Gas Atlas: Travel Tax or Subsidy Max?
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin on 06.10.07
We have to thank Wired for this graphic Atlas of Gas Prices around the world. Hmmm. Any wonder Americans are still driving gas-guzzlers? Gas prices in China are close to American prices, which doesn't seem to pose a problem for the drivers of 11.5 million cars in spite of income disparities. Sitting on a puddle of oil seems to keep prices low--look at the mid-east or Venezuela-- which makes Norway's commitment to taxing gas consumers into efficiency seem especially admirable.
And thanks to jrochelle, who put the prices in the Wired report into a table of gas prices if that is more your thing.
Via ::Wired
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Just where in New York can you find gas for 2.76? You would have to drive down to Jersey just to find under 3.
"which makes Norway's commitment to taxing gas consumers into efficiency seem especially admirable"
Are you serious? You like the gov't dictating and controlling behavior? You think it's admirable they force people to behave in a certain way?
What if the gov't didn't like your blog? Would you be ok with an outrageous tax that limits your personal choice and speech?
"What if the gov't didn't like your blog? Would you be ok with an outrageous tax that limits your personal choice and speech?"
what a completely asinine and irrelevant comment. So cheap gas means freedom of speech? Only in america. I guess the fact that the government says I can't steal is an infringement on my freedom of speech.
"What if the gov't didn't like your blog? Would you be ok with an outrageous tax that limits your personal choice and speech?"
Blogs don't have negative externalities. They don't affect other people in ways they can control.
Gasoline consumption does have negative externalities. By burning gas you pollute the air, which everyone has to breath. Governments can fix this market inefficiency by taxing gas to raise the price to a level equal to the marginal social cost of gas. Without a tax, the price of gas will only be the marginal private cost. It won't account for the social costs of gas consumption.
Norway is trying to promote a healthy environment. Not to Control people.
"Are you serious? You like the gov't dictating and controlling behavior? You think it's admirable they force people to behave in a certain way?"
what dictating? what controlling?
Last time I looked, Norway was a democracy. Which means the people of Norway should be admired for using tools available to influence civil society in a manner beneficial to the whole.
No one is forced not to buy gas or own a car. They just have to pay a price that covers the social and environmental costs. this is just, and moreover, is exactly the purpose of democratic government: to intervene where (and only where) the interests of the whole must be balanced against the interest of the individual.
when you post these gas price comparisons could you also list the price of gas and all taxes separately ?
It's gov't control of personal choice plain and simple. The gov't in controlling behavior and the author of this post and all of you commenters are 100% behind it.
Kind of sad, really. Socialism at its finest!
"Blogs don't have negative externalities. They don't affect other people in ways they can control."
What about the blog that posted the fake, leaked Apple memo that horked Apple's stock price a couple of weeks ago?
"A nation that expects the government to prevent churches from burning, to control the price of bread or gasoline, to secure every job, and to find some villain for every dramatic accident risks an even larger loss of life and liberty. "– William A. Niskanen
"In Germany, they first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then, they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew … Then they came for the Catholics. I didn't speak up then because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up. "– Reverend Martin Niemoller
Controlling types or prices of fuel used is not as much of a limit of freedoms as it is persuading consumers to gradually alter their decisions, improving both environmental and economic efficiency.