Having it both ways

[Griff]

Anybody watching the Congressional nonsense over gas prices? Rebates price caps etc... How about this, let the prices soar and get off freaking oil! It is so amusing to listen to congresscritters complain about global warming, overseas military disasters, and expanding suburbia but when the market starts to address these problems they don't want any part of it.

[billybob]

Governments love to fret about gas prices. The higher they go, the more they contribute to inflation, the higher inflation goes, the less chance thegovernment has of getting re-elected. As long as they can give the illusion of intervening without actually doing anything, everyone stays happy.
Gas prices are soaring, most of the developed world pays far more for its gas than the States. Places like Britain extract hefty taxes on every drop of fuel purchased, and yet still the motoring public open their wallets with a mixture of resignation and gratitude.

Let's be honest, most of us will at some stage have to change our present habits to accomodate the rocketing price of fuel. Since there appears to be a sellers' market, with no sign of a fall in consumption, the price can only go up. The days of the 30 minute commute to work will end, and public transport will have a resurgence in popularity. The value of your nice little country cottage will decline as future generations struggle to find the money to travel long distances to work every day.Air travel has passed the point of lowest cost in real terms, and is starting to get more expensive.

No amount of giovernment meddling can alter this, the only way forward is to develop alternative fuel technologies and modify our autromobile-centred lifestyles.By tinkering on the fringes, governments the world over are simply scraping the bottom of the barrel with a view to passing the problem on to the next generation. The first country to successfully divorce itself from oil consumption will be the next great superpower.

[elSicomoro]

I took a screenshot of MSNBC's site the other night...it had a reference to the rebate idea. It'll probably be today's Manifesto...it's a hoot!

My car gets about 25 mpg overall...maybe more. I have an '03 Chevy Malibu, and I sit in traffic frequently. I'll have to test it again this week.

[tw]

Originally Posted by billybob

Let's be honest, most of us will at some stage have to change our present habits to accomodate the rocketing price of fuel.

Maybe you did not notice. But gasoline prices only went back to early 1970s prices. And just like in the 1970s, when price of gasoline doubled, sale of gas guzzlers continued unabated. Meanwhile a president was losing a foreign war that had no purpose, and lying constantly. Country was leaching money everywhere with government debts skyrocketing. Inflation and stagflation would then result many years later. Does history repeat itself?

Meanwhile, draft was reinstated because the military could not recruit enough volunteers for a war based in presidental lies.

[Ibby]

Meanwhile, draft was reinstated because the military could not recruit enough volunteers for a war based in presidental lies.

Scary thought, huh?

[xoxoxoBruce]

I've read $4.50 is the minimum to affect SUV sales appreciably.

OK, everyone agrees that cutting our oil consumption and foreign dependence is a good thing. Preaching hasn't worked. Rationing is a hot potato(e) that nobody will touch. More tax is political suicide. It's clear that higher prices is the only way...but how?

The oil men in the White house look at each other and giggle. The answer is clear.....and very profitable. But golly gee, will big oil go along with it? The giggles turn to laughing and howling until the tears flow. Then someone suggests the oil executives be given a Freedom Medal for their national service. Now the laughter becomes a complete breakdown in decorum and the meeting must adjourn.

Now, you know I made that all up. That couldn't really happen...could it.....

[Urbane Guerrilla]

I dunno... an oil company is really an energy company. They could be going into nuclear power, even, were they to take the wider view. They? It would only take one doing it to galvanize the others, and they'd do well by doing good. And I'm letting nuclear (even if George Bush and about a third of Congress, both houses, don't pronounce it right) stand for all the other energy alternatives.

I don't hold a lot of hope for any of this, though. The alternatives are so spread out, so unconcentrated, that gathering and concentrating the energy they develop is uneconomic, or else the pollution problems they pose are not easily made tractable. (ka-ching!)

Maybe if we could convert gamma radiation and alpha and beta decay directly into alternating current instead of having to wait for it to decay down to heat and boil water with it...

[Ibby]

Gas is like, 75 cents in Thailand right now, and people are freaking out about rising gas prices there too.

It's all relative, eh?

[chronos]

Why does the government of a capitalist society need to get involved with this issue? It's all about supply and demand. The oil producing countries have the supply and we have the demand. Let prices rise until demand falls.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Supply and demand, yes. But the supply is effected by things like competition which is fast becoming extinct as the oil companies merge or are gobbled up. Less oil companies means less chance of anyone breaking ranks.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by Ibram

Gas is like, 75 cents in Thailand right now, and people are freaking out about rising gas prices there too.

It's all relative, eh?

Gas is 12 cents a gallon in Venzuela.

[billybob]

Originally Posted by BigV

Gas is 12 cents a gallon in Venzuela.

The obvious downside is, it's Venezuela!

I love how little alternative fuel is discussed during all of it... the white elephant in the room...

[Elspode]

I suggest that we convert politicians and oil company execs into gasoline.

[jaguar]

Why does the government of a capitalist society need to get involved with this issue? It's all about supply and demand. The oil producing countries have the supply and we have the demand. Let prices rise until demand falls.

Bread and circuses, it's something that pisses people off, thus those we elect to bribe us with our own money feel the heat and the need to do something about it. The electorate doesn't give a damn about market forces & governmental interfering, just how much it costs to fill the H2 this week.

rkzenrage - show me one that's viable, this is something where the market is at work, when oil becomes expensive enough we will see alt. fuels, until then don't hold your breath. Want to know the first one that's getting plenty of cash? Oil Shale.