Enviro-Liberals Should Love High Oil Prices and Capitalism
Allan J. Ashinoff
November 15, 2005
Nothing bugs me more than people I don’t know telling me what is or isn’t good for me. I guess that makes me an American in the minority viewpoint these days. I don’t smoke and never have but it irritates me that people are trying to pass laws banning smoking in bars and outside spaces. Isn’t it a business owner decision, within the law of course, what goes on within his own establishment? Further it’s bothersome that laws are being passed on matters that really have no concern to the state or federal government.
As an SUV owner I have been chastised publicly and privately for not helping to ‘save’ the world. I’ve been accused of destroying the environment and even supporting terrorism. Now that the 2004 election is comfortably in the past the environmental anti-capitalist zealots have crawled back into their earthen, candle-lit burrows and are awaiting their next opportunity to capture the spotlight and inject themselves into our lives. It would seem the chance to shine again has come in the form of high fuel costs.
As oil prices remain near a record high there is familiar groan from the nation as it digs into its pockets and parts with its hard earned cash. It’s the same nasal whine that was heard in the 1970’s when gasoline was rationed. In the last fuel crisis gas lines were a mile long in New York City. The odd and even conservation strategy based on the last digit of ones license plate number told people which day’s they could ‘attempt’ getting gas for their vehicles. Fights broke out at gas pumps as people were made to wait for hours for something that has always been taken for granted to be plentiful. The media set the tone in the ‘70’s which created an ominous tone that America was losing the automobile market to the Japanese. American vehicle sales dropped as the Japanese market shipped in fuel efficient and less spacious car and trucks. The Chrysler Corporation eventually sought and obtained government loans to shore up its ailing company and avoid a bankruptcy. There was the eternally pathetic Yugo whose bumper could literally be bent with ones hands. It may not have been a very safe vehicle but was it ever inexpensive and it sure could go a long way on a gallon of gas. The media, Chicken Little, was trumpeting that the sky was falling and everyone who heard the cry, out of fear, went to see King Carter. America felt out of control.
Today gasoline, at face value, is much more expensive than any time in US history. Gas resides well above $2 a gallon for what feels like the fifth time in recent memory. No one is clamoring about anyone taking over the American auto industry but universally there are complaints about the financial of impact fuel costs. A few people I know, liberal environmentalists, who drive their Mini-Coopers and VW Beetles are complaining not only about the gas prices but, on occasion, about the time it takes to save three to five cents for gas waiting on line. To explain to them that it would be cheaper to go to the gas station a block away selling fuel for a nickel more than driving 20 minutes to a less expensive gas station and waiting a half an hour on line would be futile. People, especially liberals, just love to worry and complain.
I would have thought my enviro-libs friends would be delighted at another surge in gasoline prices. High oil prices will do more to ‘save the world’ than all the whining and condemnation from these self-appointed scare of the week know-it-alls. The same people who are against capitalism are going to witness a market shift to create an environment which will result in a national voluntary conservation effort and more fuel efficient automobiles. It’s a simple matter of supply and demand. People don’t want to pay $30 - $75 a week for gasoline to drive their vehicles. The desire to continue their lifestyle without diverting funds into gasoline has already resulted in the demand for more fuel efficient vehicles. The auto industry, sensing market demand, is feverishly working to supply more efficient vehicles. Several manufactures have six month waiting lists for their hybrid ‘efficiency’ vehicles. Naturally, these vehicles are prices a little higher to accentuate the shortage for the increased demand. Incidentally I don’t know anyone, conservative or liberal alike, who is waiting on that list.
In America we can say what we want, do what we want for the most part, and go where we want to go without excessive regulation or constraint. Buying a vehicle is an expression of personal choice based on self determined necessity. The choice to spend more money than one needs to on gas or a vehicle is a personal decision that the individual makes to gratify himself.
Why should the fruit of ones labor result in other people determining what is acceptable or unacceptable to possess? When will it end? Is a 52 inch plasma TV ever an acceptable purchase when there are hungry homeless people several miles away? Is it ok to buy beef hot dogs when veggie hot dogs are so much better healthier and don’t kill animals? Will it ever be acceptable to have that $25K in ground pool installed when there are people dying of aids in Africa? When does the intrusion into individual liberty in the name of the public good end?
