The war with the oil companies and why we won't ever win

I look through this forum and see a myriad of ideas on how to "stick it to the man" and "show those oil companies who's boss." I'm going to tell you right now that you will all lose. The thing about people like you and me who can see the problem and are willing to do what it takes to solve it, is that there just aren't enough. I am willing to ride my bike everywhere for a week if I thought anyone else would actually participate.

The thing about us, especially Americans, is that we look at those appauling prices for gas and we say, "How can they do this to us?" or "They're greedy and they're sucking us dry of every penny we have." Both very true, yet we turn around and buy our 4 gallon per mile V10 supercharged pickups and put it right at the bottom of our priority list. I was just watching ABC, and while the greater majority of Americans think gas prices are ridiculous (92%), 73% of us still won't cut back on gas usage. Even worse, only 1/3 of us think that the oil companies are responsible, with a close second led by, you guessed it, the War on Terror. That is a laughable explanation considering that the price of a barrel of crude oil has either not gone up or gone down in the past six months. Furthermore, a poll was taken to see at what price people would cut down majorly on driving, and the average was...(drumroll please):

$4.38 a Gallon!

As Americans, we're just ignorant. We will never win against Exxon Mobile and the likes. They have us by the balls, and we don't even care.

this is because humans are reactive not proactive. I mean i live on long island the highest elevatoin is between 0-100 ft above sea level yet people still drive hummers, i mean what do they reall need them for. Getting back to the reacctive not proactive, the majority of people will live inside their little sheel until suddenly things have gotten so bad that we cant affor to heat our homes or drive our cars. Then we will decide something needs to be done, and then itll be a little late. This same principle can be seen with traffic lights. Everyone in a certain neighborhood could know that theres a intersection that needs a light, yet nothing will be done until you get a couple of highschool students killed in an accident.

this is because humans are reactive not proactive. I mean i live on long island the highest elevatoin is between 0-100 ft above sea level yet people still drive hummers, i mean what do they reall need them for. Getting back to the reacctive not proactive, the majority of people will live inside their little sheel until suddenly things have gotten so bad that we cant affor to heat our homes or drive our cars. Then we will decide something needs to be done, and then itll be a little late. This same principle can be seen with traffic lights. Everyone in a certain neighborhood could know that theres a intersection that needs a light, yet nothing will be done until you get a couple of highschool students killed in an accident.

I agree with your opening statement, we as a population has lost the will to fight for what is right for us, our nation and families.

Sometimes I wonder how much more can corporate american and our government can do to us for us to scream enough is enough.

I can tell you this much, American people may be slow but we are not stupid.

We've all heard the frog in the pot of boiling water example.

If not, you put a frog in a pot of luke warm water, and steadily increase the heat. The frog doesn't sense the danger, and does not jump out of the boiling water. At the same time, you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, they will jump out. People are the same way.

They steadily increase the price at a slow rate, no one questions it until it starts to get crazy (boils). Every year it happens, gets crazy, and it does goes down some, but at there are certain marks of no return (ie pass 2 dollars then go to 3, it will never go below 2 again).

If it goes to 4.30 a gallon this summer, it will never go down past $3.

Its a spin on the boiling water method of the frog, in that right before the water boils, they turn down the heat a little bit, to reduce alarm. Always doing this every year. We do not even notice the water boils, because right when it does, they turn it down a bit, while maintaining high heat.

In terms of public polls:

Polls are silly. You think PR people do not infect public polls? You must be kidding me. Trust me, I've studied alot in terms of marketing and PR theory during my time getting my degree. Polls are as useful, as listening to a homeless loony talk about being Jesus.

What we need to do, as people is understand we do not use the total demand (hidden usage), that dictates total demand. It is not our fault.

Before they go after the oil industry, they must first disclose all usage by our government and industries. If we understand the exact number of usage by our industry and government, we will understand that the arguement, use less gas for driving is not correct.

Think that will happen anytime soon? No, probably not.

It should though, because the government has the most to gain (next to oil industry) in terms of extra tax earned by the increased price.

Without disclosure of usage, the citizen is blamed for all usage, while the government can manipulate its usage, to offset demand, thus bringing in more taxes. Companies pass on the cost to consumers. We are blamed for it all.

If everyone in your state blew up their car, truck, motorcycle, there would still be a high demand per capita in your state for gasoline. It is not only a mpg standard issue, or a driving during peak time issue, it is the hidden usage of government and industry in the guise of the driving citizen.

I believe that 4.30 number when I believe that homeless guy is Jesus. In fact, the poll is inaccurate, when it should say, would you pay 4.30 gas with an increase in price of 5 percent for every other good/ service you use.

If it was drivers in the poll, whatever. There are 100s of hummer h2s out there. Honestly there are alot of rich retards out there, who do not care. The online polls are not accessible by the poor without computers or cable to hear about the poll. The voiceless poor, they exist.

Disclose gasoline usage by our government (including) waste, once that happens I believe in my government to be representative of me. They won't though, and we will pay.


[edit on 25-5-2007 by squidboy]