Three Cheers for $4 Gasoline

coberst · Post by **coberst** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 1:31 pm

Three Cheers for $4 Gasoline

Of course you must keep in mind that I am a retired engineer, living in the Smoky Mountains, who drives 10 miles to town once a week for groceries; these facts make it possible for me to develop a Solomon like understanding of reality from an Archimedean point of view.

Quickie from Wiki—“An Archimedean point is a hypothetical vantage point from which an observer can objectively perceive the subject of inquiry, with a view of totality. The ideal of "removing oneself" from the object of study so that one can see it in relation to all other things, but remain independent of them, is described by a view from an Archimedean point.

Does $4 gas signify the beginning of the ending of a civilization of adolescent life styles divorced from the reality principle? Does it presage the beginning of the ending of a self-absorbed and largely fictional pattern of social behavior?

I doubt it but I can dream can’t I?

This morning I listened to NPR interviewing the mayor of Houston Texas speaking about anticipated efforts for completely remodeling the living and cultural standards of the citizens of Houston in anticipation of creating a city where citizens might work, shop, and live within walking distances of shops, supermarkets, and jobs.

Reality seldom challenges salient points of hero-systems largely because the earth has been so bountiful; natural bounty has thus far allowed Americans to live largely in a world of playful fantasy that may be beginning to crumble around a commercial-military hero-system of fantasy.

Socrates was sentenced to death by hemlock because he tried to awaken the youth of Athenian society to this very reality-principle; he died a hero in the eyes of history because he asked the youth to question their own hero-system.

Will $4 gas lead you to question your own commercial-military hero-system?

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:54 pm

Archimedes would have used alternative fuel sources-like his lasers against the Roman naval fleet.

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:04 pm

Where are you getting $4.00 a gallon gas ?? we past that weeks ago in San Diego some stations its $5.04 a gallon for regular. :-5:-5 :driving:

Carolly · Post by **Carolly** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 3:41 pm

CARLA;894153 wrote: Where are you getting $4.00 a gallon gas ?? we past that weeks ago in San Diego some stations its $5.04 a gallon for regular. :-5:-5 :driving:Wish it was here:(

QUINNSCOMMENTARY · Post by **QUINNSCOMMENTARY** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:16 pm

After the initial shock (I suspect we are past that), we will all be better off and I do believe Americans will change...out of necessity. :driving:

All we have to hope for is that the government does not get in the way of private innovation and development of new and better ways to utilize the resources we need to run our lives. It will take a few years to be sure and we will need to reset some of our prioities, but we will get their...walking or riding a bike and ducking wind turbines perhaps.

QUINNSCOMMENTARY · Post by **QUINNSCOMMENTARY** » Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:18 pm

rjwould;894095 wrote: No, we'll raise the minimum wage. It's just paper money after all, and not worth all that much worldwide now anyway. As long as one remains within the borders of the US and spends it here they'll get a good bang for the buck, its going outside to the east of us thats a problem.

Do you really think Americans are willing to change? I don't, and I'd love to be wrong.

I am going to Russia in a few weeks and I will let you know if it is any better outside the U.S. I suspect I will be very happy to get home...and by then pay $5.00 for gas. :rolleyes:

Hugh Janus · Post by **Hugh Janus** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 5:04 am

QUINNSCOMMENTARY;894208 wrote: I am going to Russia in a few weeks and I will let you know if it is any better outside the U.S. I suspect I will be very happy to get home...and by then pay $5.00 for gas. :rolleyes:
4$ or £2.00 GBP. We dream of prices like that. Over here it is now £5.00 GBP a gallon, or $10.00. So count yourselves lucky, and stop whingenig...:p

Galbally · Post by **Galbally** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:21 am

Everyone has to change, everywhere in the world. The age of luxury (based on a false assumption of there being an indefinite supply of cheap, consequence-free, fossil fuel) is ending rapidly, and the nations that adapt themselves to new ways of living, and new technologies that allow for more stability and sustainability will be the ones to prosper. We also have enourmous climatic disruption coming our way, seriously its no hoax, and this is going be much harder to deal with as we will not have as many energy-intensive solutions to hand as we might have had 25 years ago had we set about this task earlier.

I imagine the the US will adapt a lot better than many people realize, as its system and society are able to absorb a lot of change and always have. However, it will not be easy either for many Americans or Europeans, particularly those who perhaps are not used to living simpler, less energy intensive lifestyles, (or anyone else in the advanced economies for that matter), there is no point in trying to avoid this reality.

Personally, I think there are a lot of opportunities to better ourselves in these somewhat more difficult times, whether we can face up the challenges will define this and the coming generation as must as WW II did to the generations who fought in that great conflict. That may sound a bit melodramatic, but I think actually we face national and global challenges equally as difficult, though not as immediately apparent as people did back then.