Angry's Blog of Doom (or idiocy....take your pick)

[BadWillHunting]

just remember that it's high prices but not THAT high yet...

 

In 1982, gas was about 1.25 a gallon... and adjusted for inflation to 2006 dollars, everyone in the US was paying over 3.50/gallon for gasoline. In addition, all the regular cars back then got about the same mileage as my Suburban... 17MPG at best. Economy cars got 20-25. So it gets worse... and has been worse. In 1972, there was rationing and you couldn't GET gas half the time for a few months (due to the first OPEC price squeeze).

 

Before any tree-hugging bastage gets on my case about the suburban I drive, I note for the record that I have "...a LOT" of kids and that it's cheaper to put them in the 'Burban and go somewhere than to put gas in two cars and do the same.

[keepaf1]

hi ya Happy.

was wondering who i have to get permission from to get a patch made up of the dfi street emblem to sew onto my shirt (NOT for profit).

this is my own personal shirt (denim no doubt - heheh).

thank you

[zkissane]

hate to burst your bubble, and make you think I'm bashing you, but 2 co-workers isn't going to do much at all

 

200,000 co-workers would be a start that would get attention

 

we've got 200,000,000 vehicles in the USA, and probably nearly as many drivers...2 co-workers plus you and me isn't making any kind of statement.

 

Like I said, not trying to bash you, but this is the same answer I always hear "well me and a buddy are not doing it anymore so it must be helping!"

 

Don't worry, I know you're not bashing me, but demand most definitely fell in the $3/gallon days post-Katrina last year:

 

http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2005...y_and_dema.html

 

So it wasn't just a "well, my buddies and I are doing something".

 

 

because in this age of competition, ANY and ALL of the oil companies could easily drop their prices to $2.00/gal and make a hefty profit...especially since they'd be $1.00/gal under the competition...people would line up for ******* miles to fill up (I would!) their tank at that price.

 

but you notice that no oil company is doing this...

 

why?

 

because they know we will pay whatever price they state since they are all agreeing to charge outrageous prices.

 

Clearly we as a whole won't pay whatever price they state; look at how demand (and price, subsequently) fell post-Katrina.

 

And here's what would happen if gas companies did drop their prices to $2/gallon (assuming they could make a profit; you say they could, ExRoadie says no, I personally don't know but if I were to place a bet it would be on "no"): People would line up for miles, and it would cause shortages. People would overconsume because prices would be artificially low. Some people would buy far more gas than they needed, and then, when the station ran out, would sell it for whatever they thought they could get for it. A micro-market would develop, and prices would eventually settle into equilibrium, which probably wouldn't be that different from where the non-discount price started out in the first place.

 

Prices are not big evil rich men lording their power over the masses; they are signals to the world about the scarcity or perceived scarcity of a good or service.

[red930]

Well, here's the good news.

 

As oil approaches $100.00USD a barrel, it becomes less valuable.

 

Now, how does that make sense? Here's the lesson.

 

Everyone knows that Wind and Solar power are darn near perfect. The problem has been that Oil, Natural Gas and Coal have been cheaper per BTU for many years so we've gone with what's cheap.

 

With Crude Oil and Natural Gas prices approaching all time highs, these other forms of energy production are becoming viable economical alternatives.

 

There's no need for government intervention with tax breaks and tariffs. The open market will fill the need for power.

 

We've got thirty years of producing Photovoltaic Cells and wind driven turbines under our belts. There are factories just waiting for the price to become attractive so they can ramp up production.

 

So for everyone that's wanting us to get off the fossil fuel train, here's the chance. You should be glad that Crude Oil prices are going up. It's the only way people will be able to change to a different kind of power production.

 

But, you should know that the Oil Barons are aware of this point too. They're gonna be doing everything they can to keep us from changing to new forms of power production so don't hold your breath that Crude Oil prices will stay high for very long.

[SanguineI]

I don't have nearly as much experience with economics as everyone else, but I don't think there would be huge lines if the prices dropped to $2 a gallon and heres why:

 

1)There aren't a ton of people that have stopped driving because of the high gas prices. People need to get to work and they like driving. Sure, some people might have cut back, but there aren't a lot of people actually abstaining until the prices go down.

 

2) I don't really see people bringing drums or gas canisters with them to the gas station to fill up at $2 a gallon. If the price change was nation wide and the prices would stay at $2 for a while, people won't stock up.

 

I think if the prices were set at $2 a gallon, you wouldn't see a HUGE fluctuation in the amount of gas being purchased, since we are all purchasing it right now. I guess you could say, however, that city busses and other state-funded means of transportation might start buying up gas if they are being forced to shut down right now at $3+, but I don't think we'd see widespread shortages.

 

The profit thing is a whole 'nother issue though. I just sort of think that if these gas companies are reporting MASSIVE income like they are, its time they take one for the team and cut those profit margins a bit so that America can have a bit of breathing room.

 

Also, is anyone sick of having this conversation with friends/family and some jerk has to bring up that some countries are paying $8 a gallon for gas like it is a valid point.

[red930]

If prices drop to $2.00 a gallon it's only because demand has decreased enough coupled with a decrease in the cost of a barrel of Crude Oil.

 

You can't put artificial constraints on a free market commodity without damaging the system.

 

This is what OPEC does when they reduce production to inflate prices to the point that they desire.

 

Crude Oil prices could drop to $30.00 a barrel tomorrow if the OPEC cartel increased production. It's that simple.

 

At the same time the profits of the Oil Companies would drop back down because they're only making their huge profits on the Crude Oil not the refined gasoline products.

