$4 Gas Means MUCH HIGHER Food and Consumer Costs Across the Board ... and then....

[Blackhatjack]

Prices will go through the roof when independent truckers can no longer make $$ hauling a load. First, they will turn down trips, and then their rigs will be repossessed when they can no longer make the payments.

Meanwhile, consumer goods will sit ... and sit... and will not arrive at the local stores.

Filling up the gas tank may be the least of our worries ....

[TooBigaTent]

1. I wonder how many Americans will make the connection. Most will probably just

complain about the price at the pump as they fill up their SUVs.

I also think that most cannot even contemplate the changes that this increase will cause throughout our society.

While we can alleviate it a very little by production and efficiency in the process, unless we change our consumptive ways, we will see a serious change in the standard of living for most of us.

The rich, as always, will continue to thrive.

[Night_Nurse]

5. Think about...

what it costs a city to run a fleet of police/fire/EMS vehicles? The cities are strapped for cash as it is.. scary.

[4_TN_TITANS]

27. Our school system is close to shutting down the buses.

Imagine how many kids would disappear from the classroom or might not even start back in the fall. The Saudis have truly sold us all the rope we needed to hang ourselves - a whole economic structure fueled by rapidly disappearing oil.

The average person doesn't have the attention span to watch this slow motion trainwreck, but it's coming. Thanks to DU I'll be much better prepared.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

11. picking a nit

Im sorry but I just have to point out one thing..

"unless we change our consumptive ways, we will see a serious change in the standard of living for most of us."

Part of out SOL *is* our consumptive ways... I agree with you on us needing to change the standard of consumption ;)

[TooBigaTent]

30. I think it is possible to maintain our "standard of living" while being incredibly

less destructive in our use of the planet's resources.

I do not buy into the idea that we will have to suffer, e.g., live with more extreme temperatures, drive only 2-cylinder mini-cars, or, heaven forbid, go back to black and white television (just kidding - I would never suggest that amount of sacrifice) in order to save ourselves.

Just turning vegetarian would save enormous amounts of energy, water, and other resources. But, we likes our steaks Precious, so I am not overly optimistic.

[The Stranger]

23. No, most will complain about "furriners" or "terraists" or even gay marriage.

They're too stupid to know how badly they have been had.

[Night_Nurse]

2. Yep..

everyone will be affected, everyone. It's mind-boggling.

[Richardo]

3. Here's another factor: Inventory costs

Inventory costs have largely been taken out of the supply chain with 'just-in-time' replenishment of stock. The savings have kept the prices of consumer goods relatively low.

This of course assumes that transportation costs are less than the cost of keeping inventory. I'm guessing that is about to tip, if it hasn't already.

[nradisic]

4. The perfect storm...

Republican fucks ups are culminating with $5 gas. One by one Americans are getting more and more pissed off at what the Republicans have done to this country. Even many of the ignorant out in the Red States are suffering the worst - many more drive pick ups and SUV's out there than in blue states. This will all end in November, when the Republicans get voted out in droves. People invariably vote with their pocketbooks when the shit hits the fan....guess what.,...it has. That means a huge new Democratic majority with a mandate: Clean House.

$4 and $5 gas is the ebst thing that could have happened just before this election. Everything is lining up just right...

"There will be sunshine after rain, so why worry now..." Mark Knopfler

[kestrel91316]

12. Um, it's gonna be $6 by Labor Day. Just watch.

[truedelphi]

19. Maybe not. Our Boy George has connections to those Saudis.

And other oil people.

The Repugs always lower the gas costs right before an election.

[high density]

26. If it wasn't an election year, maybe

They'll get it down back under $4 by Nov 4.

[The Stranger]

24. Most of the red state GOP proles are upset about imaginary "terraists," foreigners or gay marriage.

They're too stupid to understand what is going on.

[MadHound]

28. I live out in a red state, in a red county, and believe me, the "GOP proles"

Aren't nowhere near as concerned about imaginary terrorists, foreigners or gay marriage as they are concerned, like the rest of us, with the rising costs of gas, food and other prices. And it is this sort of inflation and other economic woes that are driving these former Bush supporters to go out and vote for Obama this fall.

I really suggest that you go out and meet such people, talk to such people before you assume(or perhaps presume) to know what they think or what motivates them. After all, you know what happens when you ass u me?

