get out that spray paint........ THANK YOU PREZ BUSH!!

[ulTRAX]

Gas prices in my area hit a record today and reports are we can expect another rise up to 7cents by next week. As I was filling up all I could think of was getting out a stencil kit and a can of spray paint to thank Bush on every gas pump. Analysts can blame China all they want but I believe Bush's needless destabilization of the Persian Gulf region is also a big factor.

Not that I'd do it actually get out the spray paint... it'd be vandalism.

How about gas pump stickers?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. Stickers would be GREAT!

Like your gas prices? Thank a Bush voter!

[ulTRAX]

4. better to make Bush the target

We want to reach those who voted Bush. Maybe when it hits them in the wallet they'll realize what a mistake it was to vote for him. The worst can happen is they'll become disaffected. The best, they may rethink all support for the Right.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Stickers would be GREAT!

Like your gas prices? Thank a Bush voter!

[lonestarnot]

6. Oh yes a gas station blog! Printing!

[Nitrogenica]

3. Interesting....hmmmm

https://www.democrats.org/a/2005/05/record_prices_r.php

[Redstone]

5. Oh, sure. Let's punish the gas-station owners, who have NOTHING to do

with the gas prices.

Flame me for being a contrarian if you will, but this, to me, is a typical American (read: lazy) response: Bitch and complain, frequently in the wrong direction, rather than getting off your ass and doing something that will make a difference.

How about using less gasoline? If enough Americans do that, prices will go down. If you, personally, use less gasoline, it won't matter to you if the prices go down or not, because you'll still be paying less for gasoline each month.

All I see, even here where people are smart and should know better, is bitch, bitch, bitch.

But you know what I don't see?

I don't see any fewer powerboats on the water than last summer.

I don't see any fewer cars on the highway.

I don't see any fewer fucking ATVs and snowmobiles.

I don't see any lawns longer than last year, because people want to use less gasoline for lawnmowers.

I don't see any fewer SUVs.

I don't see any fewer gigantic pickup trucks that have never carried anything in their bed too heavy or large for a car trunk, and have never been used to tow anything.

I don't see much of anyone doing a goddamn thing except complaining.

Well, I guess that's the American way.

Redstone

[ulTRAX]

7. who's punishing the gas station owners?

I already said I was opposed to vandalism.

So if I, too, may play Devil's Advocate... are you suggesting that we citizens do all the work conserving energy all the while being ripped off by needlessly high prices... and let Bush and the GOP off the hook?

While you make some legitimate points that American's... and its politicians refuse to deal with our excessive energy usage... there is still a POLITICAL component to the energy markets going berserk... and that is the needless destabilization of the Persian Gulf. That is a SEPARATE issue from conservation.

Given that a 6th of the world's oil is pissed away on the American transportation sector... I believe we should have embarked on a crash introduction of hybrids several years back. That such logical proposals were rejected by the Right is also a POLITICAL issue.

As for tactics, hell... we can form picket lines. But the gas pump is a nexus directly connecting ALL of us with bigger energy market... and that connection is too powerful to not be exploited.

It's not fair to blame Bush for ALL the higher prices.... but it would be politically advantageous if Americans began to think of this issue in political as well as economic terms.

[Redstone]

8. People who put stickers on the pumps

are punishing the gas-station owners. The owners have to keep their places clean and neat, don't they?

I don't mean to denigrate your well-thought-out reply, but the ONLY power that is ultimately in the hands of the gasoline consumer is to not consume.

No matter who you want to send the message to, be it Big Oil or Bushco, the ONLY way to force any changes is action.

Use less oil yourself.

Buy a hybrid car yourself, not depend on the government "embarking on a crash program." The car companies will make more of them if people buy more of them.

And so on. Bitching and complaining and stickers won't change anything. Only using less oil will change anything.

But not enough Americans care enough, or are willing to lift a finger, to make a difference.

Redstone

[ulTRAX]

9. I can't agree

There's an underlying assumption behind your two posts that needs to be exposed: that we must all accept the verdict of the market when it comes to price. That all responsibility for high energy prices rests with the consumer.

I don't agree. In fact I have a recent thread on that topic http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3958289

I see that market price as having psychological and political components atop old fashion supply and demand.

The issue I was raising was not really about future energy policy but of Bush's political vulnerability and how that can be best exploited.

[Algomas]

19. Redstone, don't you think the coup deserves a slightly radical response?

BTW, I think you are wrong about stickers not changing anything. Communication is key to moving the tipping point forward. Our daily interactions with other citizens, our internet participation in the national debate and our bumper stickers are all crucial in this effort. If anything we must step up our activism.
Remember the Boston Tea Party??? What if the patriots were more concerned with the merchants loss than their own freedom???

[hootinholler]

10. Hmmm.

Don't know about the boats, this is the second year mine's been parked so I haven't been on the water to know.

I've shifted my work day to avoid rush hours, and we're working on VPN capability to allow telecommute.

I see more smaller cars and bikes these days. (considering buying a bike myself to commute) OBTW, my commute has doubled since the tech bubble burst and tech jobs have been sent to India, Russia and Ireland.

The ATVs around here are generally work vehicles, on farms used in lieu of tractors or trucks which burn more gas or diesel.

Look inside the bed of my truck, Go ahead, open the tonneau, it's well used. It takes a lot of rough stuff to scratch up the bed liner like that.

Those are my experiences. Now that I've addressed complaints from an obviously superior intellect with my personal observations, can you please explain to me why the oil companies have posted record profits?

-Hoot

[friesianrider]

12. Your last sentence said it all, Hoot.

"...why the oil companies have posted record profits?"

Hard to argue with that one, that's for sure. I actually need my SUV (live on a horse farm, must be able to pull a trailer for hay and a horse trailer) but unfortunately it is also my commuting vehicle, because I can't afford to have the SUV for farm-stuff and a car for day-to-day. It is only a Jeep Grand Cherokee (not a huge SUV by today's standards) and it costs me nearly $45 to fill up. I feel like I'm being raped everyday at the pump and all I can think of is my hard earned money going to line the pockets of *'s friends...

[ComerPerro]

14. Suppose you use minimal gas. Then what?

Your prices still go up.

[ulTRAX]

18. there's no room.............

There's no room in Redstone's free market universe for apostates.

[KaliTracy]

11. they are blaming the Hurricanes this time -- at least in the reports

I heard today.

[ulTRAX]

13. the storms are only to blame for.....

What I've heard is the storms are being blamed for the high price of oil these past few days. But oil's been near/over $60 for some weeks.

[KaliTracy]

16. $2.19, $2.29, $2.09, $2.19. day to day this flucuates sometimes within

hours. Sometimes from $2.09 to $2.29. Yes, the Hurricanes are a new excuse -- but it's just another excuse IMO.

[ulTRAX]

17. tropical storms are minor blimps........

The tropical storms are something to blame the short term volatility on. Long term upward pressure on prices is usually blamed on increased demand from China. Yet according to http://www.financialsense.com/fsu/editorials/dancy/0105.html China is only importing 2 million barrels a day. That's only about 2.5% of the world's output. If memory serves correct, the US uses something like 17-18% of the world's output just on transportation... yet these analysts seem to ignore this... just as they seem to be ignoring Bush's role in destabilizing the Persian Gulf.

[dean_dem]

15. Bush is responsible for the hurricane?

edit: sorry, it's been asked. I should read a little further before I post.