Get ready folks in the U.S - $4.00 a gallon gas by summer!

[Bruce Burleson]

If it goes up, I'll just make more money on my oil wells and my fuel trade deals with Gazprom.

[FBM]

Petrol? I don't need no stinkin' petrol!

[FedUpWithFaith]

Good. Maybe people will stop depending on the shit.

What kind of answer is that? You getting ready to take a poop?

I response geared toward born-again-atheist because of some recent posts of his. I'm just mooning him for fun.

Am I supposed to be upset about this? Because I'm not.

It wasn't directed at you, specifically. So, no. I didn't intend to upset you.

I think it's high time we start paying the same prices for gas that the rest of the world has to.

Well, in my opinion, it's not an end in and of itself to "pay the same for gas as the rest of the world." It's a good thing that we pay less for gasoline, actually. It's a good thing to pay less for anything, all else being equal. There is no virtue, per se, in paying more. It is no different than any other product - if you buy a kitchen table, and you can buy it in one place for $1000 and in another place for $1500, and it's the same table, then I'd imagine you'd think it a good thing that you would buy it for a $1000. It's not a virtue to pay $1500, and it would be "high time" that we start paying $1500 for kitchen tables like other people do.

There are many reasons the rest of the world pays more for gasoline. A huge reason is that they charge more taxes than we do (even though much of the price of a gallon of gas in the US is already tax). So, if you were to say that you thought it was a good idea that we pay higher prices for gas because of added taxes so that we would raise revenue to do things with the money, then I might agree with you or at least understand your position. But, to just suggest that paying more is a good thing just because the price is going up? Why is that a good thing?

If the US economy is looked at as an organism, and in many ways it is, oil and gas is the "blood." It flows and feeds all aspects of the economy, bringing goods and services to places that need them, and transporting people to different places, including jobs. Basic economics 101 will tell you that if you raise the cost of gas and oil, then you slow the flow of the life blood of the economy. EVERYTHING costs more if you increase the cost of oil and gas. It costs you and me more to get too and from work. It costs more to transport food, water and goods to stores, making food, water, groceries, etc., more expensive. It costs more to transport resources to factories, making manufactured goods more expensive. It costs more to heat houses, businesses, schools and run equipment. Anything made of plastic is made from petroleum, so if the price of oil goes up then the price of ANYTHING made of plastic will undergo upward pressure too.

Nearly everything in our lives is made from oil, made by machinery and systems dependent on oil, and transported by oil as either gas or diesel fuel. When you're putting on your pantyhose, remember, it's made from oil. If you use hair curlers, they are made from oil. The tires your car rides on - oil. The lining of your refrigerator - oil. The roofing on most houses - oil. Next time you paint - look at the paint rollers - oil. Hand lotion and shampoo - petroleum products too! Do you use petroleum jelly? Shoe polish? Do you use glue? Do you have linoleum in your house? PVC pipes? Do you go to the movies? The film is made from oil. Toilet seats are made from petroleum. Artificial limbs? Heart valves?

As the price of a barrel of oil goes up....upward pressure on pricing of just about everything you buy would occur as well. It's up to you whether you think that's a good thing. But, it is a reality.

I agree it is better, in general, to pay less for something, assuming the price truly reflects the market. But in the case of oil and gas the market is distorted by many factors, including both implicit and explicit government subsidization. Alttough gasoline is already highly taxed in the US (though nothing like most of the rest of the world), it arguably doesn't cover the costs of roads and other infrastructure upon which gasoline-dependent travel depends nor the pollution is causes.

Of course, though I realize a debate on wars for oil would be contentious and unproductive, it may at least be instructive to ponder levying a surcharge on gas to pay for any wars we fight in the Middle East since this is the main reason for our strategic interests there. I wonder what a gallon of gas would cost with the war factored in. I realize, politically, such a surcharge is virtually impossible. But if people had to contemplate paying it perhaps we'd be a little more careful next time.

[Deep Sea Isopod]

Regardless of the price, I still have to drive the same distance to work each day. Higher fuel costs only leave me with less money to spend on the economy and makes oil companies richer.

Also, as the transport costs go up so do the cost of the goods in the shops.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Regardless of the price, I still have to drive the same distance to work each day. Higher fuel costs only leave me with less money to spend on the economy and makes oil companies richer.

