Gas prices in the UK are currently over 9 US dollars for a US gallon and rising. Gasoline hasn't been as cheap as 4 bucks US sice the last millenium.
Posted by Robert Sneddon at May 19, 2008 02:02 AMYep, here in sweden its around 9 USD/gallon too.
4 usd/gallon must be 20 years ago or so.
A majority of it is taxes but that money helps pay for our healthcare and other stuff.
Posted by Greup at May 19, 2008 02:30 AMWell, my guess is the goal is $5.00 a gallon before the end of summer.
Posted by JudithOne at May 19, 2008 02:41 AMRedstater, the answer to your question is yes. Another Judith started posting here about a month ago, and it was causing confusion. So I took the name JudithOne. The other Judith's name is 'young Judith.'
Posted by JudithOne at May 19, 2008 03:00 AMJared Bernstein: It's Our Turn Now
The great, neo-con economic experiment is over and the results are in. Outside of the top 1%, there's less income growth than in any past business cycle. The key macro-indicators, such as employment, GDP growth, and investment have faired uniquely poorly. The "opportunity society" is a cruel joke: homeownership rates are falling for the first time in decades. The defenders of the status quo will howl in protest: the Democrats blocked us, the terrorist attacks and the war changed everything, we must stay the course to victory! But such rhetoric should be dismissed as what it is: the last, desperate gasps of a dying movement. They've had their turn and they've failed.
HuffingtonPost
George Walker Bush can now add to his lifetime achievements of failures, the Presidency.
Posted by JudithOne at May 19, 2008 03:16 AMSeems that O'Reilly can call people despicable names, fabricate stories, lie out right on his Fair and Balanced show, and spew the Administrations bull, but he sure doesn't like being challanged by Olberman. Bill, your beginning to sound like a cry baby.
Feud Fuels Bill O'Reilly's Blasts at GE
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/18/AR2008051802313.html?nav=rss_opinion/columns
Posted by JudithOne at May 19, 2008 03:40 AMJust saw part of an interview on Good Morning America with Barack and Michelle. Michelle said that what Bob Novak said about her telling Barack not to have Hillary on the ticket (no way you are putting that woman on the ticket) was totally made up and she never said any such thing. She went on to say that she has a great deal of respect for Hillary for all her accomplishments, etc. So that was good. Then Barack and Michelle got into a little "argument" about getting the girls a dog. Barack said we'll see if they're responsible enough, Michelle said oh they are, Barack said, but will they walk the dog when it's cold and snowy out, etc. Kind of funny--showed a "real" side of them. I was glad to hear Michelle say nice things about Hillary after her comments that she would have to think about whether she'd support her if she was the nominee. That really ticked me off.
Posted by CG at May 19, 2008 04:23 AMWell, it's a certainty that gas will continue to rise through the summer, and forever. It doesn't matter much if it's $5 this fall or next spring, it'll be there before you know it.
Most Americans have no choice but to buy about as much gas as they are buying right now, their far-flung suburban and rural lives and monster gas guzzlers demand it.
As a result, they'll be buying a lot less of everything else and thus this recession will be very deep. It's hard to see exactly how we'll come out of it, because recovery would require a massive national revelation that spending one half our federal budget on militarism (and then borrowing the money!) has to be utterly reversed.
The core-militarist Repub-Right will never, ever, allow that---just as Southern Dems fought civil rights with all their might for decades---so economic recovery is impossible unless the Repub party is smashed into oblivion.
Hillarian extremists are full of refusals to get on board. They're gonna be as badly hurt by the coming economic cyclone as anyone, and certainly worse than your average wealthy Repub. After cutting off the Dem party's nose to spite the country's face, there won't even be any pieces left to pick up.
Self destructive, but just another sign of the calamitous decline of our nation and its people.
Posted by euzoius at May 19, 2008 05:59 AMThe high gas prices are probably a good thing for America. Here in Colorado the demand for Toyota hybrids has skyrocketed -- and I've met many people who are replacing their Ford Extinction-class land barges with fuel efficient cars. There was a time when you could safely assume that a Prius driver was liberal, but now I see many Prii (plural of Prius?) with conservative bumper stickers.
