Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oil companies are making so much money that their ceos are getting raises and they are doing stock buybacks, making shareholders very happy.

It's free market.

Yep. And a free market never has the best interests of consumers as a goal.

DP but while there are free market forces at play, there is not and and there has never been a free market. The oil industry as it exists today would not have been possible without government interference.

Yes isn’t it insane that cars today get about the same mpg as they did when they were invented over a hundred years ago? So many technological advances in this time (over a century!) but mpg hasn’t budged. How is this possible?

Uh, because cars have gotten bigger and heavier because of regulations. It takes energy to move heavier stuff. A 1988 Honda Civic weighed 2000 pounds and got 40 mpg with a small 4 cylinder motor. A 2018 Civic weighs 3000 pounds and has a small 4 cylinder motor. It will get less mpg based on that alone

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We need strong action from the government to make this work but individuals need to be realistic and support the changes necessary.

What action? What changes? Be specific for God’s sake.

Electric car subsidies to match the dollar amount that we subsidize oil for starters. Level the playing field instead of giving billions of dollars to oil companies that then gouge us in return. Massive investment in high speed rail and local public transportation hubs. Efficiency regulations on all new household energy products.

The only reason all of the above has not been done already (which would have put us in a much better position at this time) is that Republicans have blocked every single step away from our dependence on oil. As for the average citizen, they need to get behind efficient technology instead of whining about it. Remember when everyone on the right fought against and complained about LED light bulbs?

Why subsidize electric cars? Either pay for gas or don’t. If you don’t want to pay for gas, you go buy an electric car. Just not with my tax dollars. And invest in rail? No one wants to ride the train.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We need strong action from the government to make this work but individuals need to be realistic and support the changes necessary.

What action? What changes? Be specific for God’s sake.

Electric car subsidies to match the dollar amount that we subsidize oil for starters. Level the playing field instead of giving billions of dollars to oil companies that then gouge us in return. Massive investment in high speed rail and local public transportation hubs. Efficiency regulations on all new household energy products.

The only reason all of the above has not been done already (which would have put us in a much better position at this time) is that Republicans have blocked every single step away from our dependence on oil. As for the average citizen, they need to get behind efficient technology instead of whining about it. Remember when everyone on the right fought against and complained about LED light bulbs?

Please tell me all about your most recent ride on Amtrak or Metro. Do you really think that throwing more money at their inefficiency and ineptitude will improve things?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We need strong action from the government to make this work but individuals need to be realistic and support the changes necessary.

What action? What changes? Be specific for God’s sake.

Electric car subsidies to match the dollar amount that we subsidize oil for starters. Level the playing field instead of giving billions of dollars to oil companies that then gouge us in return. Massive investment in high speed rail and local public transportation hubs. Efficiency regulations on all new household energy products.

The only reason all of the above has not been done already (which would have put us in a much better position at this time) is that Republicans have blocked every single step away from our dependence on oil. As for the average citizen, they need to get behind efficient technology instead of whining about it. Remember when everyone on the right fought against and complained about LED light bulbs?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oil companies are making so much money that their ceos are getting raises and they are doing stock buybacks, making shareholders very happy.

It's free market.

Yep. And a free market never has the best interests of consumers as a goal.

DP but while there are free market forces at play, there is not and and there has never been a free market. The oil industry as it exists today would not have been possible without government interference.

Yes isn’t it insane that cars today get about the same mpg as they did when they were invented over a hundred years ago? So many technological advances in this time (over a century!) but mpg hasn’t budged. How is this possible?

Anonymous wrote:

We need strong action from the government to make this work but individuals need to be realistic and support the changes necessary.

What action? What changes? Be specific for God’s sake.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We need strong action from the government to make this work but individuals need to be realistic and support the changes necessary.

What action? What changes? Be specific for God’s sake.

Electric car subsidies to match the dollar amount that we subsidize oil for starters. Level the playing field instead of giving billions of dollars to oil companies that then gouge us in return. Massive investment in high speed rail and local public transportation hubs. Efficiency regulations on all new household energy products.

The only reason all of the above has not been done already (which would have put us in a much better position at this time) is that Republicans have blocked every single step away from our dependence on oil. As for the average citizen, they need to get behind efficient technology instead of whining about it. Remember when everyone on the right fought against and complained about LED light bulbs?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oil companies are making so much money that their ceos are getting raises and they are doing stock buybacks, making shareholders very happy.

It's free market.

Yep. And a free market never has the best interests of consumers as a goal.

DP but while there are free market forces at play, there is not and and there has never been a free market. The oil industry as it exists today would not have been possible without government interference.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with gas prices is not that you will be "forced" to buy an EV, or that a mom will have a problem to fill her Honda Odyssey. The problem is a little big bigger. More expensive oil means that farmers need more money to fill their machines. Truck drivers will need more money to transport the food. Stores will need to raise their prices to offset the growing cost of delivery. Your cleaning lady or lawn service will need more money to come to your place, etc.

Food and goods and service will become more expensive. Many people will buy less, many will cancel different services... Can you see the chain reaction? Come on, we were good at thinking about extended consequences back in the days of flattening the curve. This is no different.

Low prices are not sustainable long term. We need to adapt. Consume less.

The only problem is that nobody wants to be the one that actually has to consume less. We are just silly apes that can’t help ourselves even though we know where it leads.

There is such a thing as lack of cash flow killing an economy.

Anonymous wrote:

We need strong action from the government to make this work but individuals need to be realistic and support the changes necessary.

What action? What changes? Be specific for God’s sake.

We need strong action from the government to make this work but individuals need to be realistic and support the changes necessary.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with gas prices is not that you will be "forced" to buy an EV, or that a mom will have a problem to fill her Honda Odyssey. The problem is a little big bigger. More expensive oil means that farmers need more money to fill their machines. Truck drivers will need more money to transport the food. Stores will need to raise their prices to offset the growing cost of delivery. Your cleaning lady or lawn service will need more money to come to your place, etc.

Food and goods and service will become more expensive. Many people will buy less, many will cancel different services... Can you see the chain reaction? Come on, we were good at thinking about extended consequences back in the days of flattening the curve. This is no different.

Low prices are not sustainable long term. We need to adapt. Consume less.

The only problem is that nobody wants to be the one that actually has to consume less. We are just silly apes that can’t help ourselves even though we know where it leads.

Is this like the 'whip inflation now' nonsense that Gerald Ford tried to roll out?

Anonymous wrote:It's hilarious to me that you electric car people think the government won't find a way to screw you over in the end

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem with gas prices is not that you will be "forced" to buy an EV, or that a mom will have a problem to fill her Honda Odyssey. The problem is a little big bigger. More expensive oil means that farmers need more money to fill their machines. Truck drivers will need more money to transport the food. Stores will need to raise their prices to offset the growing cost of delivery. Your cleaning lady or lawn service will need more money to come to your place, etc.

Food and goods and service will become more expensive. Many people will buy less, many will cancel different services... Can you see the chain reaction? Come on, we were good at thinking about extended consequences back in the days of flattening the curve. This is no different.

Low prices are not sustainable long term. We need to adapt. Consume less.

The only problem is that nobody wants to be the one that actually has to consume less. We are just silly apes that can’t help ourselves even though we know where it leads.