My "point," my Dear Isaiah, has been stated several times. If you don't get it, and I know you do - because you said you generally agree with me, then I really don't know what to tell you except,"Buy Halliburton at$60, sell it at $85, sell your Ford Explorer, construct a bunker under your backyard, stock it with MRE's and 5-gallon jugs of gasoline, buy a gun, and - for God's sake! - learn to swim."

and who taught you how to use the internet: your grandma?  it's called a hyperlink, and you should know by now what the default formatting and style is for one (at least the SOP for TOD). otherwise, you're going to be very lost in cyberspace...

although i agree with your point that we have large supply buffers built-in, in reality it's not beneficial.  precisely because, all these buffers promote complacency.  the longer we depend on internal buffers to smooth out the rough spots of supply, the longer it will take for people to wake up.  to start thinking about changing their lifestyles, pressuring for political energy reform, and searching for alternative energy sources.  

these disruptions should be warning signs of the approaching flood, not reasons to just buy more insurance and rebuild on the floodplain.  what we need is action, not docile cows strolling out to pasture.  without so much buffering there would be the chance for effective stimulus pre-peak, while there is still time, instead of the false sense of security that currently pervades public opinion.