Is second best still okay?

Last week's Economist put a sobering touch on the ongoing debate between cap and trade and carbon tax options:

It said, "The best way to curb global warming would be a carbon tax. The money raised could be divided up among citizens or used to repay the national debt. A tax on carbon dioxide would give everyone an incentive to emit less of it. It would be simple, direct and transparent. For these reasons, it will never happen in America."

This pretty much sums up the conclusion that many, including myself, have been gradually warming to (see previous blog). But seeing it put so starkly made me rather uneasy. I am no idealist but the argument that the US can't choose the most effective response to the world's largest and most difficult task because, well, its America seems rather defeatist. The beauty of the US political system is that most people are almost always not entirely satisfied with the outcome (this is to protect the interests of the minority) but perhaps with a problem like climate change, we should be able to expect that the US response be the most complete and flawless one possible.