To point a finger and say there are mega-organizations making huge profits off of gasoline sales is true. But it’s absurd to condemn a company for maximizing its profits. In America people work for profit and not for the common good. How much profit is acceptable is not a question for the government or the public. One can not slight a company for working hard to maximize its value to its investors. After all a profitable business makes the shareholders quite comfortable financially which is NOT against the law in America (yet).
The free market sets the price and the market price is determined by supply and demand. It is not within the federal government’s power to ‘set’ a national gas price or even to demand that the cost be reduced. To lower gas prices without violating our capitalist principals America need only diversify to resolve this ‘crisis.’ America needs alternative fuels to make the energy market more competitive and to offer a choice other than fossil fuels. If a percentage of cars were based on electric, others on hydrogen, and still others on ethanol the oil industry would have to market to attract its customers. To entice people into using fossil fuels the oil industry would eagerly reduce its costs just to attract a consumer base. The auto industry would enjoy a boost to profits as their range of cars would shift to include energy efficient petrol and alternative fuels models. The consumer would likely enjoy lower costs for transportation and home heating as well as a more diverse range of vehicles to choose from.
The answer to the current gas ‘crisis’ is in a range of long term strategies which are already underway. The global auto market has begun producing fuel efficient vehicles due to the demand from consumers to spend less at the pump. President Bush has funded the examination and exploration of hydrogen as a potential fuel alternative. Electric cars are improving gradually and many manufacturers already have hybrid vehicles on the market using gas and electric. Congress recently approved the construction of additional oil refineries despite the fact that not one Democrat voted to allow more refineries to be built in the US. It would appear that the Democrats are more concerned with losing taxable dollars by easing environmental regulation then they are about impact of America’s 30 year eco-safe refinery building hiatus. This lengthily ban on building refineries has resulted in America’s dependence on foreign oil and extreme market sensitivity to storms such as hurricane Katrina which devastated Gulf Coast refineries earlier this year. Or perhaps the Democrats realize that high gas prices hurt the President and his party and they are content to allow the American public to suffer in hopes of gaining a platform?
To save the world our politicians have stuck with a filthy thirty year old technology (oil) and abandoned ways to more effectively use oil and nuclear power. The result of this knee jerk, short sighted, but long term decision has provided the Middle East with a degree of influence over American politics and society. America’s extreme dependence on Middle Eastern oil has forced America to make concessions for conduct and actions provided the nation was producing oil at a favorable price. To appease and retain its politically correct constituent’s American politicians have, for thirty years, abandoned progressive power technologies and created a volatile situation where foreign powers of a primitive mindset, a zealot’s belief structure, and contemporary technological weapons have influence in the nations way of living.
The single and final piece to the puzzle is to provide reliable fuel now. This can only be achieved by reducing America’s oil dependence from greater than 50% to below 20 % of our oil consumption. To reduce the foreign oil America need only to tap into resources it controls exclusively. Tremendous technological advances have occurred over the last 30 years. Technological Advances which could greatly impact America’s ability to locate and extract oil from areas that were considered ‘too environmentally risky’ three decades ago. Surely the desire to make money would drive the commercial and conditional pursuit of oil to supply a greater abundance of fuel in the short term to offset the transition to alternative fuel technologies. Why doesn’t America use its own oil?
To suggest that being more analytical toward environmentalism is to be against it is absurd. No one wants dirty water or air quality that stings the eyes. Everyone wants the world to remain in a condition that will be comfortable and habitable for our children. To continue to allow America to be held captive by archaic fears of environmental catastrophe is to insult the intelligence of the American people and an affront to the ingenuity of America. Technology with conservation and an increased supply of power for consumption are the keys to correcting America’s voluntary captivity to foreign oil producing nations.
It is doubtful that gas prices will ever recede below $2.00 a gallon again. It is equally doubtful that I will be parting with my SUV any time soon. I can tolerate the annoying poodle like yapping of the self appointed and well intentioned, but misinformed, guardians of the world. I can also tolerate the thirty percent increase in fuel expense that my chosen vehicle is costing me. An SUV suits my personal and business needs and that makes it worth the extra dollars at the pump. The crux of the issue is that it’s my choice to buy an SUV; it’s my choice to spend more money on gas to drive my SUV, and its entirely my choice on how to use the money I earn. Well, at least it’s still my choice until some knee jerk political opportunist needs a platform to run on and polling numbers suggest restricting my choice is a favorable way to attract votes.
