Quote:
|
Originally Posted by loquitur
Only if you think the only feasible energy source going forward is petroleum. If petroleum gets expensive, other alternatives become more economically feasible. And behavior patterns change to account for the new market realities. (That's why Derwood's post up top is unpersuasive - it ignores economic dynamism and human adjustment to new circumstances. Which doesn't mean there won't be some difficulty in the short term for some people.)
|
I agree we need to get yourselves off the oil. It's the process that concerns me. As the price goes up, without any viable options, the middle class and poor are going to get screwed and screwed hard. If diesel goes up so does everything you need like food. People are already having trouble paying their mortgages. Add 25% to 50% to their needs costs and there's going to be real problems for many.
Simply pricing gas at $10 a gallon and waiting for the market to find another way for people to get to work or find a way to afford the increased price of food sounds like a bad idea to me. I don't think the problems will be as short term as you seem to think. Most peoples largest investment is their house. If this "plan" ends up costing, as I think it will, a large % of people their home the effects will most certainly not be short term.