Most Americans are mad about the ever-rising gas price (latest prediction: $6 to $7 per gallon in 6 to 24 months), but not Chris Pummer of MarketWatch. He said that when gas hits $8 per gallon, we should celebrate instead and gave us 8 reasons why.
For example:
7. Restoration of financial discipline
Far too many Americans live beyond their means and nowhere is that more apparent than with our car payments. Enabled by eager lenders, many middle-income families carry two monthly payments of $400 or more on $20,000-plus vehicles that consume upwards of $15,000 of their annual take-home pay factoring in insurance, maintenance and gas.
The sting of forking over $100 per fill-up would force all of us to look hard at how much of our precious income we blow on a transport
vehicle that sits idle most of the time, and spur demand for the less-costly and more fuel-efficient small sedans and hatchbacks that Europeans have been driving for decades.
See if you agree: Link
Previously on Neatorama: Is $120 Oil Actually Good for Us?
I live car-free, and when I quit, gas was around $2/gallon, and I thought it was getting excessive then.. then I realized, with a good driving record, that I was still essentially subsidizing the cost of my insurance and driving for the lack of responsibility every one else seems to show on the road- thus, I took it upon myself to power myself where I need to go, and trade in a ridiculous, wasteful, unnecessary expense in a car for a slightly higher rent payment, to live closer to where I work and play, or at least closer to transit for that.
that's really the best option, honestly, particularly for people without large families.
for you to say that if someone can afford a thing then they should be allowed to do it displays AMAZING lack of comprehension.
I can afford to build and run a nuclear car that spills depleted uranium around your neighbourhood, and so can all of my friensds with enought money to do the same.
Are you quite so relaxed about that?
Also YOU look out of YOUR window and YOU see only one SUV in YOUR street, so YOU say that there are only one person drives an SUV.
see this is taking the PARTICULAR and extrapolating it to the geneeral.
It is the argument of a child.
Also the price of oil is not effected by the war in Iraq.
You'll find that prioduction is the same as it was , a little highher if truth be told, Iraq was not allowed to seell oil under Saddam, only trade a little for essentials like medicine. So they were off the international market since 92. The demand has remained the same more or less in line with prjected figures, since gulf war 2 began.
So if you apply the theory, much beloved of US free marketeers, SUPPLY AND DEMAND, if the supply and the demand are unchanged then where did the price hike come from?
Senior execs at Aramco (google it) have been interviewed saying It is down to market speculation and a consumer concern.
We are all prepared for a price hike so one ciomes.
As he said, it a bad time to be buying oil, but it's a great time to be selling it.
Now the other point is that the US population uses a HUGEKLY disproportionate amount of the worlds resources, and wagging your finger at Europe and calling them "Elitist" euro-weenies and all the usual stuff is NOT actually and answer.
Europe has it's problems and are trying to fix them.
the US refused to sign the Kyoto Prptocols, the US government stuck it's fingers in it's ears went La LA La refusing to believe in Climate change.
You have to unsderstand this is the equivelant of all the nations in the world all in ahot tub, the US takes a piss but insists that it's only pissing in it's part of the hot tub.
TAXES should be on the cars, but the Gov dont tax Cars or GAS fully.
Every other nation TAXES them to the HILT..
IF they dont sell the SELLERS drop the prices..so the prices will maintain.