Bob Barr, once the ardent Republican representative from Georgia and currently the Libertarian Party’s candidate for President, has finally come to terms with one of his many controversial positions – the War on Drugs. It was Barr who was a vocal supporter and policy-maker for the War on Drugs and repeatedly defended his position. He repeatedly blocked any medical marijuana legalization initiatives started in D.C. by claiming:
There is no legitimate use whatsoever for marijuana. This is not medicine. This is bogus witchcraft. It has no place in medicine, no place in pain relief…
But now the Libertarian, who is increasingly viewed by many Republicans as to what Nader is to the Democrats, has reversed his position on marijuana and the War on Drugs. I’m glad that he can finally admit to his failures and move on from there. Whereas some politicians hide behind statements or subtly make changes to fit the political arena, I think Barr made a wise decision by admitting outright that he was wrong and his policy was a complete failure.
…when government attempts to solve our societal problems, it tends to create even more of them, often increasing the size and depth of the original problem. A perfect example of this is the federal War on Drugs.
Good job, Barr. Although I don’t support you, I do greatly respect you and your (new) views.
In a previous post, I advocated increasing taxes on gasoline to wean our country off oil and start spurring up interest in public transportation or alternative sources of energy. At the time, Hillary Clinton and John McCain were pushing for their own (failed) gas tax holiday plan. Most economists and policy wonks (as well as any person who possesses logic) thought it was a joke. Nonetheless, it seemed that calling for a higher gas tax would incense Americans who are already struggling with higher food costs. But as gas prices are on the rise, more and more people are recognizing the need for higher gas prices.
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Eight dollars. That’s about the average price of a gallon of gas in Europe. More than double our current prices. I’ve heard this before and now it feels pertinent to talk about when comparing to our current situation. But it seems like Europeans, for the most part, are fine with what they pay (unlike most Americans). It doesn’t cost more to produce gas in Europe than in the US. The reason for the markup is a result of government levied taxes, funding various initiatives such as health care and public transportation. Studies show that taxation has been the primary cause for reduced oil consumption. While US consumption has grown about 21% in the last decade, our European counterparts have seen stagnant or reduced consumption.
As much as I don’t like government intervention with certain policies, I feel this is a pressing matter that needs to be addressed. There are two options to choose from: we can either start passing legislation that increases fuel economy or we can increase the taxes that we pay on gas. Either way, some action is needed to curb our growing hunger for oil so we can fund public transportation projects or invest in alternative energies.
Graphical Representation of Worldwide Fuel Economy