I was just out in the kitchen, eating some Ritz crackers with spray cheese -- I used to really like them that way, then I switched to simply eating them plain, but now I find I'm having them with the spray cheese again; its barbaric, in a way, eating what could be described as extruded cheese-like food substance, but there are worse things -- and talking with my wife ina desultory manner about this and that. As I sat there, I realized that I was angry about something, but I didn't know what, when it abruptly came to me: I'm angry about whats going on with the cost of gasoline.
Take a number and get in line, would be the proper response; I know that. As things go, we're not really affected badly, with the bulk of our driving being done in the Prius, and the van getting decent mileage (though no where near what will be considered decent). There are thousands, millions of people worse off. But, I hate to admit it, thats not what angers me. What churns me is that this is happening and the government doesn't seem to be doing a damn thing about it. They're giving the cool impression that except for the 'gas tax holiday' idea, which was offered purely for political gain, regardless of its scanty merits, they haven't noticed whats going on. The people that I think of as those dapper young men in their crisp white shirts and rep ties are out there bidding up the price of oil with gay abandon, and we're all paying the costs of their derring-do. And my government doesn't seem to care, not a bit. Starting with the Oil Man In Chief and rolling downhill. What do I expect them to do? Fix it, would be nice. But even just commiserating; acknowledging that fuel prices are making things grim for a lot of people -- yeah, even that would be nice. Have they? Other than in campaign rhetoric, no. Not so's I've noticed. Have you?
Now I know that the price is not all the result of the bidding up, and to be honest, I don't even have more than the roughest idea of how much of it is. I suppose I could look at the testimony of the oil magnates before Congress; my, that was instructive. Further, I know that the classic answer is well, thats just the way the market works, supply and demand, futures markets, and so on. Its nothing personal, its just -- bidness. But the image I get is of those dapper young men, earning hundreds of thousands of dollars of year, contributing mightily to the misery of millions, with no one putting a brake on them, saying thats by god enough, and I thought "I'd like to just castrate those bastards". And realized, to my surprise, that I wasn't entirely kidding. Which bastards? The government, the oil companies, the dapper young men?
Take your pick.
2 comments:
There is lots that can be done on the political front. I covered some of it in a previous post, but honestly, the best way to reduce the price of gasoline is to reduce the demand.
Either go out less, or go out in a way that uses less fuel. A LOT less fuel.
I don't necessarily believe that changing licencing requirements for taxi cabs to allow multiple passengers would result in the glorious rebirth of western civilization, but I DO think some lessons can be learned from cities like Copenhagen, Brussels, York and Venice where the ONLY vehicles allowed downtown are taxi vans and bicycles.
I have written to my municipal councilor in charge of taxi cab regulation with this matter. We'll see what can be done. This might end up being fought out in the media....grin!
(No, it might not save money, the only thing it would save would be the environment...)
You're absolutely right about the demand affecting price. As for the other -- well, I understand that the Prius is harder to come by than it used to be. And they can't have ours!
I was just out buying some stuff, and I called my wife to ask if I should pick up some things from a nearby second store 'since I'm in the area'...
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