Gaslighting On Gas Prices

Michael Shellenberger on how politicians like Gavin Newsome try to get away with blaming others for the consequences of their policies. 

Part of me would just like to see California secede from the Union to be done with their craziness. Part of me is looking forward to Gavin Newsome running for President so that other Democrats can skewer him for his ridiculous policies, like raising taxes on gas to fight high gas prices, in a way the the Democrats and media in California never dared to do. 

Why Are Gas Prices Falling?

Article looks into the possible reasons why gas prices have started to fall over recent weeks.  While I agree with the idea that prices are falling because of a drop in demand (people are driving less) - I have major issues with much of the reasoning.

First off - the article never addresses why gas prices have doubled since July of 2020. To truly understand why prices are falling you must first understand why prices doubled in the first place.

Second the example of a family renting an RV for vacation is pure ivory tower BS. In the real world higher gas prices coupled with across the board inflation (the word inflation does not appear anywhere in the article) mean people's budgets are stretched thin and people are driving less. Yes many people are doing "staycations" instead of vacations but many families are also forced to take second jobs to make ends meet with no vacations at all. 

At least the BS excuse of higher gas prices are somehow Vladimir Putin's fault seems to have been dropped by all involved. If Putin was to blame for higher prices - shouldn't Russia - not Joe Biden get credit for the dropping prices now?

HT Instapundit

Energy Independence Matters

HT Instapundit

Biden and Oil: Destroy America in Order to Save It

VDH on the Biden Administration energy "plan."

Like much of the administration's policies  it's mostly pandering fantasy untethered from reality. Problem is its average Americans paying the price - in this case at the pumps.

Catastrophic Scenario For Diesel Emerging According To World's Biggest Energy Traders

Reading the article I don't see where the diesel shortages will be "catastrophic" - but it will be a problem - mostly for Europe. 

As bad as the gas price increases have been since January 20, 2021 - the increases in the price of diesel has been even worse. The more it costs for a trucker to fill his rig the more they pass on those cost increases down the line which increases the cost of the goods they are delivering. You want inflation? Because that's one way you get inflation.

Truth

Via

Heh Heh

Also waiting for that first story of a person trying to siphon gas from an RV but they put the hose into the wrong tank (if you know what I'm saying).

HT The View from Lady Lake

The Price of Gas

No idea how reliable the data used for the above map is but it does illustrate that the problem of high gas prices effect all nations. You would think the political maxim "Its the economy stupid!" would apply but in some countries, like the US ,some politicians actively make lower gas prices harder to obtain. Higher gas prices also make the price of almost everything go up. It makes no sense and makes life harder on the very people the politicians are supposed to represent.

Map via.

Funny Because It's True!

Via

The Scream by Brandon

Via

OK - This Made Me Laugh

Via

Biden Did That!

HT Cultural Offering

It's Much More Than a Supply Chain Issue

They say the first step is to admit you have a problem. America has a problem. Actually several - but they are all inter-related. Joel Klotkin does a good job of laying out some of the issues in this Slow Boat from China article.

Yes there is a supply chain issue. But having to wait on key components because the pandemic has upset the global shipping is just part of the problem. First companies adopted JIT (Just in Time) production policies to keep inventories low and boost the bottom line. Then companies moved production abroad because costs were lower and the "elites" of the coasts were preaching "globalization."  All three of these issues are inter-related but are all solvable.

The first step is self-sufficiency. We were energy independent until the Biden Administration made some stupid decisions because of "optics." The increase in gas prices ($1-2 per gallon increases pretty much in every state) coupled with the worst inflation since Jimmy Carter has wiped out any wage gains made by the lower and middle classes in this country. Going back to the policies that made us energy independent in the first place is the first step. 

Companies now realize that supply chain vulnerabilities are not worth the shrinking costs savings JIT and off-shoring provided. Moving production back home (or closer to home) is good business and good for the US economy as a whole.

