US Administration likes high gasoline prices

[Plantagenet]

“Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,” Chu told The Wall Street Journal during a September 2008 interview..... The cost of gas in Europe at the time was between $8 and $10 per gallon.

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The Obama administration has succeeded in doubling the price of gas since they took office. They are making good progress, but they will have to double gas prices again to meet their goal of raising US gas prices to $8-10 per gallon.

[rockdoc123]

What is the average American thinking ?

I know some are thinking they want free gas, free roads and for everyone on the road to get out of their way. Is that what you mean ?

not being an average American nor an American for that matter I am only speculating. But I bet dollars to donuts they aren't thinking.....hey I don't pay enough for gas....I sure hope gas prices go up......I think the gov't should intervene and take even more of the shitty little salary that I get in this post recession economy.

just guessing though

[Keith_McClary]

Donar, February 24, 2012

[Beery1]

If true it seems to demonstrate the Obama admin just doesn't understand what the average American is thinking.

How do you know what the average American is thinking? If he's smart, he's scared witless that our addiction to gasoline is going to force us to extinction. I welcome high gas prices - the higher the better, as the sooner we stop using gasoline, the better off we are as a species.

But I doubt the average American is that smart. The average American watches reality TV, eats at McDonalds and believes that Christianity supports circumcision - i.e. he can't even get his superstitious nonsense right. The average American is a grade 'A' moron. Who cares what he thinks?

[Pops]

The Average American believes whatever headline he hears on his favorite ditto channel. In this case
"US Administration likes high gasoline prices". It's like hamburger on white bread, pre-digested.

What the AA never does is read past the article that starts with "Commentary" to read what was actually said:

“We agree there is great suffering when the price of gasoline increases in the United States, and so we are very concerned about this,” said Chu, speaking to the House Appropriations energy and water subcommittee. “As I have repeatedly said, in the Department of Energy, what we’re trying to do is diversify our energy supply for transportation so that we have cost-effective means.”

“But is the overall goal to get our price” of gasoline down, asked [(R) congressman] Nunnelee.

“No, the overall goal is to decrease our dependency on oil, to build and strengthen our economy,” Chu replied. “We think that if you consider all these energy policies, including energy efficiency, we think that we can go a long way to becoming less dependent on oil and [diversifying] our supply and we’ll help the American economy and the American consumers.”

Way too many words for the AA attention span.

[seahorse3]

In theory, high prices will cause the transition to a new fuel source, so, let's roll.

[dolanbaker]

In theory, high prices will cause the transition to a new fuel source, so, let's roll.

Or the reversion to a previous one!

[rockdoc123]

well, again, I'm not an average American or even an American but I am having a hard time believing that the average American would actually appreciate increasing pump prices.

Perhaps you 'mericans need to explain to this Caledonian transplant what the average American really is.
I can tell you one thing from my own observations is that he is neither a high-minded environmentalist who sees his role in saving the world through personal sacrifice, nor is he an ignorant hillbilly as suggested by one dimwit here. For the most part I suspect the average American is someone who is attempting to get by in trying times. They support a family, they may or may not struggle to do so. They are concerned first and foremost with making sure they have food, clothing, shelter, a job to help provide those and means of transportation to get to that job. Increasing fuel prices are bottom line to them. They can't afford to have higher ideals.

But again, perhaps I am completely wrong and wait instruction.

[dinopello]

Perhaps you 'mericans need to explain to this Caledonian transplant what the average American really is.

The average American doesn't really exist or is irrelevant. It's like judging a place by the average weather - the average hardly ever happens, its either rainy or sunny. There are factions and belief systems and the politicians job at the national level is to triangulate. Even Rick Perry spoke for a faction

[Pretorian]

Maybe Obama respects the intelligence of the American people, and is hesitant to deliver impossible promises? Nah. He's a Muslim.

USA obviously could lower the price of oil by making other oil buyers poorer or dead, or by taxing oil producers. Oil price can be regulated with missiles quite easily.

[BasilBoy]

Perhaps you 'mericans need to explain to this Caledonian transplant what the average American really is.

The average American doesn't really exist or is irrelevant. It's like judging a place by the average weather - the average hardly ever happens, its either rainy or sunny. There are factions and belief systems and the politicians job at the national level is to triangulate. Even Rick Perry spoke for a faction

Perhaps a more appropriate term is a normal American. Norms certainly exist and the normal American is one that works some ^%#$ job that contributes to trying to keep this house of cards afloat. Some make more money than others but most jobs aren't actually working towards a solution. Rather, they're part of the problem. These normal Americans don't have time to understand what's going on and are often too tired from work that they just throw on the TV and watch the corporate propaganda. They know high gas prices will make their lives more difficult, so they assume high oil prices are bad. If they read that the current President is responsible and they want to exercise their useless right to vote...they just might get off their armchair and vote for any opponent. They then feel like they've helped contribute to a solution when all that they've done is nothing...

[Plantagenet]

Maybe Obama ....is hesitant to deliver impossible promises? Nah. He's a Muslim.

Nah...Obama can pander with best of them.

