The Moderate Liberal

Another day, and another article in the mainstream media about how good U.S.citizens have it when it comes to gas prices. Afterall, we could live in Norway, where the prices are the highest in Europe! And Europe, afterall, is so, so very expensive when it comes to gas.

Balderdash.

Most European nations, Norway included, use the price of gas as a tool to accomplish national energy and social goals. For example, U.S. citizens and/or their employers must pay for their own health insurance; in many European countries, gas taxes help provide this basic service for the residents.

Another example: the U.S. has no credible energy policy, nor a credible plan to combat global warming.  Norway does.

When considering global gas prices, the U.S. media would do us all a favor if they made an “apples to apples” comparison. Rather than just looking at price and assuming that all facts are equal, dig into it a little bit.

For example, lets tack on the cost of the U.S. war in Iraq (don’t tell me its NOT about oil!) to the price of gas.   $1 trillion dollars and counting; what what would it cost if this subsidy were honestly factored into the price of gas? No doubt the U.S. would have the most expensive gas in the world, and not Norway.

Nearly 8 years of George W. (the W standards for Worst) Bush has taken a huge toll on the middle class and working Americans.  The Wall Street Journal today discusses how educated middle class Americans are dealing with the collapse of their living standards.

 Can America deal with another 8 years of failed Republican “trickle down” bullshit?  After 8 years of Bush W., and way too many recent years of  Republican executive leadership, its clear that Republicans are simply waging war on the middle class.  Their goal is to supress wages, deny benefits, and push off a disproportionate amount of the tax burden onto the middle class and their children.

Just look at the results:

Decline dollar value

Declining stock market

Two income families are the norm

Real wages have been supressed for decades

Social Security has been raided and inflation adjusted payouts to seniors wanes each year

It’s clear to us now: the Republican vision of America is one in which the rich get richer on the backs of the middle class. McCain will simply continue this proud Republican legacy.