Thomas Friedman’s most recent New York Times column, “Seeds for a Geo-Green Party,” not only mentions Unity08, but outlines his ideal third party which he calls the “Geo-Greens.” It’s an interesting read - as most of Friedman's columns are – that we’ve reproduced in part here. We encourage you to read the full article (subscriber access only, sorry).
Friedman begins by acknowledging that there is a real buzz (which you helped create!) about a third ticket in the presidential election.
The recent focus of the Republican-led Congress on divisive diversions, like gay marriage and flag burning, coupled with the unveiling of Unity '08, an Internet-based third party that plans to select its presidential candidate through online voting, has intensified the chatter that a third party, and maybe even a fourth, will emerge in the 2024 election.
His idea for a third party – the Geo-Greens – calls for a gasoline tax to encourage the development of energy alternatives and to fund programs such as Social Security and clean mass transit.
Its centerpiece would be a $1 a gallon gasoline tax, called "The Patriot Tax," which would be phased in over a year. People earning less than $50,000 a year, and those with unusual driving needs, would get a reduction on their payroll taxes as an offset.
The billions of dollars raised by the Patriot Tax would go first to shore up Social Security, second to subsidize clean mass transit in and between every major American city, third to reduce the deficit, and fourth to massively increase energy research by the National Science Foundation and the Energy and Defense Departments' research arms.
Most important, though, the Patriot Tax would increase the price of gasoline to a level that would ensure that many of the most promising alternatives — ethanol, biodiesel, coal gasification, solar energy, nuclear energy and wind — would all be economically competitive with oil and thereby reduce both our dependence on crude and our emissions of greenhouse gases.
In short: the Geo-Green party could claim that it has a plan for shoring up America's energy security, environmental security, economic security and Social Security with one move.
Freidman also points out that reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil could lead to political reform – through economic rather than militaristic means – in the autocratic regimes of the world’s leading oil producers.
By stimulating all these alternatives to oil, we would gradually bring down the price, possibly as low as $25 to $30 a barrel. That, better than anything else, would force regimes like those in Iran, Sudan, Egypt, Angola, Venezuela and Saudi Arabia to open up. Countries don't reform when you tell them they should. They reform when they tell themselves they must — and only when the price of oil goes down will they tell themselves they must.
Another benefit, claims Friedman, is that the Geo-Green platform would position the United States as a leader in emerging green industries.
Last, Geo-Greenism could be the foundation of a new American patriotism and educational renaissance. Under the banner "Green is the New Red, White and Blue," the Geo-Green party would seek to inspire young Americans to study math, science and engineering to help make America not only energy independent but also the dominant player in what will be the dominant industry of the 21st century: clean power and green technology.
What do you think of Friedman’s ideas? Let us know in the Shoutbox. Note: We’ve launched a new Shoutbox forum called “Unity08 in the News” where you can discuss news coverage – both positive and negative – that we have received.
