It's Not The Oil Company's Fault - It's OURS!

As we all know, gas prices have gone up quite a bit recently. Here in So. Cal., depending on where you go, the price of regular gas has gone up to $3.50. The corner station near me is charging $3.33 for regular, $3.34 for medium grade, and $3.53 for premium.

The oil companies are blaming this on the unrest in Egypt. What does Egypt have to do with the price of tea in China? Absolutely nothing, that's what. It's all a load of horse manure.

Egypt is ONE single oil producing country. It's not even the biggest producer. It's true that not much has come out of there since the protests began, but like I said, it's still only one country. The oil is still flowing from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and most of the other Middle Eastern countries. Let's also not forget that oil is still coming out of Venezuela, Mexico, and the rest of the Latin American oil producing nations, as well as from the U.S. itself. So what's the problem?

The problem is the oil companies and the oil brokers. They're using the crisis in Egypt as an excuse to jack up prices and bleed us dry. Comrades, this is Judeo-Capitalism at it's finest. Businessmen would call it the law of supply and demand. I call it sticking it to people whenever you think you can get away with it!

So what can we do about it? Stage a protest? Yeah, that would do a lot of good. Besides, very few would be willing. Most would say, "What's the point?" Others would use the "W" excuse. "I don't have time, I have to work." And since the fat cats at the top don't work weekends, it would be pointless to go to some oil company on Saturday or Sunday. The only ones there would be security guards and maybe a few janitors. So forget protests.

There are two things we can really do.

Number one, get rid of those behemoths some of us drive. Why do you need a huge SUV when you never go off roading? I'll tell you why. You don't need them, you just want them. It's a status symbol. "Hey look at me, I have a Ford Escape with 8 cylinders and four-wheel-drive. I'm successful! Eat your hearts out peasants!" Well, if that's important to you, then pay the oil company's blackmail and quit complaining. You brought it on yourself.

Why do you have some huge pickup truck and you work in an office? It's so shiny and pretty. It's obvious it's never done a day's work. Again, you don't need it, you want it. So pay $75 a tank and shut up.

BTW, if you own an SUV, you're getting screwed by BOTH the motor vehicle department AND your insurance company. Motor vehicles charges you extra for registration if you have four-wheel-drive, as does your insurance company. If you have an SUV, it's even worse. What does the "S" in SUV stand for? Sport. As in Sport Utility Vehicle. In California, that word "sport" legally makes it a sports car. The DMV charges extra for sports cars, and extra for four-wheel-drive. Insurance companies charge extra for each as well, so you're getting screwed four times over if you drive an SUV. You deserve it. You bought something big and wasteful because it makes you feel big-time. So pay the price and quit your whining. Or you could get rid of these monstrosities and drive something more sensible, and forget about these stupid, wasteful four-wheeled toys.

The other way to send a message WITHOUT really getting off your asses and doing something. The guys that run the corner gas station near me say they make more money from the convenience store than from the gas. It's probably true. Most people who get gas at these places also walk out with an armful of junk food and super-sized sodas. So that's where we hit them.

Since we have to have our gas to get around, especially here in California where the average commute is 50 miles each way, the convenience store is where we hit them. The next time you get gas, skip the snacks. They're nothing but processed poison anyway. Just get your gas. No junk food. If you have to have a snack, go to some Mom and Pop package store. It's the same stuff at more or less the same price.

But then again, people won't want to do that either. People want their status symbols. The oil companies count on that. I once spoke to a mid-level management person from Valero Oil Company. He told me studies have proven that people will pay whatever they demand, as long as prices don't rise too fast. They know how much they can push the people, statistically speaking. Prices go up a lot, then come down a little, and people go, "Whew! Thank God prices came down a bit." Then it happens again, and again, and again.

Plus people are basically lazy. If they need gas AND want a snack, they don't want to be bothered going to the gas station, AND a package store. "Aw, I don't have time. I'm in a hurry." No, you just don't want to be bothered, so again, pay the blackmail and shut up.

I remember when prices were $0.30 a gallon. That was forty years ago, but you must realise that that means prices have risen by over 300 percent in forty years. Prices are expected to go up a little, but 300 percent is outrageous!

There are a few things we can do. The problem is, unless enough people are willing to do it, it won't make any difference. It will require sacrifice, and effort. Most people don't want to be bothered. Fine. Do whatever you want, which I'm sure in the case of most people will be whatever is easiest. That means keeping their gas hogs, and buying crap at the oil company's convenience store. Well go ahead. I just don't want to hear you bitching about the high prices. They won't come down unless you're willing to make a little effort. On the contrary, they'll continue to go up. The problem isn't really the oil companies. It's all of us. We have allowed ourselves to become their financial slaves, and we are the only ones who can put an end to it. What's it going to be? Greed and slavery, or sacrifice and freedom. It's your choice. It's OUR choice. Comrades, let's all make the right one.

One last thing. Comrades, some of you have been neglecting your duties. Let's get with it! Things went much better say, the previous Monday than yesterday. It doesn't take but a few minutes, so let's get it done!

Oh, and don't forget my two new archives blogs. I've added linkes in the "White Friendly Sites" section.

Dan Schruender 88!