As an SUV owner I have been chastised publicly and privately for not helping to ‘save’ the world. I’ve been accused of destroying the environment and even supporting terrorism. Now that the 2004 election is comfortably in the past the environmental anti-capitalist zealots have crawled back into their earthen, candle-lit burrows and are awaiting their next opportunity to capture the spotlight and inject themselves into our lives. It would seem the chance to shine again has come in the form of high fuel costs.
As oil prices remain near a record high there is familiar groan from the nation as it digs into its pockets and parts with its hard earned cash. It’s the same nasal whine that was heard in the 1970’s when gasoline was rationed. In the last fuel crisis gas lines were a mile long in New York City. The odd and even conservation strategy based on the last digit of ones license plate number told people which day’s they could ‘attempt’ getting gas for their vehicles. Fights broke out at gas pumps as people were made to wait for hours for something that has always been taken for granted to be plentiful. The media set the tone in the ‘70’s which created an ominous tone that America was losing the automobile market to the Japanese. American vehicle sales dropped as the Japanese market shipped in fuel efficient and less spacious car and trucks. The Chrysler Corporation eventually sought and obtained government loans to shore up its ailing company and avoid a bankruptcy. There was the eternally pathetic Yugo whose bumper could literally be bent with ones hands. It may not have been a very safe vehicle but was it ever inexpensive and it sure could go a long way on a gallon of gas. The media, Chicken Little, was trumpeting that the sky was falling and everyone who heard the cry, out of fear, went to see King Carter. America felt out of control.
Today gasoline, at face value, is much more expensive than any time in US history. Gas resides well above $2 a gallon for what feels like the fifth time in recent memory. No one is clamoring about anyone taking over the American auto industry but universally there are complaints about the financial of impact fuel costs. A few people I know, liberal environmentalists, who drive their Mini-Coopers and VW Beetles are complaining not only about the gas prices but, on occasion, about the time it takes to save three to five cents for gas waiting on line. To explain to them that it would be cheaper to go to the gas station a block away selling fuel for a nickel more than driving 20 minutes to a less expensive gas station and waiting a half an hour on line would be futile. People, especially liberals, just love to worry and complain.
I would have thought my enviro-libs friends would be delighted at another surge in gasoline prices. High oil prices will do more to ‘save the world’ than all the whining and condemnation from these self-appointed scare of the week know-it-alls. The same people who are against capitalism are going to witness a market shift to create an environment which will result in a national voluntary conservation effort and more fuel efficient automobiles. It’s a simple matter of supply and demand. People don’t want to pay $30 - $75 a week for gasoline to drive their vehicles. The desire to continue their lifestyle without diverting funds into gasoline has already resulted in the demand for more fuel efficient vehicles. The auto industry, sensing market demand, is feverishly working to supply more efficient vehicles. Several manufactures have six month waiting lists for their hybrid ‘efficiency’ vehicles. Naturally, these vehicles are prices a little higher to accentuate the shortage for the increased demand. Incidentally I don’t know anyone, conservative or liberal alike, who is waiting on that list.
In America we can say what we want, do what we want for the most part, and go where we want to go without excessive regulation or constraint. Buying a vehicle is an expression of personal choice based on self determined necessity. The choice to spend more money than one needs to on gas or a vehicle is a personal decision that the individual makes to gratify himself.
Why should the fruit of ones labor result in other people determining what is acceptable or unacceptable to possess? When will it end? Is a 52 inch plasma TV ever an acceptable purchase when there are hungry homeless people several miles away? Is it ok to buy beef hot dogs when veggie hot dogs are so much better healthier and don’t kill animals? Will it ever be acceptable to have that $25K in ground pool installed when there are people dying of aids in Africa? When does the intrusion into individual liberty in the name of the public good end?
To point a finger and say there are mega-organizations making huge profits off of gasoline sales is true. But it’s absurd to condemn a company for maximizing its profits. In America people work for profit and not for the common good. How much profit is acceptable is not a question for the government or the public. One can not slight a company for working hard to maximize its value to its investors. After all a profitable business makes the shareholders quite comfortable financially which is NOT against the law in America (yet).
