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657 Comments
- third_eye, on 04/12/2008, -9/+113Because at the end of the day, it's a monopoly. You can tout your corn, or your solar panels... But until a car company makes something that economical doesn't look like a distorted egg, people will drive gas guzzling cars. What choice do they really have? To not drive? $112 a barrel. And it's not gonna get any cheaper.
- superduperguy, on 04/12/2008, -1/+70Because complaining vocally about it won't do a bit of good. It wouldn't bring lower gas prices.
- StingingNettle, on 04/12/2008, -15/+76Oil priced in gold has barely gone up at all. Yes, I think peak oil is real, but I think the high prices have to do with a certain central bank creating to much money.
- inactive, on 04/12/2008, -16/+76Because Americans have nothing to bitch about, go to another country like England or Canada and try buying gasoline, you'll suddenly love your ~$4 a gallon.
- TrevaLVF, on 04/12/2008, -3/+52What happened to American ingenuity to solve problems? There is too much dependency on Big Industry, which is partly why we are in this mess.
If all anybody thinks of as an alternative is what these corporate politicians with their own vested interests in products, like hydrogen and corn are advocating as alternatives to petroleum products, then it's still depending on the same kind of people that do the opposite of what we really need and want. You'll end up spending more money on those hybrids that run on ethanol, hydrogen and electricity, and on the fuel to make them run, then if you traded your gas guzzling machine for a second-hand vehicle with a diesel engine.
You can make your own bio-diesel if you have a place to do it (a garage, or workshop, or a decent sized shed). You might even get the oil you need for it for free if you live in an area with a lot of restaurants that have to pay somebody to haul the old oil away after they've changed the oil in their fryers.
There are plenty of bio-diesel recipes on the Internet. Plenty of other online sources that provide ideas and publish discussions by people that are interested in using resources that spare our food supply. Really, if people in this country and world would just start looking for alternatives and thinking outside the box when trying to come up with ideas to contribute, then it is possible for us to deny Big Industry bosses and investors (includes politicians that invest in petroleum, ethanol, hydrogen, etc.) the monopoly they're now seeking on the world's food and fuel supply.
Have you checked to see if anybody's working on alternative fuel for gas-powered vehicles? Are you checking to see if anybody's coming up with ideas and testing ideas to make any of these vehicles run on some kind of alternative that doesn't cut into the world's food supply?
Right now, we can pep up our argument to lift national bans on hemp-production...as an alternative fuel resource. Right now, we can present a darned good argument against using weed killing chemicals because weeds might be an ideal bio-fuel resource. We all know how weeds grow just about anywhere and don't need require the plowing and special soil treatments. - WestonP, on 04/12/2008, -7/+55Yes, oil companies have squeezed us a bit, however the majority of the problem is the depreciating value of the US Dollar, which is mainly caused by the fact that we're deeply in debt and are printing money out of thin air.
- speakeasy602, on 04/12/2008, -10/+56I know, I am dumping $100+ per week in gas. Eff that!!! I think that we have all become copmpletely numb to the price of gas. It's not "foolery", it's "out of site, out of mind."
- cerealjynx, on 04/12/2008, -3/+47Because I got a bike and am reaping the health benefits and saved money.
- gmilburn, on 04/12/2008, -7/+44Welcome to the rest of the world.
Perhaps buying that SUV wasn't quite as awesome as you thought. - inactive, on 04/12/2008, -6/+40Here in So Cal they raised the prices by up to 15c a day! then they lower them one penny a week.
What they are doing is playing mind games! If gas is $3.15 goes up to $3.60 when it goes back down to $3.15 we are all like, well at least I'm not paying 3.60 anymore. A year before you where paying $2.59 and now $3.15 is cheap to you WTF! Should it go up to $5 a gallon so they can lower it to $4 and make us think $4 is cheap? - DeskFlyer, on 04/12/2008, -7/+39$100/week on fuel? Do you own a Mack truck or something?
- Persian5Life, on 04/12/2008, -2/+31well get use to it my friends, everyday the American dollar becomes more and more worthless while gas prices continue to rise which is not to good for America.
- minoss, on 04/12/2008, -3/+29There is no monopoly. If there was you would see much higher profit margins. Instead of just throwing ***** around and making claims with no evidence let's look at some numbers.
Exxon
2007 Q4 Revenue: $116 billion
2007 Q4 Profits: $11.6 billion
http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/01/news/companies/exx ...
