I don't have a problem with high gas prices, per se. If high gas prices will act as an incentive for people to dump SUVs and conserve more, I think that's great. Make it $3 a gallon and Detroit will be forced to raise mileage standards because of market demands, not the EPA.
My problem is this: At a time when American soldiers are ostensibly dying to secure our "national interests" (ie: oil), I find it unseemly (or, fucking outrageous) that oil companies are making record profits*, and the government has done nothing to reduce consumption.
Everyone is willing to accept the jacked up prices because they think it has something to do with the War in Iraq and that sooner or later it will get back to normal. Guess again. The prices have nothing to do with Iraq, and they are never coming down again. Once this country is conditioned to $2 gas, there is no reason the oil companies are going to bring it back down again. Maybe the $1.90s, just as a dupe, because it'll seem cheap compared to the $2.30 we'll be paying by May.
The refinery explosion yesterday is this week's bullshit excuse to raise prices:
Gasoline prices could rise slightly because the plant is such a large gas producer. Gasoline futures rose nearly 2 cents in late trading Wednesday on news of the explosion. In afternoon trading Thursday in Europe, the price of unleaded gasoline for April delivery was up 2.8 cents.
Hmm, that seems logical. Except that right before that paragraph is a quote from BP's spokesman saying the plant is "operating normally." The crooks in charge of determining gas futures decided it looked like a good reason to raise prices. End of story.
In February I remember reading in USA Today, some stupid article about "Why are gas prices so high?" Nobody could explain it... Why? I'll tell you. Unbridled greed. With a wink from the White House
*ExxonMobil's 2004 fourth-quarter earnings, at $8.42 billion, represented the highest quarterly income ever reported by an American firm.
2 comments:
You've hit my pet peeve -- the SUV exception to mileage requirements -- WTF? Let's dig up Alaska so that everyone can drive Dodge Durangos?
And I truly believe there are some GOP moles smoking crack in a basement somewhere coming up with the next fantasy excuse for "why gas prices are so high."
I like your blog a lot (love the Andrew "can't quite retire" Sullivan comment) and link to it on mine, just stopped by to say hi.
Thanks Jane. Now, how can I find your blog?
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