Also, as the transport costs go up so do the cost of the goods in the shops.

Yep, we're all fuck, even FBM.

[FBM]

Regardless of the price, I still have to drive the same distance to work each day. Higher fuel costs only leave me with less money to spend on the economy and makes oil companies richer.

Also, as the transport costs go up so do the cost of the goods in the shops.

Yep, we're all fuck, even FBM.

How ya figure?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Regardless of the price, I still have to drive the same distance to work each day. Higher fuel costs only leave me with less money to spend on the economy and makes oil companies richer.

Also, as the transport costs go up so do the cost of the goods in the shops.

Yep, we're all fuck, even FBM.

How ya figure?

When the transport costs go up, who pays them? Your scavenged fuel comes by ship/train/truck to the stores. If it's bio fuel the farmers use petroleum based chemicals to grow it, even if they don't have tractors to cultivate it.

[FBM]

Regardless of the price, I still have to drive the same distance to work each day. Higher fuel costs only leave me with less money to spend on the economy and makes oil companies richer.

Also, as the transport costs go up so do the cost of the goods in the shops.

Yep, we're all fuck, even FBM.

How ya figure?

When the transport costs go up, who pays them? Your scavenged fuel comes by ship/train/truck to the stores. If it's bio fuel the farmers use petroleum based chemicals to grow it, even if they don't have tractors to cultivate it.

WASTE veggie oil is priced based on what companies are willing to pay for raw materials from which to make soap, not on how much the veggie oil cost in the first place.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

WASTE veggie oil is priced based on what companies are willing to pay for raw materials from which to make soap, not on how much the veggie oil cost in the first place.

You're too finely focused, mate. The entire economy is affected by transport prices. Everything you buy will cost more if transport costs more. The cost of fuel in your tank is a minor part of your total expenditures.

[FBM]

WASTE veggie oil is priced based on what companies are willing to pay for raw materials from which to make soap, not on how much the veggie oil cost in the first place.

You're too finely focused, mate. The entire economy is affected by transport prices. Everything you buy will cost more if transport costs more. The cost of fuel in your tank is a minor part of your total expenditures.

I'd still be paying 1/2 the price for fuel, and since I have free housing, fuel costs take up a much larger percentage of my expenditures than almost anything else, except the obvious. Most of my income is expendable, actually.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

WASTE veggie oil is priced based on what companies are willing to pay for raw materials from which to make soap, not on how much the veggie oil cost in the first place.

You're too finely focused, mate. The entire economy is affected by transport prices. Everything you buy will cost more if transport costs more. The cost of fuel in your tank is a minor part of your total expenditures.

I'd still be paying 1/2 the price for fuel, and since I have free housing, fuel costs take up a much larger percentage of my expenditures than almost anything else, except the obvious. Most of my income is expendable, actually.

Your beer will cost more.

[Ian]

WASTE veggie oil is priced based on what companies are willing to pay for raw materials from which to make soap, not on how much the veggie oil cost in the first place.

You're too finely focused, mate. The entire economy is affected by transport prices. Everything you buy will cost more if transport costs more. The cost of fuel in your tank is a minor part of your total expenditures.

I'd still be paying 1/2 the price for fuel, and since I have free housing, fuel costs take up a much larger percentage of my expenditures than almost anything else, except the obvious. Most of my income is expendable, actually.

Your beer will cost more.

[FBM]

WASTE veggie oil is priced based on what companies are willing to pay for raw materials from which to make soap, not on how much the veggie oil cost in the first place.

You're too finely focused, mate. The entire economy is affected by transport prices. Everything you buy will cost more if transport costs more. The cost of fuel in your tank is a minor part of your total expenditures.

I'd still be paying 1/2 the price for fuel, and since I have free housing, fuel costs take up a much larger percentage of my expenditures than almost anything else, except the obvious. Most of my income is expendable, actually.

Your beer will cost more.

I've still got soju, which has always been dirt cheap.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I've still got soju, which has always been dirt cheap.

And with good reason.

[FBM]

I've still got soju, which has always been dirt cheap.

And with good reason.

Beause it's made right down the road and they don't waste time with fancy-smancy issues like 'taste' and 'safe for human consumption'.