Open Letter To The Public

Well said... These very scary and true thoughts are as real as our fingertips.

Originally posted by LostNemesis
So you complained when oil reached $2 a gallon.
You got upset and complained louder when it passed $3/gallon.

You decided to sacrifice other things in your life. Perhaps you have given up eating out. Perhaps you've given up Cable TV. Still have a house? Afterall, FOX News says everything is just fine. (They're right, the system is finally working as intended)

Now you are paying $4 per gallon that you put into your vehicle that you've ignorantly decided gives you "freedom".

What more can you sacrifice in your life to further inflate the bank accounts of the greedy? How much of your blood and sweat are you going to hand over, in the name of "freedom" ?

Do you really feel your CAR gives you freedom? Do you really think that it's yours? Not simply a borrowed tool, that the greedy let you hold onto, so that you can keep making massive payments to them??

I know, you continue to support all that is wrong in this world, because you are concerned about the poor oil man's family, and them not yet having enough millions to buy some more yachts or private islands.

Your car is your tool to "freedom"?? YOU are the TOOL. You obediently keep going to work so you can pay these taxes that fund wars and greed. You loyally keep filling your gas tank to make sure some oil corporation CEO can laugh all the way to the bank.

Do you think they care about you? Why dedicate your whole life, most waking hours, to making sure that the greedy will thrive, and wars can continue to be declared, in your name?

I hope that you can sleep at night, with your savings drying up, your family soon going hungry, and world war 3 a very real possibility.

Have you thought about what you can give up next, as the gas prices go higher?

Take as long as you need to think of it. Wait too long, and the choice may already be made for you..........

EDIT: Typo


[edit on 28-5-2008 by LostNemesis]

check out this quote.America touts itself as the land of the free, but the number one freedom that you and I have is the freedom to enter into a subservient role in the workplace. Once you exercise this freedom you've lost all control over what you do, what is produced, and how it is produced. And in the end, the product doesn't belong to you. The only way you can avoid bosses and jobs is if you don't care about making a living. Which leads to the second freedom: the freedom to starve.

reply to post by LostNemesis


The more expensive the oil gets the less room there will be for the wild globalisation.

I think that in the end this energy high prices came for good, wee will polute less, will turn into our smaller communities, cargo won´t be shipped overseas with the same ease as it is now so probably lees exploitation of children and under paid workers there will be... The world will change alot, I think.

In the mean time we will suffer very much because we are not prepared for this type of world.

We are now finally trained and finely tuned to go after the first technological tool that comes out of the market. Hip hip hooray! Every time a new cell phone comes out the line is waiting for the doors to open. Every time a new game system comes out we are waiting in line, camping out and even using weapons or force to get it first. When the new automobile comes out we are first in line to buy it when our earlier vehicle has just been broken in and ready to run another hundred thousand miles. We are first in line when food is short coming or storms are on the way and we wait patiently to buy the store out because we don't think ahead. We will be the first in line when our government says we have to stand in line to get your ration's for the day to survive. We will be the first in line to die because we didn't think for ourselves, we didn't plan for disasters, we didn't save our money, we didn't educate our minds, we didn't stand for true freedom and individuality. We will be the first and hopefully the last to surrender our own instincts to survive and our imaginations to be self sufficient and free!!

[edit on 5/28/2008 by Solarskye]

Hi there I am Johnnyrobbo (reg name) using ex partner's notebook cannot remember my password but anyway.
Here in Australia unleaded has hit 1.60/litre (that's gas in your country) diesel has hit 1.85/litre predictions areit hit $2.50 by xmas.
Indonesia has just pulled out of OPEC because it has'nt the supply for export and the people are rioting because of the prices.
I am of the belief that Peak Oil has been hit and there is no way they would ever make this known as it would cause world wide panic and energy wars.
Australia's dollar is about 96cents to your dollar.

reply to post by acewilliams

While I would love to do just that, I can't afford to do that while raising two kids that I have to be here for. Trust me, I'll be driving much less when I'm off for the summer, and I hope that in that time, the bus system in my area is improved. Thankfully, we have a rideshare program where I work, so I will be looking into that in the fall.

In the meantime, I try to keep my driving to a minimum and I'm trying to get my husband to install water4gas on my car so that I will be using half the gas and creating half the emissions.

I also understand the position of those of you who do not feel that you can do what you'd like because you have children. As I said, I have two. I've considered foregoing Christmas entirely to avoid the whole capitalist theme of it. The oldest one knows what I believe, but he is fed up to the point of just wanting to move to another country. He doesn't understand why we should fight for this country or for our rights. The youngest is still in her own little world, but I'm hoping that she will have a better understanding of these rights having been raised with these values instead of the "more more more" ideals that my son internalized.

