Cartoon Tuesday: Socialism For Drivers

For your Election Day funnies, a Boston cartoon on where some real socialism lies in these United States: the open road. The cartoon is by Dan Wasserman of the Boston Globe. The “T” is Boston’s public transportation systems operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

Lately some election pundits have been critical of some candidates for advocating socialism… but, though each of these still has issues, the U.S.A. has always solved a lot of issues using collective solutions: mail, defense, law enforcement, and yes – transportation. All those roads and highways are publicly-funded and publicly-maintained.

Many drivers tend to opine that Amtrak, California High-Speed Rail, Metro, and even bicyclists are freeloaders benefitting from the taxes and fees paid by drivers. Many express the opinion that rail systems should make a profit. But this is a pernicious double-standard. No highway makes a profit. Transportation systems are publicly-funded (ie: “socialist”) because they benefit broad swaths of society. Car infrastructure is funded by many broad-based taxes that are paid by everyone, not just those who drive.

Go vote like your future depended on it!