US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop Under Trump
Don’t Believe the Hype: US Carbon Emissions Are Actually Dropping
And we have done so without having to engage in economic self-immolation.
Except, enter Joe Biden. Who wants the US to engage in economic self-immolation.
‘Greenwash’: The US Is the Only Country Actually Engaged in Economic Suicide
The Anti-Science Absurdity of the US’s Unilateral Carbon Dioxide Disarmament
‘Build Back Better?’ The ‘Infrastructure’ Bill Was More ‘Climate Change’ Than Infrastructure
Last September, DC was in the midst of foundering and floundering with its attempts to pass the even-more-exceedingly-awful, “climate change” nightmare mess, woefully misnamed “Build Back Better” bill.
Biden’s ‘Build Back Never’: His Endless Government Assaults Will Make Building America Impossible
And in the middle of that early-autumn madness, we wrote this:
Trump Trade Principles to Mitigate the Climate Alarmists and Their Many Taxes
In which we championed the idea of border carbon tariffs. That exactly matched the border tariffs we’d long championed – to mitigate the damage the grotesque, anti-US global marketplace had long been doing to domestic businesses.
The Real Protectionism: Defending DC’s Crony Globalist Fake ‘Free Trade’
We Need to Finally Delineate Between Fake ‘Free’ Trade – and Really Stupid Trade
Getting to Actual Free Trade Ain’t Easy – But It’s Necessary
‘The Forgotten Man’ in DC’s Fake ‘Free Trade’: Millions of Unemployed Americans
Importing Government Subsidies: The Worst of Fake ‘Free Trade’
We have even previously, specifically championed a border adjustment tax – in a non-carbon context.
The ‘Border Adjustment Tax’: Great Tax Reform – That Gets Us Great Trade Reform
Last September, we were the only non-Democrat country championing the carbon border tax.
Democrats Propose Border Tax Based On Carbon Emissions:
“Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) announced Monday a new import tax for countries failing to meet U.S. carbon emissions standards….
“Goods covered by the proposal include petroleum, coal, aluminum, steel, iron and cement.
“The tax would be on par with the environmental fees levied against American companies under state and federal regulations….
“‘We must ensure that U.S. workers and manufacturers aren’t left behind…” Coons said….”
What a novel concept, for DC that is.
Flash forward to last week. And the carbon border adjustment tax’s popularity has grown – and grown bipartisan. And both sides are citing former President Donald Trump – just as we did in September.
The Bipartisan Climate Solution:
“Momentum is building on both sides of the aisle to come up with a measure to penalize imports of high polluting goods, and lawmakers are taking a page out of former President Donald Trump’s book….
“‘It looks and feels a lot like Trump’s tariffs…’ Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) said.
“Republicans are eager to tackle competition with China, whose lax environmental standards often mean lower production prices, and create an ‘America-first’ climate policy. ‘Donald Trump should love it,’ (Republican) Sen. Kevin Cramer said.”
Democrats have LONG wanted to impose a carbon tax – on US, not them. Because of course.
Democrats Are Considering Adding a Carbon Tax to Massive Budget Bill:
“Democrats are exploring adding a carbon tax to their massive $3.5 trillion budget bill as a way to offset some of the bill’s cost. Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden told CNN that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asked him to look at carbon pricing, and that discussions are ongoing.
“‘We’ve got a lot of senators who care deeply about it,’ Wyden said.”
So, the Democrats’ shift away from yet again punishing US is most welcome.
And here’s hoping these embarrassment “conservatives” also figure it out.
Because as we have long suggested….
Oh: And now that we are myopically distracted by an irrelevant border skirmish on the other side of the planet….
Let’s Not Shoot at Russians – Let’s Tariff Their Petroleum (and Everything Else)
The carbon border adjustment tax is the best way to thread the trade-“climate change” needle.
And begin to unwind the grotesque, anti-US global marketplace to which we have so long been subjected.
See, DC? You can do better.
So please – do better.
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