[The Stranger]

29. One can hope, I suppose.

[OneMoreDemocrat]

6. You know, I've been wondering.......

why this 'gas crisis' isn't really considered a big deal.

I mean, the reality of it is that if things continue the way they are then we are in Big trouble.

Considering what actions our government took when Terry Schiavo was dying, you'd think
something of the scale of our current problem would goad them into doing something....or at
the very least talking about it more.

[liberal N proud]

7. As our "leaders" are doing nothing about this, it makes you wonder

Are they hoping for a total collapse?

That is where this is all headed.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

8. They hauled the oil execs in for a hearing!

:eyes:

[liberal N proud]

14. And what has that done for us?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. "Zippo" comes to mind.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. As with the farmers, so with the truckers

Independent trucking will simply cease to exist. Within a few years, all truck-based transport will be the business of a few large Republican-favoring corporations.

It will require at least ten years for the rail system to fully take up the slack, so you can be sure that there will be some painful inflation between now and then.

The world will change. Trucking will be just one small part of that change.

--p!

[Ichingcarpenter]

10. Diapers, (including Depends) and millions of products.

Require Petroleum to package, transport and manufacture.


Look for big increases around the board.

[kestrel91316]

13. Diaper services will be a growth industry.

I have a package or two of cloth diapers in storage as barter goods.

[Ichingcarpenter]

17. We used cloth diapers with our first born in 77.

I used to clean the diapers in the sink because we didn't have a washing machine or dryer.
It was a lot of work and had to dry them in the apartment.

My mother sent me a package of disposables because the country
we were in didn't have them yet or were extremely expensive.

They were very handy on trips, but we used cloth diapers most of the time.

[Ichingcarpenter]

16. The Housing Meltdown also prevents Home owners from taking

jobs in other cities, counties and states. They can ill afford to commute let alone
sell their home if they bought it 4-5 years ago at a major loss.

A higher paid job offer or just a job offer outside of your immediate area is now
cost prohibitive if you are going to commute or sell your home.

[Blackhatjack]

18. Keep in mind, Mexican truckers will cross the border and supplant US independent truckers...

Since the price of gas in Mexico is so much cheaper and the maintenance requirements of their vehicles is so much lower than in the US.

I don't think the US independent truckers are going to take kindly to that.

[hedgehog]

21. Tough to fill up with Mexican gasolin ein upstate New York!

[smoogatz]

20. Indies may be forced to turn down loads.

But trucking companies will start charging steep fuel surcharges (like my lawn service already does) that will be passed directly on to consumers in the form of (much) higher prices on pretty much everything. Time to stock up, folks. It's going to get ugly and stay ugly before it gets better.

[hedgehog]

22. What I don't understand is why prices are going up NOW when

truckers aren't being paid any more?

[Fireweed247]

25. We have to fight back!

$4 Gas and the Stockholm Syndrome. Are we suffering from Learned Helplessness?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3410901

[Kablooie]

31. Oh don't worry. The free market will sort everything out automatically.

And the rich will become even richer just the way they should in a free and unregulated market.

Nothing to worry about at all.

[Blackhatjack]

32. Have you noticed resorts, hotels, businesses are offering free gas cards to attract customers?

Is this the future?

Resorts, hotels, businesses, car dealers, etc. will be waiting with free gas cards for customers who drive to their location?

Times are really tough when you have to pay the potential customer just to drive to your place of business.

[Leopolds Ghost]

33. The world is running out of oil. Deal with it.

Start by asking your neighobors to stop lobbying your city officials
to continue to enforce 1920s-1950s statutes PROHIBITING pedestrian
friendly development under the stated purpose of keeping communities
class-homogeneous and keeping out "undesirables".

Did you know its illegal to live near your workplace?

There is a housing and subdivision law against it.

Of course, I don't expect DUers to do anything of the sort.

They are too used to saying "I NEED my car. Maybe YOU live in some
walkable community that has an attractive walkable business district,
but I live in the REAL world."

"And I need gas to fly to places like your town or Europe
for vacation, because I could never afford to live there,
because walkable development is illegal or severely
controlled in this country and thus expensive... like pot
or nitroglycerine. Because most people don't want to live
like that, so we ban it. Just like we banned steel jungle gyms."