Really don't want to get into a political debate but there are a few misconceptions about the UK in there.
The UK is a small country but it does not have alot of rail and what there is there is woefully inefficient , outrageously expensive and dangerous. The rail infrastructure is heavily biased to the Southeast and a couple of other cities , regional and rural is a joke. Public transport as a whole is hopeless and excessively expensive.
VAT is far from fair , that and taxes on fuel are there to buoy up a hopelessly inefficient government.
The coal industry mucked itself , pretty much like the car industry and steel industry. The unions lived in a bygone age and failed to adopt progressive thinking.
I don't condone the way miners were treated , but it was the unions to blame ultimately.
Coal , Steel and the car industry were heavily subsidised by the Government and it was bankrupting the country. Those industries needed to downsize and become more efficient , they refused , the government would not be held to Ransom so they went. It was a double entendre though , because those commodities then needed to be imported. Coal is a filthy polluting fuel though so it was destined to end anyway.
My point about this treaty is simple , once the governments of the world , the USA included , has an excuse to raise environmental related taxes without question the average Joe is screwed. All types of fuel will ascend in price to the point where it cannot be afforded for everyday use but even then will still make unbelievable tax revenue. And the governments can claim a clear conscience.
Don't forget the rules of defeating an enemy , restrict movement and supplies first , then they cannot fight. Those in power and those with money want to stay there , we are just the means for them to do that.
Taxes are never spent fairly or efficiently , the fat cats are just skimming as in any other scam.
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