Why are we not screaming and rioting in outrage?

Question

Why does it not seem to bother the American public that we are paying triple the gas prices we used to pay 6 years ago? Why does no one stand up and scream asking why the oil companies are all making historic record breaking profits? Why is it every time price per barrel of oil goes down gas prices seem to rise? Why does Congress do nothing to stop this monopoly in the oil industry, when people literally cannot afford to work because prices are so high, yet they break up Microsoft cuz it puts out a superior product to its numerous competitors? Why are there no acts of civil disobedance to put an end to all this nonsense?

To Heddon...I didnt say anything about the war...so your saying "as I am bitching about the war..." just shows you are an ignorant person ranting on about his views in any forum. I am not discrediting your right to do that, nor anything you said, but if you are going to come at me so defensively you might want to reread the question to make sure you are ranting at the right person....

I lived in Europe for about a year...and while gas prices are more expensive out there, they cars can get more KM/liter than we get in America...and yes I realize that we would use miles/gallon out here, but since I was driving my American car...I know I was getting more miles out of my tank than I was in America...

Answer 1

When gas prices got so staggeringly high last year, there was an essay (I think it was written by an economics professor) going around the web arguing that everyone should boycott Exxon/Mobil and only go to other gas stations.

The argument was that if Exxon/Mobil suffered a significant loss in business, they would have to lower prices. If Exxon/Mobil lowered prices, all of the other companies would have to follow suit.

It made perfect sense to me and I did it, but apparently there is not enough coherence or cohesion among people to effectively get together on something like this, so it had no effect.

If one-tenth of the people who watch American Idol every week participated in a boycott like that, we could see some real change.

Answer 2

It's not a monopoly. First, there are many different oil companies, and they are not engaged in illegal price fixing. They are basing their fees on costs to purchase oil, and their desire for profit.

Congress can only get involved to a minor degree without socializing the industry. That's the nature of capitalism.

As for Microsoft (and I'll try to stop laughing at your claim of a superiod product) -- one company holding 90% of the market and forbidding other companies from being interoperable is different then 10 different oil companies holding 90% of the market.

The proper analogy would be if ExxonMobil or Shell tried to make a deal with Ford and Chevy, so those cars could only run on the gasoline produced by that one company. That's not what's happening.

And people can shift to non-gasoline vehicle at any time. There are electric cars and hydrogen cars readily available in the same price range as most other cars. There's just not enough demand to provide a support infrastructure (recharging stations).

Answer 3

Corporate propaganda.

The minimum wage would be bad. It would hurt the economy. Not paying for your computer software might even destroy the economy. Not opening America to foreign immigrants for cheap labour to increase Wall Street investor profits - that might destroy the economy. Socialism - that leads to Communism and Fascism. Not stealing and exploiting foreign nations - that might hurt the economy.

There ARE massive acts of civil disobedience, on a massive scale, and quite rightly so. However, they are subdued by FOX tv, by corporate media outlets. It's the same thing as Nazi Germany in the late1930s, only much, much worse.

Congress doesn't care. The extremist right-wing policies adapted by the administrations of the Anglo-American hemisphere state one thing - we don't care. The rich will have their own welfare state, but the poor? Low wages, high taxes, low growth, high unemployment.

What about FEMA? In the instance of a huge civil disturbance, they have the RIGHT to lock you up. There are tens, if not hundreds of fully staffed, empty jails in Emerica today: all waiting for the type of civil disturbance you describe.

There are organizations working to meet the ends of the poor. But they are few and far between. In the 80's the labor unions in America were smashed. Now corporations think that they destroy the right to food, the right to clean water, the right to live.

It won't work. Because people like me are here.

Answer 4

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It is being manufactured right now for fleet customers like PG&E. If sales go well, it will be made available to individuals next year. Cost is $45,000 for hand-built cars, and this cost will fall considerably when factory production becomes feasible.
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http://www.squidoo.com/cheap-electric-car
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Then you can SMILE as you drive past gas stations (like I do.)
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Answer 5

You ***** and moan about the war, gas prices, GWB......
Gas prices are high for several reasons, lack of refineries being a big reason. But the dems and Green Peace would pee all over them selves in a tizzy if a new refinery were to be built. Also as you are bitching about the war another factor in the increase of oil is the uncertainty in the market. Iran kidnapped 15 British Sailors for no other reason than to cause instability in the market, driving up the price per barrel there by cashing in on the selling of oil. How about we riot in the streets over that? Or how about rioting in the streets over the intentional destabilizing of US foreign policy by the Congress? The Democrats in Congress have every right to speak their minds and vote their conscious. But to undermine the foreign policy by continually calling for troop with drawls does nothing but give those fighting against us the idea that if they can just keep blowing stuff up we will loose our resolve. With free speech comes responsibility, especially those in congress. ..... their actions and words are not just heard here in the US, but all over the world. And when they undermine the Policy of there Government you get exactly what we have in Iraq.... bedlam!

Answer 6

Two Words:
Campaign Contributions

Exxon/Mobil owns the Republican Party, they are bought and paid for with Campaign Contributions to the Republican party.

Until middle class America wakes up and stops voting for this non-sense than nothing is going to change. Big business with all of it money runs this country!!!!!

Answer 7

Record profit is due to record sales not record price. Price is set by traded futures plus refinement blending and delivery.
Profit on gasoline per gallon to the oil company is 8% taxes are 30%.

Answer 8

And who do we scream to? And when has that ever solved anything?

It is called diplomacy sweetheart... as in, we dont throw temper tantrums we use our brains and we prove our facts and our cases and present ourselves like intelligent well rounded people and fight fire with fire.

You should just leave the thinking to the people who know how to think, they are actually doing a pretty good job it just isnt in the media.

But it is good that you notice things, even if you seem to be wasting your time. It is a good effort.

Answer 9

So after all the screaming and rioting what will we have accomplished?

All you'll get is a sore throat and a huge mess.

How do acts of "civil disobedience" make things better?

If I don't like your lawn should I trash your house and scream at you? Will that make it better?

Please stop reading anarchist literature.

Answer 10

Time out.

Microsoft makes a superior product? In what universe?

You've obviously never used a Mac.

Once you use a MacIntosh, you'll throw rocks at anything Microsoft produces.