Get gas up to $6/gallon and we'll start to see some real changes. I'm sure we'd get a lot of support for that network of local bike trails that I've been proposing. Not to mention the proposed high speed rail system along the front range.
Posted by Anonny at May 19, 2008 06:33 AMHi! New to the site - thanks for doing this.
Don't worry about gas prices - they will start to be lowered around mid-September / early October (right before the election). Just hang on until then! :)
Posted by cmugirl at May 19, 2008 06:42 AMI agree Annony, but I also agree with euz that people cut down on everything else before they change their driving habits. I keep telling my husband I need a commuter car. I have to drive around for work and depending on how much work I have, it's not always worth it. But I'm hoping the work will pick up, so I'm sticking with it. But we have a minivan that is good for carpooling and loading up for family vacations etc. I want a small car for work, and still keep the minivan for when I need it. I don't really want 3 cars (husband has one that he drives to work), but I can't stand driving the van around when I'm the only one in it. Even before gas prices went up I hated it.
Posted by CG at May 19, 2008 07:08 AMThe higher gas prices are a disaster for the people who can't afford to replace their present cars with more fuel-efficient ones.
Posted by jwrjr at May 19, 2008 07:17 AMDon't worry about gas prices - they will start to be lowered around mid-September / early October (right before the election). Just hang on until then! :)
That certainly was the case in in 2002, 2004 and 2006 wasn't it? In fact, you can even find news articles in each of those years documenting how the Bush administration approached the Saudis to increase output in order to reduce prices and how the Saudis complied.
However, I'm going to bet it won't happen this year, for a variety of reasons. Oh, you may see a short-term drop in gas prices due to the seasonal drop in demand, but even then it won't be a significant drop.
The reason is that BushCo's ability to manipulate gas prices is probably waning, due to a combination of economic and political reasons, combined with their own general incompetence.
Regarding the incompetence theme, the Bush people have a serious groupthink problem. We've seen that with their friends at Enron, and again in their failure to plan for the aftermath of the Afghan and Iraqi invasions. They are so used to dismissing expert advice and reinforcing their own wishful thinking that they end up making a lot of really bad decisions. So, although they were able to push the Saudis to increase output in the last 3 election years, the world situation is different now, and it's questionable whether the Bush people are skilled enough to change tactics to adapt.
Regarding the oil situation, world demand has shot up, but world supply is flat and likely declining. Meanwhile, the Saudis are aware that their own oil fields are (of course) finite and probably near depletion in the next couple decades. Physically, the Saudis can only increase output by so much -- and their flexibility is shrinking along with their remaining reserves -- while their output, as a percentage of world demand, is going down. So, even if the Saudis do boost production the impact on world oil prices will be reduced.
Then there are the political realities. The Bush administration -- never world-class diplomats -- has all along been balancing relations with the hard line Saudis and the hard line Israelis. Basically, Bush is trying to be best friends with two peoples who see each other as moral enemies. Actually, the Royal Saudis have no quarrel with the Israelis -- they couldn't give a rat's ass for the Palestinians -- but in order to stay in power the Royal Saudis have empowered in their country probably the most extreme Islamic groups in the world to keep their people in check, and those groups are the ones who hate Israel. As you know, the Royal Saudis have been under intense pressure within Arabia for their cozy relations with Bush.
So, it's not surprising that when Bush publically asked the Saudis to increase production earlier this year they publically rebuked him. Look at the political equation from their point of view: 1) boosting production increases the speed at which they deplete their reserves, 2) helping Bush publically increases the sympathy for radical Saudi groups that want to overthrow the Royals, 3) yet, the Republicans are likely to get trounced anyway in the election.
So, my guess is that this time oil production won't be boosted come the fall.
Posted by Anonny at May 19, 2008 07:24 AMThe higher gas prices are a disaster for the people who can't afford to replace their present cars with more fuel-efficient ones.
