Sunday, August 13, 2006
INGSOC strikes
The Conservative Party I joined was, at least I thought, a party of tax cuts. This was a fundamental belief,because it was so intrinsic to our view of government and freedom in general. Reducing taxation is good because it allows people to spend their own money, spending it on whatever they choose, living as they choose.
So what on earth happened?
Firstly, I do not understand how one can predict how much will be raised from these new taxes? Guessing? Secondly, I am dismayed with the idea of "offsetting": there is no excuse for raising taxes and no excuse bad enough to reduce them.
Leave this aside. Its the big brother, nanny state, INGSOC thinking that bothers me. This is a lifestyle tax, and its the one I dislike the most
Repeat after me:
"I will buy crappy looking cars"
"I will not enjoy cheap air travel"
"I will subscribe to apocolyptic we-are-all-going-to-die style environmentalism"
So I'm afraid Steven Norris, but when you said there had been unanimous agreement that climate change "is the most important challenge to the planet" you were wrong. The biggest challenge we face is still as it always has been, that unendable quest to get our government to do the one thing, the only thing, that it has sworn it never will do...
...leave us alone?
So what on earth happened?
David Cameron's transport policy review team will propose a radical programme for steep tax rises on air travel and gas-guzzling cars offset by cuts in council tax, VAT and national insurance, it was revealed last night.
Firstly, I do not understand how one can predict how much will be raised from these new taxes? Guessing? Secondly, I am dismayed with the idea of "offsetting": there is no excuse for raising taxes and no excuse bad enough to reduce them.
Leave this aside. Its the big brother, nanny state, INGSOC thinking that bothers me. This is a lifestyle tax, and its the one I dislike the most
Repeat after me:
"I will buy crappy looking cars"
"I will not enjoy cheap air travel"
"I will subscribe to apocolyptic we-are-all-going-to-die style environmentalism"
So I'm afraid Steven Norris, but when you said there had been unanimous agreement that climate change "is the most important challenge to the planet" you were wrong. The biggest challenge we face is still as it always has been, that unendable quest to get our government to do the one thing, the only thing, that it has sworn it never will do...
...leave us alone?
# posted by Chris Hughes @ 9:59 pm 
