Gasoline could drop 50 cents/gallon by spring

Sad, but true.

 

Come on, be nice to malorn: he's watching his livelihood go down the drain.

I'm not defending them. I'm pointing out to you why the U.S. "going there" and "taking their oil" is not going to cut one penny from the price of oil. In fact, that's what this war is all about and look at the price of oil now.

I disagree with what you say because you say things I disagree with.

I support distribution of the wealth also. This is called communism. I am glad you understand that capitalism is a bad thing. This is something we disagree on. But advocating the invasion of OPEC countries is not going to achieve a re-distribution of the wealth.

Again, I am not defending them. I am explaining that they have the full support of the government because government is big business and big business runs the government.

I am not supporting big oil, and I never have supported big oil. I was responding to your call that "we" take the oil (presumably by force) from the OPEC countries. I was pointing out that the U.S. government is not going to do anything that big oil does not like, and big oil likes high oil prices; and further, that invasions and wars only make it worse for everyone except big business, which finds wars very profitable.

You and I are in 100% agreement about Bush.

We disagree about what to do about him.

As for oil stock, I don't own any directly, but I am sure some of my mutual funds hold oil stock. If you have any kind of a pension plan invested in mutual funds, then you own some oil stock indirectly as well.

 

Yes, you're right, I'm sorry Malorn. I don't envy your job. Trying to sell large inefficient vehicles with $4 gas looming around the corner is like trying to sell ice to Eskimos. (Although GW could help with the ice sales in the future.)

One of my coworkers once expressed the opinion that we should just go take the oil that we need. I asked him if it would be okay if the Japanese decided they were going to come take lumber from the US because they don't have as much forest land and they need the lumber to make things. He did not think it was a good idea.

 

my hero!

we're largely out of the hole. trying like hell to support 2 of us on one modest income without spending more than i bring home. but it is NOT easy.

 

Being self-sufficient is very empowering. Being able to give the middle-fingered salute to the oil companies would be the ultimate form of empowerment. I really wonder where the tipping point is for emancipation from gasoline purchases (PHEV)? Anyone have any ideas? The cost of the PHEV conversion is one data point; however, the added cost of electricity used in the EV mode is the one thing that I am trying to get a handle on. There are ways to offset the added electricity cost of EV mode, but I need to get some sense of what the burden is.

 

we're pretty much there with DH's car. most of the fuel it uses does not come from the oil companies.

the prius can't do that, and any kind of conversion is out of the question for us. but it's a start anyway.

 

So how is communism a good thing? I agree that unfettered capitalism is bad, but so is communism (the unfettered form of socialism). Communism does not work and generally has to be repressive to function at all. However, if you'd like to redistribute some of your wealth to me, I'll set up a paypal account and will gladly take your money.

 

I am not advocating a blanket PHEV conversion; but at some point (and I don't know where that point is), it may make sense financially. Unlike Malorn, I don't see gas prices dropping to $2.00/gallon territory; just increase on top of increase.

 

Zap Xebra.

Another great solution, on the small scale. There are probably not enough gourmet Italian restaurants around for all of us to convert to post-consumer-grease cars. But up to the available grease, it works.

That's okay, Tripp. You don't have to join us, but Walker1 and I are the founding members of the Communist Party of PriusChat.

 

Fair enough mate. Seriously though, I'm curious to hear your reasoning on this.

Mind you, I'm all for regulation. There are plenty instances where the lack of regulation has gotten us into trouble. Greed is the problem with capitalism, apathy is the problem with communism. Thus, a balance twixt the two must be struck.

 

The extreme viewpoint in any system is where the wackos seem to be found.

 

Communism doesn't work for humans because of our selfish nature. But it works for termintes, bees, and ants.

 

I'll drink to that. That's why I'm a staunch centrist.

 

Yeah, except for that queen bee/ant sitting at the top of the pyramid...

Anyways... That's one reason. Probably the most important reason. Communism also struggles to assign value to products because there are no market forces. As an economic system it's shite.

 

SO the profit from over expensive oil should be sent to poor countries?
If the price of oil was lowered more would be used, it will run out sooner and then what?
I can't believe anyone would advocate stealing another countries resources.
I don't believe Daniel was defending the oil companies, he was stating fact.

 

Malorn!

Retail gasoline price hits record $3.28

 

I wish I could get gas for $3.28/gallon.... $3.28/gallon is about a 6 month old memory for me.

 

Yes, we are at $3.50 - $3.60 now, Calif has the highest prices, noted in the article.

I thought Malorn would be interested because the source is Reuters, same as the OP.

I wonder if they fired the reporter(s) who were responsible for the original article? Probably not. There is no journalistic responsibility. What a silly idea.

 

Boycott what? A company that is supplying what we so desperately want to buy... at just about any cost?

If reality is credible enough, then 3-4 kWh/mile (kW per mile means nothing) is in the conservative ballpark. A modern car would get at least four miles per kWh from the socket today.

This I don't understand, and is a mentality that we need to get away from. Some people may "need" to drive to work. Many don't. Most do. So far this month, I have ridden 500 miles, and driven 14. Not once have I driven to work. And work happens to be 23 miles away these days. I know people who "must" drive their 2 mile commute to work.

 

Why would you be flamed for this? I mean except the part where it should stay at an arbirary $4. It should NOT stay at one price. It should continue to climb. The product costs us more, and we should pay those costs... or stop using it.

Are you kidding? When the auto makers had to make EVs in the 90's they had them on the road in just a few short years. We had thousdands of them on the road in private hands in no time. Presto - instant ZEV. When the mandate went away, so did the EVs. Not for any practical or economic reason for the consumer. Only for business/political reasons for the makers.

Now let's move to Fuel Cell cars. Since the 60's the makers have said this is the future and that they want to make them. Still none in private hands (except for some rare demos that really mean nothing in the grand scheme of things).

Today when we tell the auto makers that we want EVS, they say they're too hard to make. Only recently are they also saying that about FCV's... now that they've successfully pushed back the mandates by 10, 15 even 20 years.