Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - What else can the President do to lower gas prices?

Baraka_Guru · 05-04-2011, 07:22 PM

The gasoline consumption per capita in the U.S. is far above the average of even other high consumers such as Canada. It's even significantly higher than in countries where gasoline prices are really cheap because of nationalized ownership.

So what you have are two main categories of problems: 1) price and 2) consumption.

The problem in the U.S. isn't the overall price, because the price of gasoline is still relatively cheap considering there isn't a nationalized industry. The problem with price is a matter of change. It's hitting record highs...for the U.S. That doesn't change the fact, however, that it's still relatively low.

So when you combine increasing prices with a relatively stable consumption (at least over the past 10 years), you have a few major options: 1) government intervention to keep prices stable or to decrease them, 2) corrective mechanisms that decrease consumption (product innovation for efficiency, people driving less to save money, etc.), 3) increased spending on gasoline.

I think this covers most of the major categories of options. I think options 1 and 3 are the least desirable. Option 2 is ideal, I think, from the American perspective, though they'd rather see the innovation rather than the doing without. Option 3 is a reality. I think American society is going to face struggles with inflation due to global economic change.

There's only so much a president can do.

05-04-2011, 07:22 PM	#21 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	The gasoline consumption per capita in the U.S. is far above the average of even other high consumers such as Canada. It's even significantly higher than in countries where gasoline prices are really cheap because of nationalized ownership. So what you have are two main categories of problems: 1) price and 2) consumption. The problem in the U.S. isn't the overall price, because the price of gasoline is still relatively cheap considering there isn't a nationalized industry. The problem with price is a matter of change. It's hitting record highs...for the U.S. That doesn't change the fact, however, that it's still relatively low. So when you combine increasing prices with a relatively stable consumption (at least over the past 10 years), you have a few major options: 1) government intervention to keep prices stable or to decrease them, 2) corrective mechanisms that decrease consumption (product innovation for efficiency, people driving less to save money, etc.), 3) increased spending on gasoline. I think this covers most of the major categories of options. I think options 1 and 3 are the least desirable. Option 2 is ideal, I think, from the American perspective, though they'd rather see the innovation rather than the doing without. Option 3 is a reality. I think American society is going to face struggles with inflation due to global economic change. There's only so much a president can do. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 05-04-2011 at 07:32 PM..