Yes, it is.
And home refridgerators were a disaster for ice delivery men.
And Diesel locomotives were a disaster for the 100,000+ men who worked in steam locomotive maintenance shops.
So, what do you do about it? Pass laws to keep the old inefficient ways in place despite economic realities?
Posted by d at May 19, 2008 07:27 AMCG: That's a tough one. Sometimes, however, it's better to have two smaller cars than one small and one big car. This means that on occasions when you take the whole family you have to take two vehicles, but depending on your situation that may actually be more efficient.
Consider that, for example, the Camry hybrid gets about 34 mpg city and 44 highway (the EPA highway estimates for the Toyota "strong hybrids" are ridiculously low -- makes me wonder if the EPA is trying to make GM's "weak hybrids" appear to be more competitive). Consider that your average Chrysler minivan gets about 16 mpg city and 22 highway. Wow, you could drive TWO Camry hybrids everywhere you drive ONE Chrysler minivan for the same gas or less.
Of course, the Camry is not the most efficient hybrid, and the Chrysler not the biggest gas guzzler. This is just a YMMV comparison.
Posted by Anonny at May 19, 2008 07:35 AMThanks for your post, anonny.
The words "peak oil" cannot be mentioned by any American politician. The question is, can any candidate even begin to tell the American Boob what the situation is---that we have foolishly configured our entire country around cheap oil as though it would last forever, and now the bill is coming due? Isn't confronting reality political suicide in BushAmerica?
That the Era of Cheap Oil is gone with the wind, never to return. If the people are so ignorant that they kill the political messenger of the reality, then it's hard to see how a supposed "democracy" can even begin to discuss the crisis, let alone solve it.
Posted by euzoius at May 19, 2008 07:41 AMThe words "peak oil" cannot be mentioned by any American politician.
Ironically, I think most of the *people* understand this. Certainly the conservatives I deal with (and I live in a very conservative area) are aware of the basic oil facts. Only the 20-30% or so who buy into the Republican Delusion (i.e. Earth is 6000 yrs old, Global Warming false, Iraq did have WMD, tax decreases increase tax revenues, etc) don't understand that oil is finite and cheap oil is gone.
Unfortunately, if any politician states this reality he/she will likely get excoriated by the US Press. The *people* get it, but the *press* is still under the Republican Delusion.
Posted by Anonny at May 19, 2008 07:48 AMAnother reason to assume cheap oil is over is the lack of an increase in production from OPEC.
In the past it was a given in many circles that if the world ever needed it, the Saudis could basicly just turn a valve and increase supply 20%.
The fact that they have not done that at this point leads me to believe that they actually can't do it. If that is so then that has huge implications for the future of crude prices.
I feel that a huge issue for the next democratic presidental candidate to take up is a commitment for a huge national program to get us off non north america crude oil in the next 10 years. It would be a huge change for Americans but if done would bring huge benifits in the economy, defence, and the enviroment.
It would be risky but I feel a winner for Obama to announce such a plan at the convention.
Al Gore as secretary of energy anyone?
Eric in Austin
Posted by ericl at May 19, 2008 09:46 AMAnonny, Bush recently went to the Saudis, and they said no deal.
Posted by JudithOne at May 19, 2008 03:25 PMAnonny, Bush recently went to the Saudis, and they said no deal.
We're beggars to the Saudi royal family. Any US President heading over there will be laughed out of Saud. "Don't let the door hit you on the way back to DC."
Until this country gets realistic about nuclear power, coal liquification, and drilling in ANWR we're just wasting time. It's now a homeland security issue as well. The folks getting hit with this ignorant policy are the poor and middle class.
Posted by at May 19, 2008 05:58 PMAnonny, Bush recently went to the Saudis, and they said no deal.
We're beggars to the Saudi royal family. Any US President heading over there will be laughed out of Saud. "Don't let the door hit you on the way back to DC."
Until this country gets realistic about nuclear power, coal liquification, and drilling in ANWR we're just wasting time. It's now a homeland security issue as well. The folks getting hit with this ignorant policy are the poor and middle class.
