this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2026
171 points (98.9% liked)

politics

31540 readers
2048 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles. Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to US politics and contain quality and original content. Social Media adjacent hosts like Substack are allowed, but ONLY if they tie back to a company/subsidiary. No personal or friend group blogs and no self-promotion. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and re-hosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing other users of being bots or paid actors.
  3. No memes, trolling, misinformation, or low-effort posts/comments (including reposts). If you see posts like this that anger you, do not engage. Report, block, and live a happier life than they do. Any slap-fight is subject to comment removals. Fights full of rule violations will result in temporary bans to cool off.
  4. No manipulating votes via bots or alt accounts; this will result in permanent bans. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in an account ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be permanently banned.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules and use critical thinking when reading, posting, and commenting. Users that repeatedly have comments or posts removed, weaponize reports, or violate the code of conduct, will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users. The reason(s) behind moderator action(s) are publicly available through the Modlog.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

• Register To Vote

• Citizenship Resource Center

• Congressional Awards Program

• Federal Government Agencies

• Library of Congress Legislative Resources

• The White House

• U.S. House of Representatives

• U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

• News

• World News

• Business News

• Political Discussion

• Ask Politics

• Military News

• Global Politics

• Moderate Politics

• Progressive Politics

• UK Politics

• Canadian Politics

• Australian Politics

• New Zealand Politics

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] MummifiedClient5000@feddit.dk 125 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Recently renamed to super diesel.

[–] subOrange@lemmy.world 26 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Artificial diesel didn’t have the same ring to it.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

It's not artificial; it's just dyed red to show it wasn't taxed.

[–] subOrange@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago

woooossssshhhhh…..

[–] tacoplease@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Thank God it's not dyed blue cause fuck liberal diesel am I right or am I right?

/s

[–] KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 18 points 3 weeks ago

America Diesel!

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 67 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (6 children)

I don't know how this can possibly work in practice.

One, this may relieve the federal diesel tax by "allowing" red fuel but will not exempt state and local taxes that he has no authority to affect, meaning it may still be illegal at the state level to run red fuel.

Two, the red fuel dye used to identify untaxed/offroad fuel is aggressive and can be detected at extremely low concentrations. If dyed fuel has ever been in a tank it's detectable for months if not years afterwards (depending on how much it gets refilled) and even then, sometimes they can swab the fuel cap for residue and detect it indefinitely. If a state trooper decides to have a tank dip done to inspect your fuel after this tax break stuff you are capital-F Fucked.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 52 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Two, the red fuel dye used in untaxed/offroad is aggressive and can be detected at extremely low concentrations, if dyed fuel has ever been in a tank it’s detectable for months if not years afterwards (depending on how much it gets refilled).

In other words, it fucks up the ability to tax diesel even long after the crisis is (theoretically/optimistically on Trump's part) over. Considering that they could have just suspended the tax on non-dyed diesel and directed refineries to stop putting the dye in temporarily, but didn't, one wonders if that was the real goal.

[–] empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com 27 points 3 weeks ago

Absolutely fucks up the tax system. It would be a disaster for commercial trucking and I am betting you will not see widespread use of the untaxed fuel even if "allowed" as no operator wants to get on the wrong side of DOT after this is said and done.

This of course does not apply to light duty trucks and diesel cars where rednecks run red fuel in them almost all the time.

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 22 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Hanlon's razor has been getting an exceptional workout these days. It could just be that Trump is monumentally stupid and didn't think about this at all.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 24 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Trump is monumentally stupid, but that doesn't mean his Wormtongue-esque advisors are. Trump probably didn't know red-dyed diesel existed before this; he definitely didn't come up with the idea to let truckers use it himself.

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 3 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

During his first term I would consider this to be a more likely explanation, but second-term Trump has been doing a pretty good job of purging anyone with actual competence. He wasn't happy with how they kept telling him what to do last time around.

[–] YouTalkinToMe@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Whether he is too dumb to realize it or not, another important point is that he probably does not care about future problems.

