Yes, the point you make is choice. We seem to believe in ‘magic’ to achieve desired effects. The magic is act one way, the get a different result. I acknowledge many in this area are simply hopeless but thpose recoiling at the si. Tax approach are also dreaming, I fear. Thanks.
I am guilty of routinely pointing to the Nordic countries by comparison and especially to the one I know best: Norway. The "sin taxes" up there are enormous by our standards. Folks save up for months in order to have a favorite bottle of spirits on hand for the Christmas holidays or a special family celebration; taxes on tobacco products are huge; indoor smoking has been outlawed in most public places; and gasoline prices approaching $10/gallon will make you think twice before driving to the grocery store. Fully 50% of the gas price is tax that supports "free" medical care and other social services for the citizens. They still have life-shortening diseases and suicides, but the average life span is not headed downhill like ours is. Norwegians have made the conscious choice as a nation to forego instant gratification and unfettered freedom to do everything they please whenever they wish while still holding the largest sovereign wealth savings account in the world.
Yes, the point you make is choice. We seem to believe in ‘magic’ to achieve desired effects. The magic is act one way, the get a different result. I acknowledge many in this area are simply hopeless but thpose recoiling at the si. Tax approach are also dreaming, I fear. Thanks.
I am guilty of routinely pointing to the Nordic countries by comparison and especially to the one I know best: Norway. The "sin taxes" up there are enormous by our standards. Folks save up for months in order to have a favorite bottle of spirits on hand for the Christmas holidays or a special family celebration; taxes on tobacco products are huge; indoor smoking has been outlawed in most public places; and gasoline prices approaching $10/gallon will make you think twice before driving to the grocery store. Fully 50% of the gas price is tax that supports "free" medical care and other social services for the citizens. They still have life-shortening diseases and suicides, but the average life span is not headed downhill like ours is. Norwegians have made the conscious choice as a nation to forego instant gratification and unfettered freedom to do everything they please whenever they wish while still holding the largest sovereign wealth savings account in the world.
Wise, or otherwise??