If we live with less, it won't be the first time. They will learn the value of a dollar and they will learn the value of their rights. They may not appreciate it now, but they will in time.

Originally posted by derfred33
reply to post by LostNemesis

 

The more expensive the oil gets the less room there will be for the wild globalisation.

I think that in the end this energy high prices came for good, wee will polute less, will turn into our smaller communities, cargo won´t be shipped overseas with the same ease as it is now so probably lees exploitation of children and under paid workers there will be... The world will change alot, I think.

In the mean time we will suffer very much because we are not prepared for this type of world.

I don't think that we can turn back the clock. While I would love to see more people actually do this and start to take responsibility for their communities, I just don't think it will happen just because the price of gas is going up. As Americans, we will bitch, but that will be about all. It's unfortunate, but we are a lazy people.

And let's face it: those in power do not care if we pick up our children on time or lose our homes. . .They're only interested in making more profit. Hell , if they can get us to riot, it will be just that much better for them because then they can turn us all into real slaves for the machine.

To be honest with anyone that is concerned about Gas prices, or the price of oil.

I don't think it's high enough.

And I really think the price of oil going up is going to put the right kind of pressure on the system to develop more abundant, cleaner, cheaper alternatives.

I'm not talking about food for oil, there's plenty of other interesting tech out there in the realm of algae, switchgrass, jatropha that shouldn't compete with food.

I think the price going up now will be better for the world of tomorrow as we will be beyond any real breaking point. That is of course you would rather have cheap oil and gas now and be even more pissed or panicked in a few more years.

We have oil to keep us going, but I think it's uncertain for how long, so why not raise the price, and see what blossoms?

Honda GX-35 engine. Costs like $250.00

Goes on bikes:

Island Hopper.

Street legal. Gets 128 mpg. Goes 30 MPH.

Honda rocks !

reply to post by LostNemesis


You have a well thought out arguement but the minute your bias gets involved it diminishes the action. Why bash fox news, just tonight Orielly called for a boycott and not to buy gas on Mondays. I have heard Bill O. complain about our use of oil and our ties to S.A for years. So when you show your left leaning views you turn people off hurting your on cause. If you would have bases your agruement on facts that cant be disputed then I would have applauded you. Now its just a correction. Learn to debate not fight.

So what will happen when no one can afford gas anymore? Government regulated public transportation? Perhaps government regulated distribution of food and other resources. Perhaps government regulated vehicles, or gas allotments for each citizen, similar to war time rationing of foods. The more we let this problem continue to worsen the more likely it will be that we will lose our specific freedoms. How would my kids get to school in 10 years? How will I get to work? Why is it that when Microsoft has an apparent monopoly in a certain market they are scrutinized and prosecuted but oil is not? I certainly believe that gas and oil is much more of a necessity than Microsoft ever could be. If the common working man cannot afford to put gas in the car, this country will fall apart. This is supposed to be a government by the people, for the people, we're obviously in need and the government is doing nothing to help us, if anything making the situation worse. If gas would stay at 4 dollars a gallon I actually wouldn't be too upset, honestly a steady 4 would be fine with me but it just keeps rising. This is too frustrating to keep ranting about right now...

Perhaps this will be a good thing, market forces working to change the way people travel and move goods around ultimately leading to a greener world.

Previous generations wouldn't of entertained the idea of buying something they couldn't afford, they would have looked for alternatives. Perhaps people should start riding horses and bicycles again?

To me the idea of families going hungry because they cant afford to feed there car is crazy, perhaps they should get a bicycle and take a ryde to work? I bet people used to walk, run and ryde to work over many miles, why not again?

People need to change the way things work and have for a long time, its ironic to see people protesting over fuel prices when countries are spending millions upon millions on war(how much fuel do you think it takes to move all these planes, ships, cars etc)

Communities are living in poverty, countries in famines and wars rage, yet stil the average person does nothing, do we really think there gonna rally and change for the sake of a trip to the petrol station? I think not!

Things will change but that change will be forced not brought on by any public uprising, as my Mum would say "its easy to know the right thing to do, but another to actually do it"



[edit on 29-5-2008 by ioweagle]

here where i am in the uk diesel is currently averaging about 1.32
uk pounds a litre and unleaded about 1.24 UK pounds, problem over here though is the gov are more greedy than the oil companies ,goverment tax on fuel is at 65% so for 5 UKpounds wth of fuel bought at the pump the gov gets about 3.2 UKp and just before the truckers kicked off they were on about raising it higher .some truckers reckon their fuel bill has risen by 3000 UKp first 4-5 months this year already with the oil problems as well as the gov .not good if your in a mega competitive industry your profit margins are 10-20% and your main expense/outgoings is fuel/road tax ,its the independent owner/drivers who come off worst.

there is hope,there are people that want to help us...

www.moveonnewzealand.co.nz...


www.youtube.com...