[–] gdog05@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago

Why would he, he's never been held accountable for anything before.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 9 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

We don't tax fuel enough to maintain the roads as is. The states that are removing the gas tax going to see really terrible roads in the coming years because the funding mechanism went away. It also means we might have to shift to registration fees as the primary mechanism to fund roads, which we were already considering for electric cars but then we're going down this road you might have to make it Universal to all vehicles, preferably increasing with vehicle weights

[–] grue@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

The states that are removing the gas tax going to see really terrible roads in the coming years because the funding mechanism went away.

Maybe, but more likely they're just going to use more money from the general fund like they already do. Only 26% of the road infrastructure budget came from gas taxes to begin with. So yes, the funding would drop if they don't make up the shortfall with other funds, but not as much as you think.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Soulphite@reddthat.com 7 points 3 weeks ago

Hey, maga republicans aren't known for "law and order" as much as they wanted the world to think... this much is very clear.

They don't give a fuck, if daddy pedo said they could, they will.

[–] nilloc@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Three, if demand for red fuel goes up, so does the demand for home heating oil (it’s the same thing in my neck of the woods).

I hope it’s a mild fucking winter or a lot of senior citizens are gonna freeze to death this year.

load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments (3 replies)
[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 43 points 3 weeks ago (17 children)

Donnie is getting desperate.

[–] cattywampas@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Desperate Donnie has a nice ring to it.

[–] bedwyr@piefed.ca 3 points 3 weeks ago

Best to not say his name at all I figure.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (16 replies)
[–] WesternInfidels@feddit.online 36 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Welcome, comrades, to centrally-planned economy.

[–] blackjam_alex@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

It really resembles post soviet, Russian oligarchy.

I wonder why is the case.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Triumph@fedia.io 36 points 3 weeks ago

Just forestalling the inevitable and making it worse at the same time.

[–] yesman@lemmy.world 36 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Tax relief to soften the impact of high fuel costs is pretty normal government thing. Is why tax-free diesel exists in the first place. Trump's mistake was causing the high gas prices.

It's interesting to see Trump floundering on what he thinks will be popular among voters. Doing things that help Americans is an afterthought, he's scrambling like a failing student for extra credit ahead of the Final.

[–] MountingSuspicion@reddthat.com 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Yea, an additional issue here is that those taxes were used for things. Removing them does save people money, but the increased price ends up costing us both at the pump and also in lost tax revenue.

[–] BluescreenOfDeath@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

But that's exactly how businesses work. Short term gains at the price of long term anything.

And Mango Mussolini promised to run the government like a business.

[–] FullPenguin@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Is why tax-free diesel exists in the first place.

Tax free diesel exists because the dyed diesel is not being used on public roads. Fuel taxes aren't random government money grabs, they directly fund roads, bridges, and other highway infrastructure.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 15 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Fuel taxes aren’t random government money grabs, they directly fund roads, bridges, and other highway infrastructure.

That's the budget the revenue from them goes into, but it's only a drop in the bucket compared to the total cost of that infrastructure. The road system is massively subsidized from sources other than driver user fees.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

He just doesn't want anything that might slow down/stop/reverse his smash-and-grab being done on the United States. He's giving himself and his family billions of dollars.

Also, he wants to stay out of prison.

Having Democrats run both houses of Congress could be a (mild) risk to him.

[–] BuckFutter@timeyak.com 26 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Louisiana declared a state of emergency recently to allow the same thing lol

[–] Vandals_handle@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

More correctly that's well yes but actually yes. The gas tax money goes to roads. The fact extra money is needed does not negate the fact gas tax money goes to roads. Without gas tax, even more general funding is needed.

[–] bedwyr@piefed.ca 7 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah, robbing peter to pay paul. These clowns don't give a fuck though.

[–] KulunkelBoom@lemmus.org 15 points 2 weeks ago

Right... So now there'll be a heating oil shortage this winter. Perfect.

[–] MehBlah@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

Tax free fuel from the fool.

[–] JustPlainDave@lemmy.zip 6 points 3 weeks ago (9 children)

Won't that only cause the price of AG diesel to raise?

load more comments (9 replies)
[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 5 points 3 weeks ago

This is a Let Them Eat Cake moment.

[–] flandish@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

cheaper, for now, until it’s not and home heating oil is jacked up, etc.

they know what they’re doing.

[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks ago

would be hilarious if the dye fucked up modern truck engines

[–] Xtallll@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 2 weeks ago

Mountain Diesel, Code Red

load more comments
view more: next ›