Sparrow -
I love Montreal, have I mentioned that? I have driven my 911 there over the last 8 years for the F1 GP. The 911 is my idea of green - just look at how much performance you can get from a gallon of gas. The drive on 401 is perfect in the summer. I leave KC at 4am, just prior to sunrise and arrive in Montreal at 9pm, just after sunset - 1400 miles - with three, short 4-minute fuel stops.
This thread is far too political. I agree that there are poeple in the world dying due to our oil dependence - just like they die in accidents building houses, digging for coal, etc. there seem to be lots of vices we have that cause death.
Anyway, my point was that oil is today's fuel and in 100 years or maybe 20 it will not longer be an issue (likely there will 'new' environment hazards as well - that we have not even started to get excited over)
Yes there are hungry, homeless and sick people in the US but nobody in the US is refused care, EVER. Where do you hear that stuff, what newscasts do you watch that show ANYONE being refused medical care in the US???
Again and again I would like to stress that a 10 cent on the dollar outfit should not be relied on to provide our education, healthcare, shelter etc.
How can you, on the one hand, plead the case of these unfortunate people while at the same time advocating the state (10 cent on the $) solves this problem by extorting more taxes.
When you call for more taxes you are asking the state to steal more money out all of our pockets and to give it to someone else. That is not you being full of CHARITY to help the unfortunate. It's you making yourself feel better for being willing to increase everyones tax burden, yourself included of course.
I much prefer to voluntarily donate my own $ to private organizations (such as the local Church or Veterans organizations) who can squeeze $1.20 out of a $1.00 rather than hold a gun to all my neighbors heads and raise their taxes.
Please stop fundraising for an admitted '10 cent on the $ outfit'. Don't trust the care of your elderly, sick, homeless, uneducated or even criminals to this 10 cent on the $ outfit. There are a 1000 better ways to solve these problems unless you are a politician who is seeking problems to solve. (Is that libertarian enough for you?)
In terms of US income distribution... It's not the states role to make certain income is re-distributed. Yes there are some very, very rich areas. In fact there are many. There are excellent reasons for why there are so many millionaires in the US and state intervention played no role. There are also no good reasons why the state should make everyone else live as a millionaire does as a result. (Your 'hate of poor neighboors' philosphy is totally unfounded and I am stunned that you would even think of such a thing. I have never seen anything like this.)
The fact is that those that are poor in the US and are willing to work have a better chance than anywhere else in the world to become millionairs - UNLESS the state makes it harder to become a millionaire by taxing them more.
If a US citizen just wants to get by working an ordinary job they can live here with a higher standard of living than anywhere else in world.
If they want to live here and retire on social welfare benefits they will not find that they will live like the millionaires they see on TV. Go figure. But they will not starve, freeze or lack medical care. Their children will have the same opportunity as others to become self sufficient and wealthy.
Pride in being self-sufficient/free and fostering this value in the society is what this is all about. Do you advocate a system where people are encouraged to take pride in being self-sufficent and where charity is voluntary or do you want a 'Nanny state' that wastes the tax dollars it extorts and breeds reliance on social services?
Let's just agree to disagree. Perhaps we can share a few beers in June - I will buy - you may consider it a Tax!
The race in Montreal will not be the same without JV but I am certain the drive will be excellent as always.
do you realize that thousands of people are dying and will die because of our hunger for oil?
The "Austrian School" and "Freiburg School" have quite some supporters over here, but they are a minority (most voters still seem to believe in "strong government" rather than in more individual freedom) 
), low crime, cheap health care and education, or efficient emergency services (the Katrina debacle would never have happened here).
