Quote Originally Posted by Eric Cartman View Post
I'm getting the classic 'you can't increase taxes on rich people, they will leave' vibes here. Here is the reality, in a time of need, if you don't increase or enforce taxes on super wealthy people and corporations then people like Elsie (imaginary or not) get wrung out like a cloth until there isn't a drop left.

And if you constantly parrot these tropes when anybody suggests a solution that involves super wealthy people and corporations paying a bit more, then you might as well be wringing Elsie's neck yourself.

If you don't like the truth you will lean on another of the rights favourite get out clauses when they **** people over, 'stop using x for political gain'

This is a strange hill for you to choose to die on James. Without a shadow of a doubt, the 150 quid rebate and 200 quid loan is not coming close to covering the average rise in the cost of living and yet instead of acknowledging that lots of people will be struggling, your first move is to laser in on the credibility of the anecdote in the interview. Also, you couldn't be any more transparent in your fence sitting on a windfall tax if you tried. Let me guess, you lean to oppose it now but if the government decide it's a good idea then you are ready to spring back in the other direction? That's a big surprise.

As for you LOM, embarrassing once again. I am glad someone pointed out how stupid it is to 1) blame and 2) sacrifice investment into green energy. The UK could be powered by green energy and fully self-sufficient, it chooses not to be, because of people like you.
I've not chosen to die on this hill. What I'm doing is pointing out that the energy price cap is 50% and this ladies bills have supposedly risen 500% and therefore there may be something more to this story.

I also point out that slapping a windfall tax on energy producers may be a bad decision in the long run. It's not just me saying that - I am merely listening to experts in the field as opposed to those trying to win local elections on Thursday.

I have also said I am open to the idea of a windfall tax anyway - I just recognise it's no silver bullet.

What I don't buy is that somehow the fact that this womans bills have risen 500% is all down to the government. Thats an argument I would expect Labour activists to make in the run up to an election (or Tory activists if the roles were reversed) but I don't think it's conducive to a particularly interesting or enlightening debate.

The reality is if you want to solve these problems in the long run they need to be properly understood which is what we should all be trying to do, no? Just saying "slap a windfall tax on them" may not work.

The reality is war is f-ing shit. 99% of the shitness is borne by people in warzones, but it does screw over certain industries, and energy production is one of them.

We need a solution, but a windfall tax may not be the solution.