"My name is America and I have an economics problem." "Hi America!" Now let's get onto the other steps toward economic recovery.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The Obama Administration wanted higher gas prices because they reasoned people would then drive less and thus release less carbon emissions. The Biden Administration got higher gas prices simply through incompetence... In my will when I die all of my books are being donated to the Library of Congress just like Thomas Jefferson did. (Just kidding - I don't plan on ever dying)... If you argue that the Biden Administration also wanted higher gas prices to reduce carbon emissions then what about higher food prices? Did they want people to eat less? Hunger builds character? Are you really going to go with that reasoning?... The NBA and other pro sports leagues need to reverse the trend to add more and more teams to the playoffs and actually have fewer teams qualify instead. The regular season for the NBA has become a joke. Paying to attend a regular season NBA game has become a waste of money - like attending an NFL pre-season exhibition game...  

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Heh Heh - Funny because it's true 

- VDH - Hitting Woke Herd Immunity?

- In wake of outages, Tesla plugs secret battery into Texas grid.

- Morgan Housel - The Fed Isn't Printing as Much Money as You Think

Gas Prices

James Woods posted this picture of gas prices in California 10-days ago. Today I got gas in Maine and it cost me $2.14 a gallon for regular. What are the people in California getting for that extra $2.86 per gallon they are paying for regular? Anything?

If the government of any New England state tried to raise the price to $5 per gallon there would be an immediate tax revolt.

And if they were successful in raising it to $5 - the economy of that state would immediately implode as family budgets were thrown out of whack and people packed up and moved.

$5 per gallon for gas? That's insane.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Newt Gingrich's campaign's check to get on Utah ballot bounces. Talk about your metaphors.

Gas prices will be President Obama's soft underbelly. He can't spin the story he's been telling and when / if he caves on the Keystone XL pipeline then he will have to answer for why he waited so long.

Shamefully enjoyable collection of people simulating masturbation at sport events. Sometimes I'm as mature as  a 12-year old.

Speaking of masturbation - the size of Internet porn sites is just staggering. Consider that YouPorn is six times larger than the networks owned Hulu. 

$45 million later - James Bond now drinks skunky beer

10 Famous actors who have advanced degrees

Top 5: Game Change

I watched the HBO original series Game Change last night and for what it's worth - here's my Top 5 impressions:

1. Sarah Palin (as portrayed) did come off as ignorant when it came to international politics and history. But as bad as the semi-fictionalized account was she still wasn't Wolf Blitzer in real life on Jeopardy stupid.
2. John McCain came off as very Presidential. If the goal of the show was to make people think, "Thank God we didn't elect Palin" I think they failed because I think overall the show made people see John McCain as a good, decent man who in hindsight was better prepared to be President than Barack Obama.
3. Barack Obama was portrayed only with real clips of the real Obama. As I mentioned above - the overall impression the show gave was that Obama wasn't prepared to be President. The Republicans would be wise to make The Who's Don't Get Fooled Again their campaign anthem.
4. The show mentioned the impact of YouTube on the campaign. This election cycle that will work against Obama because John McCain's campaign ads still hold up very good against Obama (like this one that was Nostradamus like on gas prices) and Obama's own campaign promises and ads won't go down the memory hole.
5. I called it a semi-fictionalized account above because it is clear the writers took many liberties with the truth.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Obama Team leaks that VP Biden will officially begin campaign role next week. Mitt Romney finally gets some good news.

Victor Davis Hanson on Obama's failed energy policies. The price of gas at the pump will be a big campaign issue and Obama can't do anything to fix his failed policies at this point.

Where the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster came from

Heh heh - this cartoon explains it perfectly

Very cool story of a lobster boat captain who learned to read at 91 and published a book at 98

40 years of Las Vegas urban sprawl as seen from space

The very definition of tragic - Green Beret dies trying to save daughters in house fire

Gas Prices

Credit where credit was due. John McCain was right about gas prices and Barack Obama.