Quite the little socialist you are on this issue dear comrade. "Multi-billion", "multi-trillion", "multi, multi, multi!" YAWN....
First, despite the housing market and the price of fuel it is inaccurate to say that the US economy is "dragging along at a snails pace." Secondly, the oil companies do not determine their quarterly profits, you do. We all do. And until you are going to get an electric car, or a bicycle, or at least car pool, I have no patience for your calls to "fuck" an industry for whose product you voluntarily consume on a daily basis. You're like a drug addict who blames the dealer. Price regulations have been tried, they make things worse and you know that full well. And I told you already - if you want government intervention on this issue then advocate immediately suspending the fuel taxes and blend requirements until alternative energies are implemented. That'll shave at least a buck off per gallon. That's the proper role of government aiding its citizenry, rather then artificially tampering with prices - we've seen the end of that movie.
Want to be of some help? Then invent a new source of fuel or contribute to candidates who say they will make that a priority. In the meantime unless you're going to get a rickshaw and young Asian lad to pull it (and surely you & Trevor would know where to find both), shut up already.
FR
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So, from this tepid attempt at reasonable discourse I can assume that, because the Feds have no place in determining prices or regulations in production and distribution of something as vitally important to the everyday functioning of our society as petroleum-based fuels, there is nothing that the Federal government CAN do to ensure the safe and continued flow of oil and gasoline in this nation for the next 10 to 12 years, or until such time as ANWAR and the other national reserves have been tapped and are flowing into our society's fuel tanks, right?
So, every time there is a hick-up in the market and the American consumer (including such man-on-the-street operations as WalMart and US Foods) sees the price of gas spike $0.15 to $0.25 a gallon in 24 hours... nothing can be done? Nothing SHOULD be done?
Are you suggesting that the spike in gas prices over the last 30 days hasn't cost our economy billions of dollars in commercial revenue... holiday spending that could have gone to any one of 10,000 retailers, large and small, but instead goes to one of half a dozen oil companies? Where is the support for "small business" in that mentality? How much does the local florist get of that chunk of additional spending by the nation?
This isn't a run-of-the-mill item we are discussing here... name another commodity on the world market as vital as oil? Gold? Wheat? Pork Bellies? Copper? Steel? Oats? Even if gold or wheat or steel DOUBLED in price... the effect would be minimal compared to even a 1% increase in the price of gasoline.
You make it sound like I am bitching about the PRICE of gas... and I do, don't get me wrong. But THIS isn't one of those times. I am saying, as clearly as I know how, that oil-gasoline is TOO important a resource to our society... AT EVERY LEVEL... to simply leave to the whims of markets that are so tied to nations and governments that are openly HOSTILE to US interests.
Going back to making cheap, dirty gas does NOTHING to reduce our national dependence on IMPORTED FOREIGN oil (is that redundant?)... in fact, it would probably only compound it. Automakers would go back to making more gas-guzzlers (or at least less efficient cars) AND end development of alternative fuel vehicles.
This nation has to learn to bite the proverbial BULLET and find some way to wean itself off of foreign oil. If that is going to be an expensive process, then the Feds HAVE to step in and find a way to ensure that the REQUIRED amounts of fuel can continue to flow until such time as another solution presents itself. I'll pay $3.15 a gallon at every fill-up, if I KNOW some of that money is being spent on the means to find alternative fuels for the future. And before you jump back into your sarcasm BS... the alternative is all around us, HYDROGEN. All we need is a means of production, distribution and application that is at least as cost effective as gasoline. All that means is RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT of existing technology and capability, not the finding of some magic potion or secret formula, as your tone suggested.
You once asked me if I wanted the GOVERNMENT handeling MY money for me. The obvious answer is NO. Now I ask you... are you willing to entrust the security of this nation to the likes of MULTI-NATIONAL CORPORATIONS who answer to the likes of the richest sons-of-bitches on the face of the earth AND NO ONE ESLE? Should the future of American oil importation be entrusted to the likes of Exxon or BP or Sunoco? Should Shell Oil decide how much the American economy can absorb in transportation and distribution PRICE GOUGING, or should the Federal Government have a say in that?
I addresed this in my post "Wookies." But just as an adendum of my personal view - it's fine with me if the renewable domestic source turns out to be Hydrogen, but the practical application of that source will still need to be invented and that's where the "moon shot" suggestion comes into play. Look, we both want prices to remain relatively low and stable while a new national inititive to seek out new energy (or practically employing existing ones) takes effect. My suggestion would be less government interference as where yours is more. That's the difference in our ideologies and it is no surprise to me that it has manifested itself in our determining a solution to becoming energy independent.
Read the "Wookie" post.
FR
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