That's a 10% profit. That's not gouging. That's not ridiculous profits. That's typical of a profitable company. If you're really looking for someone then blame all the other countries that are ramping up oil usage and increasing demand and price.
And just for fun, here's Apple:
2008 Q1 Revenue: $9.6 billion
2008 Q1 Profits: $1.58 billion
16.5% profit on revenue
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/01/22/apple-1q-2008- ...
Or Google:
2007 Q4 Revenue: $4.83 billion
2007 Q4 Profits: $1.2 billion
24.8% profit on revenue
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/31/technology/31cnd ...
Maybe we should get outraged over that too. - NonLeftistDiggr, on 04/12/2008, -3/+29Why is there so much outrage over oil companies making 10% profit on their revenues, but it's cool if the state takes 50% of our personal revenue? At least I get a gallon of gas when I buy a gallon of gas.
- inactive, on 04/12/2008, -3/+25This is a good thing. If the price of gas rises far enough (despite low demand elasticity) it will move people more quickly towards substitutes. Which will greatly help the environment.
- ralphthemagi, on 04/12/2008, -2/+23It's not a monopoly. Not by a long shot. OPEC is a cartel, and that has some influence on the world price, but it's not a monopoly. Neither is the auto market.
What's happening in oil prices right now is that it's become a speculator's market. Oil is being traded like a paper commodity, because it's "hot." It's in a bubble, the same way the housing market was, and the same way all bubbles get started. People are buying up oil out of the ground and selling it, then selling it again, and again, and again. It's being sold dozens of times, to dozens of different buyers, before it reaches the pump. The price is rising because some are speculating that oil with be more expensive in the future, and it's becoming more expensive because this is how people are thinking.
Eventually it will all come crashing down and prices will stabilize somewhere. It will get cheaper. The price *could* crash back down to $30 a barrel. That probably won't happen do to the current value of the dollar, but it's possible. Most suspect the price to normalize somewhere around $50-$80, but no one really knows for sure. - siszam, on 04/12/2008, -6/+26No they don't. Most people don't live in a large city where there is public transportation or where they can walk to places. Travel around the U.S. a little and see how rare public transportation is. Even in cities that have it, it take hours to get around and it doesn't go everywhere. Besides, try hauling around children plus a weeks worth of groceries on a bus. Or you could spend hours every day going to buy that days worth of food. You're naive.
- swrostmore, on 04/12/2008, -15/+34Europe pays $5-6 a gallon, when it surpasses their price in the US then I'll start getting outraged.
- inactive, on 04/12/2008, -4/+23Yes but most of that price overseas is taxes to pay for things like health care not to line the pockets of the rich!
- exomni, on 04/12/2008, -2/+19Sight.
- hrhs556x, on 04/12/2008, -5/+22come on dude 100 bucks a week? how far is your commute? Mine is 35 miles and i only have to fill up once a week, little over 40 bucks here in boston.
- libertao, on 04/12/2008, -1/+17Because higher gas prices --> people driving less and higher demand for alternative energy --> less pollution and less dependence on foreign oil. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but much much better in the long run.
- marx2k, on 04/12/2008, -0/+15Probably not the best idea to be driving an Expedition then. No pity
- whyufail, on 04/12/2008, -1/+15How about we trade. I'll pay $5 a gallon, and you give us all your government services IE healthcare, vacations, etc.
- wrathchilde, on 04/12/2008, -1/+15Can I get a Rick Roll, you people are ***** depressing.
- displacednomad, on 04/12/2008, -1/+15I sold my truck two summers ago. And then picked an apartment in downtown (Lincoln, NE of all places) and enjoyed walking to work and school.
Now I live in CT, still with a vehicular device, and walk 2.5 miles to work. My cost? Pennies a day (for new shoes eventually) and my health is improving too. I've lost 20lbs since last summer. Hooray. - thetanbark, on 04/12/2008, -0/+14People can't do their own taxes, and you're asking them to make their own bio-diesel? Americans just want to throw money at a problem and hope it goes away, not spend time on doing it themselves.
- DeskFlyer, on 04/12/2008, -2/+16I found bikes to be too slow so I bought a horse instead.
- inactive, on 04/12/2008, -9/+22Yeah, that's why it's so inexpensive in other countries, right??
But go ahead, bashing the fed on digg even without using sound reasoning or substantiating your statements is guaranteed to get diggs.