The free market sets the price and the market price is determined by supply and demand. It is not within the federal government’s power to ‘set’ a national gas price or even to demand that the cost be reduced. To lower gas prices without violating our capitalist principals America need only diversify to resolve this ‘crisis.’ America needs alternative fuels to make the energy market more competitive and to offer a choice other than fossil fuels. If a percentage of cars were based on electric, others on hydrogen, and still others on ethanol the oil industry would have to market to attract its customers. To entice people into using fossil fuels the oil industry would eagerly reduce its costs just to attract a consumer base. The auto industry would enjoy a boost to profits as their range of cars would shift to include energy efficient petrol and alternative fuels models. The consumer would likely enjoy lower costs for transportation and home heating as well as a more diverse range of vehicles to choose from.
The answer to the current gas ‘crisis’ is in a range of long term strategies which are already underway. The global auto market has begun producing fuel efficient vehicles due to the demand from consumers to spend less at the pump. President Bush has funded the examination and exploration of hydrogen as a potential fuel alternative. Electric cars are improving gradually and many manufacturers already have hybrid vehicles on the market using gas and electric. Congress recently approved the construction of additional oil refineries despite the fact that not one Democrat voted to allow more refineries to be built in the US. It would appear that the Democrats are more concerned with losing taxable dollars by easing environmental regulation then they are about impact of America’s 30 year eco-safe refinery building hiatus. This lengthily ban on building refineries has resulted in America’s dependence on foreign oil and extreme market sensitivity to storms such as hurricane Katrina which devastated Gulf Coast refineries earlier this year. Or perhaps the Democrats realize that high gas prices hurt the President and his party and they are content to allow the American public to suffer in hopes of gaining a platform?
To save the world our politicians have stuck with a filthy thirty year old technology (oil) and abandoned ways to more effectively use oil and nuclear power. The result of this knee jerk, short sighted, but long term decision has provided the Middle East with a degree of influence over American politics and society. America’s extreme dependence on Middle Eastern oil has forced America to make concessions for conduct and actions provided the nation was producing oil at a favorable price. To appease and retain its politically correct constituent’s American politicians have, for thirty years, abandoned progressive power technologies and created a volatile situation where foreign powers of a primitive mindset, a zealot’s belief structure, and contemporary technological weapons have influence in the nations way of living.
The single and final piece to the puzzle is to provide reliable fuel now. This can only be achieved by reducing America’s oil dependence from greater than 50% to below 20 % of our oil consumption. To reduce the foreign oil America need only to tap into resources it controls exclusively. Tremendous technological advances have occurred over the last 30 years. Technological Advances which could greatly impact America’s ability to locate and extract oil from areas that were considered ‘too environmentally risky’ three decades ago. Surely the desire to make money would drive the commercial and conditional pursuit of oil to supply a greater abundance of fuel in the short term to offset the transition to alternative fuel technologies. Why doesn’t America use its own oil?
To suggest that being more analytical toward environmentalism is to be against it is absurd. No one wants dirty water or air quality that stings the eyes. Everyone wants the world to remain in a condition that will be comfortable and habitable for our children. To continue to allow America to be held captive by archaic fears of environmental catastrophe is to insult the intelligence of the American people and an affront to the ingenuity of America. Technology with conservation and an increased supply of power for consumption are the keys to correcting America’s voluntary captivity to foreign oil producing nations.
It is doubtful that gas prices will ever recede below $2.00 a gallon again. It is equally doubtful that I will be parting with my SUV any time soon. I can tolerate the annoying poodle like yapping of the self appointed and well intentioned, but misinformed, guardians of the world. I can also tolerate the thirty percent increase in fuel expense that my chosen vehicle is costing me. An SUV suits my personal and business needs and that makes it worth the extra dollars at the pump. The crux of the issue is that it’s my choice to buy an SUV; it’s my choice to spend more money on gas to drive my SUV, and its entirely my choice on how to use the money I earn. Well, at least it’s still my choice until some knee jerk political opportunist needs a platform to run on and polling numbers suggest restricting my choice is a favorable way to attract votes.
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