Originally posted by jalien
reply to post by LostNemesis

 

Learn to debate not fight.

I agree with your post to a good point.

PROMOMAG : also a great post. i can't wait till gas turns into 10,15 or even 20 bucks a gallon. People should actually thank the folks making all this ruckus by speculating the prices to more than double what OPEC even today said is only worth 60 -70 bucks a barrel. Bring the pain. There is no growth without pain

This thread is actually turning me off of the reverse hype that's going on. You add to the panic, you make everything seem bleak and you try to put the reader into a position where they should feel bad to be alive. or use the tools that people provide to be used as pleasure, a way to feel or experience freedom and also utility.

So what all this is happening. Just because you feel gloom and doom doesn't mean you should try to make me or anyone else feel that way.
After so many threads like this, I think ATS should make a new category for people who want to talk about just how crappy life is.

Deal with what's happening, try and teach others to be smarter and move on..

Go ahead and walk, drive your horse and buggy around etc.. I'll drive my car, work for the money to purchase gas and hope and prod myself and others into finding a smarter way. Not make them feel stupid for not inventing the next alternative fuel.

Personally, I don't LIKE the price of gas, I don't LIKE the fact we're sucking it out of the Earth and I don't like so many people around me. But I have a personal life I try to make better in all the ways I can and this situation now is just something I need to deal with but I do it with a positive outlook.

b

reply to post by Karlhungis


check out the strada scooter it get 70 + mpg 1600.00 to your door 99% assembled that price includes shipping

Well, I guess the honest answer to your question about how long will I wait to do something is when it starts to affect me and those around me- my friends and family. That is true, and perhaps selfish, and I acknowledge that. And I am not blind- I do know what is happening as far as job losses, food costs, gas costs, the housing market, etc. And I feel so much for those people who are losing their homes and having trouble putting food on the table. One of my goals with my new job is to give more to food banks. I am not wealthy, by the way. Straight middle class, no frills.

But I just got a job working from home. I do not commute, and therefore don't go through too much gas. I rent my condo, but everyone I know who has a house still has it. And their jobs. As far as food costs I shop primarily at Trader Joes, and have not noticed an increase in prices- yet. I have, however, noticed a difference at Safeway and Bashas. And I only feed myself. With a few exceptions most everyone I know is living just as they have for a long time- still going to dinner, shopping, going to the movies and sporting events, paying for cable TV (which I don't, by choice, haven't had it in at least 10 years), going on vacations and trips, etc. So as far as the everything is just fine approach, for now, in my life, it is. But I am not stupid enough to think it will stay that way.

I am not in any way minimizing what is going on in our ecomony and I am beyond concerned about what lies around the corner. And I have taken steps in my own life to become less reliant on conventional comforts and ways of thinking- for health reasons, environmental reasons, and "just in case TSHTF" reasons.

The gas prices dont piss me off that much just yet. We have been paying much less than our friends across the pond for a long time. The major problem we have right now is POPULATION. We need the black death or a major world war to thin the herd by a few billion at least. If I and my family are part of the thinning than so be it. Our second choice is too take what we need by force. Food prices still are Ok with me and I have 4 kids. I expected the rise in price long ago. More people= less food. Less food= higher prices. Supply and demand. I am lucky enough that a trip this past weekend was great. I drove a total of 1890 miles and it was nice having less traffic. Selfish? Yup...But was easy to get around even a major tourist area. Gas will only go up. 6 bucks prob this time next year. I will pay it HAPPILY since it keeps so many idiots off the roads. Now flying????The cost of that crap is PISSING me off. Fly biz class on BA and tell me you dont get dizzy from the price on your American Express.



[edit on 29-5-2008 by TXMACHINEGUNDLR]

Originally posted by LostNemesis


Have you thought about what you can give up next, as the gas prices go higher?

Take as long as you need to think of it. Wait too long, and the choice may already be made for you..........

Wow! This is so cool!

I had no idea Barack Obama joined ATS!

Welcome aboard, Barry.

Lost Nemesis....you are absolutely right. Unfortunately you could not get enough people to drop out of the system to effectively hurt it. The Lie feels better than the unknown basically