A groundbreaking California law that compels packaging producers to phase out single-use plastics is already sparking anger from the chemicals industry and environmental groups just weeks after going into effect.
The law, which was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022 but only took effect in May, requires plastic and packaging companies to use less single-use plastic, and ensure by 2032 that all packaging is either recyclable or compostable. The big idea is to incentivize producers of plastics to consider the end of their products’ life in order to create better, more sustainable bottles, containers and wrappings.
Under the new rules, plastic producers have to cut single-use plastic, increase recycling rates, and pay $5bn to remedy harms from plastic pollution.
But that’s literally socialism.
Employing independent experts to help legislators make descions is not socialism. It’s a common sense governmental policy that goes back to antiquity. See: kings having advisors.
While I was making a general joke given China’s recent reachouts and incentivization towards getting highly educated workers into government positions of power instead of solely relying on trained politicians with relatively limited work history before their political ambitions; workers controlling the means of production, which in any decently advanced government would be controlled by the government, is in fact socialism.