 

Of course, we'd just go right back to our fossil fuel consuming ways like nothing ever happened.

 

BTW Our European friends that are bitching about $8.00 a gallon gasoline have no one to blame but themselves. They allowed their governments to place huge taxes on gasoline. Then the government takes those taxes and funds more socialist programs instead of using the taxes to improve the roads.

[ReelFiles]

I remember petro being that expensive in Germany, when I was a kid. No clue how much it costs there now, but I don't think the roads need much fixing there anyways, the Autobahn is fine.

[Angry_Games]

They allowed their governments to place huge taxes on gasoline. Then the government takes those taxes and funds more socialist programs instead of using the taxes to improve the roads.

 

all right Roadie you've got me scratching my head on this one lol

 

I'm not sure how fixing the roads would make the cost of gasoline less...unless you are implying that bad roads are the reason gasoline prices are so high (and I know you aren't implying such a crazy tinfoil hat theory...that would rank right up there with David Icke and his lizard-alien overlords that I love to read about haha)

[SanguineI]

I think he just means that the extra income from taxes is misapproriated. They fund government programs (socialist programs in his opinion) rather than going back into the roads (which benefits the drivers who are responsible for said income).

[red930]

I think he just means that the extra income from taxes is misapproriated. They fund government programs (socialist programs in his opinion) rather than going back into the roads (which benefits the drivers who are responsible for said income).

BINGO Get that man a prize!

 

The Leftards have tried the same thing in the US for years. Their complaint was that we didn't pay enough for gas. Their plan was to place a $2.00 per gallon tax on gasoline. The taxes would be used for things like environmental education, conservation studies and such with only $0.05(five cents) going to roads and infrastructure.

 

As you can see, this was a bad idea and it never got traction.

 

To be honest with you, I might have favored such a plan if the money went to roads and transportation. A Bullet Train coast to coast would be a good thing. The taxes could pay for the rails and stations then the fares would only pay for the trains, power and upkeep.

[d3M0n]

I think the major problem with the oil companies is that they truly are doing something illegal as far as a capitolist system goes.

 

When Microsoft began to flood the market with their products they were forced to back off because they were being considered a monopoly, which under the current laws is illegal.

 

Because the oil companies are fractionated and share the wealth they are not considered a monopoly, but they are indeed a monopoly in the fuel industry. There are VERY few cars or planes or vehicles in general that run on anything BUT oil based products.

 

If all of them work in concert and agree to keep prices at such and such a level, then they are truly acting as one company that controls all of the fueling needs of our society and thus are indeed a monopoly which is, in fact, illegal.

 

I agree with you ExRoadie about the whole "we are paying the prices that we should be now because of inflation and such". My father explained that to me in great detail when I began whining about gas prices one day... lol!

 

The thing I don't agree with is the fact that the oil companies have gone to great lengths to supress any other source of fuel that may be cheaper or more efficient. That is the action of a monopoly. The thing that TRULY sucks about all of it is that there is no way that AG's suggestion is going to work.

 

People are not about to bike cross country to see their families. People are not going to travel by wagon for 3 days to get to a business meeting. People are not going to walk or ride a bike to work either when most people in the US work about 20-30 mins drive from where they live.

 

It is NOT our fault that we are dependent on gas. Our society and lives have been shaped around it. It caused cities to expand rapidly because we could get from place to place faster. It caused new places to be developed outside of cities where previously there was no option for development because it was too far away from businesses to be feasible.

 

What we SHOULD really do is get all the top scientists and the greatest thinkers alive today and have a conference (or series of conferences) where they come up with the most efficient, most cost effective, and cheapest new sourceS of fuel so that new companies can be built to rival the oil companies.

 

Only then will the monopoly on transportation and our dependence on oil be truly broken. Then, those that wish to use gasoline may use it and those who didn't want to pay the prices for gasoline could go with the cheaper stuff.

 

Tell me how fast the price of gas would drop then?? It would have to at LEAST compete with the lower priced fuels in price in order to have ANYONE want to continue to buy it... :nod:

[Jachyra007]

What we SHOULD really do is get all the top scientists and the greatest thinkers alive today and have a conference (or series of conferences) where they come up with the most efficient, most cost effective, and cheapest new sourceS of fuel so that new companies can be built to rival the oil companies.

 

Only then will the monopoly on transportation and our dependence on oil be truly broken. Then, those that wish to use gasoline may use it and those who didn't want to pay the prices for gasoline could go with the cheaper stuff.

 

Tell me how fast the price of gas would drop then?? It would have to at LEAST compete with the lower priced fuels in price in order to have ANYONE want to continue to buy it... :nod:

 

It hasn't really been in a series of confrences, but there is headway in developing alternative fuel resources. Part of that problem, is the capital needed to research, engineer, and mass produce it. Once all that is accomplished, then we're in business.

 

As with all new technology though, is the price tag associated with putting it to market. How expensive were the new Hybrid cars when they first came out? Granted, their release didn't piggypack record prices for crude oil, a factor which makes them much more appealing now. Plus I'm sure issues have been worked out and they are getting much more reliable and efficient.

 

And as far as breaking the gas monopoly, the new technology has to become much more cost efficient, readily avaliable (look at the scarcity of hydrogen filling statons), and competitive (in horsepower, mileage, emissions and the like) in order to replace gasoline, since it is plays such a huge factor in every aspect of business and modern life.

 

Edit: Lol looks like I stirred up a hornets nest! This must ba a pretty hot issue that people are talking about. Everyone has had interesting things to say, and I've actually learned a lot re: our economy thus far.