After all, he spent much of the 2008 campaign promising to lower gasoline prices. Since Obama campaigned in 2008 by promising to lower the price of gasoline, surely its fair for his opponents to point out that gas prices have instead doubled since Obama took office.

[pstarr]

Plant, I have no recollection that Obama "spent much of the 2008 campaign promising lower gasoline prices." References please?

The EIA just concluded that high oil prices are a function of the supply/demand equation, in particular troubles in Syria and Sudan (?) So as the EIA is an Executive Branch adjunct, and at least under the titular authority of Obama, I suppose it is reasonable to conclude that the Obama and his Evil Democrats are guilty of the supreme evil; the TRUTH.

I get so tired of the YAP CLASS blaming anything but peak oil. But It seems we can now discount previous responsible parties; Keystone Pipeline Hippies, Iran, Evil Speculators, fear of an iranian/israeli war, Corrupt Oil Companies, Spineless Environmentalists, Liberal who hate our freedom, et. al. and consider truth. we are burning through our precious oil. How refreshing!

[Plantagenet]

In 2008 while campaigning against high gas prices, Obama boasted about being " the president who will free this nation from the tyranny of oil once and for all.”

Obama read those words from his teleprompter in 2008 with great feeling, but he has utterly failed to deliver on his teleprompter's promises. The tyranny of oil remains in place and today, instead of talking about freeing the US from oil, Obama now boasts about the increasing oil production in North Dakota.

[pstarr]

In 2008 Obama boasted about being " the president who will free this nation from the tyranny of oil once and for all.”

Obama read those words from his teleprompter with great feeling, but he has failed to deliver on his teleprompter's promises.

that was a campaign speech, he didn't say it as you quoted it. Go look it up, or better yet; have one of your fellow republican-operative interns look it up.

[babystrangeloop]

Did TPTB deliberately plant Obama in office because they knew whoever was there would be the fall guy for peak oil? DId they want to put a particular type of face in front of the inevitable conditions?

[pstarr]

Did TPTB deliberately plant Obama in office because they knew whoever was there would be the fall guy for peak oil?

so did the TPTB plant Bush in office during the 2005 C/C peak? or Nixon for the 1972 US peak? But then would TPTB really need a "fall guy?" After all, they are TPTB

[Sixstrings]

The EIA just concluded that high oil prices are a function of the supply/demand equation..

It took a blue ribbon panel to figure that out?

Monetary inflation is another factor though, but at the core is peak oil combined with rising Asian demand -- then the speculators pile in with the free money they get handed from the Federal Reserve.

I suppose it is reasonable to conclude that the Obama and his Evil Democrats are guilty of the supreme evil; the TRUTH.

Well they're not really saying "the truth." The truth is is that we're now at the short end of the globalist free trading bullsh*t stick. The truth is that Repubs and Dems have both sold the nation out with these past decades of offshoring and the bill has come due. The real truth is, "get ready to live like Chinese."

Obama can't really come out and say that, so he just says "it's a world market," and "the Chinese want that oil too."

This is definitely a marked difference in presidential response to high gas prices. I remember Bush, he went over to Saudi and begged and begged -- but didn't come home with any more oil. So now Obama, this is a change basically it's "what can you do, that Indian in Punjab who took your job wants a car." Meanwhile Obama is pushing a Pacific-wide NAFTA, gee thanks let's really kick America while she's down.

To be clear, Mitt Romney is no alternative -- what Obama has been doing are REPUBLICAN polices. Republicans and corporatist Democrats, they're are *exact same thing*, they're globalist free trade dealing offshoring capitalists.

I get so tired of the YAP CLASS blaming anything but peak oil.

I agree. I've been noticing some recognition of peak oil, just read an article that mentioned "oil supplies that can barely keep up with rising world demand." They don't come out and say the words peak oil but it means the same. Funny thing by the way is that demand in the US is DOWN BIG TIME and yet the prices keep climbing.

I think the US is heading for a Greece situation, where we'll be suffering and suffering but nobody really cares -- it's a Chinese century now, their demand will continue to rise even if we Americans are all pushing rickshaws. There's nothing we can do, no matter how much we cut back demand will keep growing from the rest of the world, as Obama said "it's a world market." Romney wants that keystone pipeline but guess what -- the oil would still be exported.

[pstarr]

"get ready to live like Chinese." if we are lucky. The Chinese, previously conservative communists, are better suited for an energy-constrained post-peak world with an infrastructure still vastly less dependent on gas-guzzling automobile. Our great tragedy is we discovered and built around cheap oil first. american empire is over. the world will be a safer place when americans wake up to the truth.

[babystrangeloop]

Did TPTB deliberately plant Obama in office because they knew whoever was there would be the fall guy for peak oil?

so did the TPTB plant Bush in office during the 2005 C/C peak? or Nixon for the 1972 US peak? But then would TPTB really need a "fall guy?" After all, they are TPTB

1. Nixon during the 1971ish US peak - nobody had ever seen anything like it before. How could anyone know the need to plant a fall guy?
2. Bush during the 2005 C/C peak - who better to plant than a someone who could play the theatrical games and entice the wealthy and had some basic understanding about oil?
3. Obama in 2008 - who better to take the fall than a black man?