Poltical Courage & Raising The Gas Tax

Friedman looks at national security, mid-east wars, and a skyrocketing national deficit as well as other domestic problems and questions why American political leaders lack the fortitude to raise gas taxes, or better yet, implement carbon taxes, as has been done by our European allies.

"In 1973, Denmark got all its oil from the Middle East. Today? Zero. Why? Because Denmark got tough. It imposed on itself a carbon tax, a roughly $5-a-gallon gasoline tax, made massive investments in energy efficiency and in systems to generate energy from waste, along with a discovery of North Sea oil (about 40 percent of its needs).

And us? When it comes to raising gasoline taxes or carbon taxes — at a perfect time like this when prices are already low — our politicians tell us it is simply 'off the table.'"