Posted by at May 19, 2008 05:58 PMBarbara Boxer is excited that you may get to pay even higher energy prices!
Oil drilling ban wins key Senate Vote.
Those of you wanting $10 per gallon gasoline and more US troops in the Middle East should be very excited about this. The less oil we have, the more we will pay. And the more we'll have to safeguard the supplies in the Middle East.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California said after Thursday’s action.
Posted by Muck at May 19, 2008 06:49 PMFor the last four or five years the Bay Area has been at or near the top for gas prices in the U.S. It seems that the rest of the country is catching up. At my station it's been 3.98 and holding for a couple weeks.
Our gas prices aren't actually as low as advertised. For ex, we're spending trillions for the oil companies to pump the stuff out of the ground in Iraq and are threatening Iran because they're selling their oil now in euros and yuan instead of dollars. And we're still in Afghanistan five years after bin Laden left because of that pipeline our oil companies are building.
Then after you add in the costs of all that warring against the brown people who so rudely decided to live on top of our oil, then you have to figure out all the tax cuts, etc.
And the big difference is that other countries tax oil so we don't use as much of it and we have politicians cut taxes on it so it'll be cheaper and we can use more.
Posted by Bob In Pacifica at May 19, 2008 07:35 PMMuck, can I officially identify you as a Republican?
Posted by Bob In Pacifica at May 19, 2008 07:36 PMMore false choices by the muckbrain. Just because some penny packets of oil may be found in environmentally sensitive areas doesn't mean we should shit our whole backyard up.
To wreck our coastal areas and wildlife refuges with the toxic garbage so that shitbrain yahoos can fuel up their gas guzzlers and basically pour the irreplaceable fuel on the ground is unconscionable.
We don't need to run an imperial oil empire or destroy our environment---we need to begin to massively conserve gas by transforming our fleet of gas guzzlers ASAP. This fleet of absurd gas guzzlers never should have been allowed to be built in the first place.
Posted by euzoius at May 19, 2008 08:42 PMJust pointing out the hypocrisy of you hating higher fuel prices, yet glorifying your party members who are responsible for making you pay more.
So enjoy the higher prices. Maybe as they keep going up, you can cut back on more spending. Less clothes. Less groceries. Maybe downsize your housing. Move back in with your parents or in with your kids. Get some roomies.
Isn't this your utopia of making do with less?
Posted by Muck at May 19, 2008 10:27 PMNo, Bob. I am not a Republican. I keep an open mind and vote for whoever I think will make the best decisions and surround himself or herself with the best people. Blind party loyalty results in sloppy government.
Posted by Muck at May 19, 2008 10:37 PMAnonny, Bush recently went to the Saudis, and they said no deal.
I pointed that out:
So, it's not surprising that when Bush publically asked the Saudis to increase production earlier this year they publically rebuked him.
Posted by Anonny at May 20, 2008 07:04 AMIt all about the almight dollar to muck.
Bob, Muckdog has been coming here for years. He has no empathy for disabled Veterans, the homeless, or those laid off from their jobs. It's all about decisions (good or bad) one makes in life.
Since empathy has a high cost/ratio analysis it's something he is interested in.
Posted by Seven of Six at May 20, 2008 07:04 AMEvery other oil producing nation in the world is rolling on the floor laughing at us paying $130, going to $160.00 per barrel of oil. All those nations know we have a minimum of 100 years of oil within our own country. They're laughing all the way to the bank while we go broke with all the oil we need.
The Saudi's are ordering jumbo jets for future delivery so they know they have minimum of another 60 to 80 years.
Instead of drilling for oil, we're burning our crops for fuel and now alcohol is being proven to be nothing but a huge scam foisted on us by Al Gore and friends.
All of you who cheered when Bill Clinton vetoed the bill allowing oil companies to drill in ANWR twelve years ago, stand up and cheer again for $5.00 gas.
Posted by Markle at May 20, 2008 10:23 PM