You can bury me now... - deadbaby, on 04/12/2008, -2/+15If you choose to buy a fuel inefficient car you have no one to blame but yourself. If you decide to travel hundreds of miles a week then, again, you have no one to blame but yourself. There's nothing stopping anyone from buying a hybird and moving closer to their job/family/whatever makes you travel so ***** much. It's a personal choice so there's really no one to get outraged at.
- svensko, on 04/12/2008, -0/+13Most of Europe also has a reasonable public transportation system.
- khail250, on 04/12/2008, -3/+168.15 in London
- Drax0n, on 04/12/2008, -8/+21No its because your a retard and baught a SUV... get somthing with decent millage and stop crying.. europe has been paying more than any american pays for gass right now for years.
- displacednomad, on 04/12/2008, -3/+15You have to remember when quoting overseas gas prices that the mild outrage Americans are feeling is because our gas prices have doubled in five years. Doubled. In five years. That's a valid reason for whining.
- Chaoticfist, on 04/12/2008, -1/+13I personly bike everywhere. I was going to get a car for college but got a bike instead. Plus i would have no money for gas lol. So even in the winter i bike to get groceries, and whatever i need. Great exercise plus saved tons of money (also helping the environment is a good thing to :)
- brad3378, on 04/12/2008, -4/+16No wonder why other countries hate us.
We're whining about paying half what they pay but refuse to drive smaller vehicles. - IkeMavent, on 04/12/2008, -1/+12someone understands basic economics!
- MisterFreeze, on 04/12/2008, -0/+10You don't think some responsibility lies with consumers? Because, damn, I see a lot of F350s and RAM3500s, Silverados, Excursions and Escalades driving around.
- Ajajadude, on 04/12/2008, -1/+11Mixing with our precious bodily fluids.
- exomni, on 04/12/2008, -3/+13Too.
- Scienceisfun, on 04/12/2008, -1/+11Your gas prices are hardly the only ones that have doubled in that time frame. Look at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/gas1.htm ...
For some example numbers:
March 31, 2003, the price of gas was (in USD/gallon):
France 4.43 Germany 4.46 UK 4.70 US 1.84
March 31, 2008, the price of gas was (in USD/gallon):
France 8.16 Germany 8.30 UK 8.04 US 3.51
Percentage increase in 5 years:
France 84% Germany 86% UK 71% US 91%
Okay, so maybe it's a bit more of an increase than the UK, but to say that Europeans as a whole haven't seen similar increases in gas prices is just plain false. Not only that, but Americans are still paying less for gas today than Europeans were 5 years ago. - omaryak, on 04/12/2008, -0/+10If people stopped complaining that economical cars are shaped like distorted eggs, then we might get somewhere.
- herecomes, on 04/12/2008, -0/+10Yeah, because 90% of the trucks on the road are driven by building contractors.
I have a buddy who's a contractor. His crews all drive cheap-ass Colorado 2WD regular cab work trucks.
Meanwhile I see some ***** soccer Mom drive by every 3 seconds in an F350 or RAM3500 Crew Cab. - inactive, on 04/12/2008, -0/+10it's not a monopoly. no one company has exclusive pricing power. there is significant competition. OPEC is the only organization that is like a monopoly in the oil industry.
- brentris, on 04/12/2008, -1/+10If it's the fault of the depreciating dollar, then why has the dollar only gone down 30% against foreign currencies while oil has shot up 500% in the last 5 years?
- wonkavsn, on 04/12/2008, -4/+13Cause American Idol is on
- inactive, on 04/12/2008, -2/+11I take the Metro or my bike everywhere, so I find this all very amusing.
- Caiman, on 04/12/2008, -5/+13Stop crying and try to be a driver in the UK, where we are paying £5 ($10 USD) per gallon! Not to mention over £100 ($200) additional road tax per year.
- thetanbark, on 04/12/2008, -3/+11Exactly right. Things aren't going up because of supply/demand of the product, the international value of the dollar is on the skids. If you haven't noticed, everything has gone up by about 10%+ in price in the last 6-12 months. Oil is an international good, and our money buys less of it, so higher cost is offset to you and me.
Flooding the market by printing more money and giving every tax-paying American $600-1200 is actually just making the problem WORSE. - damnitkitty, on 04/12/2008, -0/+8I see what you did there (or did you..?)
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