So we elect an oil man and now our gas is $4.00+ a gallon. Coincidence?

[sfam]

I'm using the "royal" we, of course. We the "Dem we" didn't elect this asshole.

EDIT: And what are the chances that gas goes back down in a year or so if the Dems get control? I ask because if this is a long term problem, we will be holding the bag in 4 years.

[ingac70]

1. Sound economic policy...

strengthening the dollar will bring the price of oil down a bit. Reigning in speculators through regulation will bring it down even more.

[Electric Flag]

2. I know, $4 is bad.

It should be at least the double.

Nationalize the oil companies and hand every last dollar of their profit over to the IRS. Then tax the gas price up to $10 to force Americans to start conserving energy and force a shift to renewable fuels.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Only if they use those taxes for a National Health Care package.

This is where those who throw the "Europe pays much more" are flawed in their thinking. Europe also gets something in return for that. By the way, welcome to DU.

[cboy4]

9. Hello my darling.

:hug:

And what's going on with the Tigers!11! :wtf:

I work with someone now who moved here from Michigan, and he's naturally a big Tigers fan.

He's been on quite the rollercoaster .. Pistons lose, but Red Wings win.

But these Tigers. Boy oh boy.

I will be at the Tigers-Giants game in San Francisco in a couple of weeks, so hopefully we can just have a good competitive series. My team isn't doing so hot either, so it's anyone's guess . . .

Miss you!

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. Ohhh...it hurts so bad.

I just hope they're pulling a "yankee" on us and will got hot after the All Star Break. And D-Train last night? Ouch. I am in it for the long hall though.

I miss you too. Very much.

[cboy4]

13. Well someone needs to cool off the ChiSox before it gets

too far out of hand.

And what better time than to do it starting tonight at Comerica? ;)

[shadowknows69]

8. We could have done that through forced rationing too

Like was done in the seventies and during other times of war. Americans are a greedy bunch of beasts. You allow them to run roughshod over the economy and enviornment and most of them will gleefully ignorant or apathetic to the future damage they cause.

[TommyO]

12. Yes, go ahead and bankrupt those already struggling

on fixed incomes.

[sfam]

18. Maybe its just me, but I don't think the blue collar folks will agree with you...

This sounds like Obama will be blamed if there isn't a real honest education process. Then again, perhaps there just needs to be real education for a change.

[iamjoy]

3. You Need An "Other"

High oil and gas prices are due to a number of factors - not all of them are Dubya's fault. For example, part of the reason for higher prices is surging demand in India and China. That is not anyone's fault - if you must place blame, lay it on American society. We have been a dominant world power since WWII. Developing countries are now following our stupid, irresponsible growth model and consumption habits.

OTOH - some of it is Dubya's fault. But I don't believe it is because he deliberately set out to make his oil buddies rich. His economic policies favor corporations, at the expense of working Americans. Oil is just one of those businesses. Any Republican would have done the same. Listen to John McCain, when it comes to energy how different are his proposals than what we have now? Another reason it is Dubya's fault but not a conspiracy to help his oil cronies is the war in Iraq coupled with his disastrous economic policies. Our national debt and trade deficit is so high, our dollar drops. Since oil is traded in US dollars, it is naturally more expensive.

So you see, it is partially Dubya's fault, but not as a result of a calculated plan to help his oil cronies - just his own poor leadership coupled with typical Republican economic policies. Throw in global factors and it's darn near a perfect storm.

[doc03]

16. Now there is an honest answer, instead

of the usual mindless political blame game. I work in the steel industry, today scrap dealers are paying $225 a ton for junk cars. Ten years ago a finished steel coil barely went for $225 a ton now they are going for nearly $1000 a ton. The same goes for aluminum and copper or virtually any raw material, every day we hear of someone coming home from a vacation and finding the aluminum siding and copper wiring and plumbing stripped from their home. So most of this can be blamed on the success of the Chinese and Indian economies that in most part are fueled by our demand for stuff. So when we go to Walmart and purchase a Chinese product we are actually fueling the problem. The Chinese need the raw materials to manufacture the product and that creates a demand for better paying manufacturing jobs in their country and of course and they become more affluent and now they want more stuff. The Chinese and Indians are in a similar position as we were back in the 50s and 60s. We gave up our good paying middle class manufacturing jobs to them in exchange for our unending greed for more material possessions and we have now become a consumer nation and the price we pay for all our stuff will continue to rise while our lifestyle declines into the third world status.
There is one silver lining in the whole thing though the gas prices will make people reduce their energy use and therefore we will be forced into using more alternative energy sources. I think we missed the boat over the last 8 years, we should have been out front in developing those alternatives. I remember Al Gore called for an all out Manhattan style project to eliminate the internal combustion engine, just think how different things would be today if he would have been president the last 8 years.

[JimGinPA]

5. Cheney And His Secret "Energy" Meetings Early In The First Term Plotted This...

They are pumping the Iraqi oil and laughing all the way to the bank.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. An oil man that drove his company into the ground, though.

[shadowknows69]

7. Things will get much worse before they start to get better

Around January 20th 2009. Until then I think we can pretty much count on Bushco and his friends looting this country on a scale we've not even seen before. They know the gravy train is about to end. I hope we survive their last hissy fits. I'm not so sure we will.

[cboy4]

10. Who voted it's coincidence?

:eyes:

[SwampG8r]

17. theres always one huh?

[high density]

14. W is the root cause of it

His policies set it off. We are seeing money that otherwise would've been speculated in the stock market or real estate now being used drive up the price of oil. His wars obviously help fulfill this as well.

[harun]

15. $4.00 gas is a success in B*sh's eyes (n/t)

[JuniperLea]

19. When he said "jaw bone the Saudis"

He really meant give them a... well, you know:)