<The back side of the curve The Oil Drum Conference is underway>

8 comments on News from the blogs

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Bubba on November 10, 2005 - 10:38pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top
Look, this makes great political theater, but that's all it is.  I thought we here at TOD were more informed than the average American.  We are here because we understand that oil is running out.  

You and I both know that if you have something that is vital to the consuming public and it suddenly goes in short supply we all know that the price is going to rise.  We all know that the holder of this precious commodity is going to profit handsomely from this event.  These companies are in business to MAKE MONEY. They have no other real purpose for existance.  If they don't MAKE MONEY they go out of business.  

If the public doesn't like the amount of money they are making they need to elect people who will tax their profits to a much greater degree.  However, as we all know, this will have NO IMPACT, or at least NO POSITIVE IMPACT on the price of gasoline to consumers.  Of course it may have a NEGATIVE IMPACT, as fewer companies will explore for and develop supplies of oil.  But again, we know that the Senators really don't want to get to the bottom of the problem - they just want to get on TV looking tough for their contituents.

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Yankee on November 11, 2005 - 11:00am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I guess some of you guys are getting tired of my posts on the political response to high gas prices, but I'm fascinated by it for some reason. Partially, I think it's that it gives us a sense of how long it's going to take the public to realize what's going on. I know many of the readers think that the government response is just totally not worth examining at all, but I think we're missing something if we don't keep tabs on it. As long as the government ignores the issue of depletion, the people will stay in the dark too. And I still firmly believe that nothing is going to change until a majority of the populace realizes what's going on, and demands some kind of action (or starts conserving--which only happens when governments force them to).

Bubba says that no matter what the government does, it won't make a difference as to what the gas prices are. Yeah, I think that's probably true, but the rest of the country doesn't. Furthermore, to some extent, we do rely on the politicians to bring awareness of some issues to the public, which is why it would be great to really push for the Bartlett for President 2008 idea. Not because he'd win, just because he'd bring the issue to the public.

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step back on November 11, 2005 - 7:34pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
no matter what the government does, it won't make a difference as to what the gas prices are. Yeah, I think that's probably true

The political arena is fascinating to many of us, particualrly if it means "we" are going to war and "we" are going to make the "ultimate scarifice".

Government has a great deal of influence regrading what "demand" the public will make for various goods & services. Remember when no one was buying French wines and eating only "Freedom" Fries?

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8 comments on News from the blogs

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