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PeakOil is You

PeakOil is You

The 1973 Oil Embargo

What's on your mind?
General interest discussions, not necessarily related to depletion.

Unread postby Permanently_Baffled » Sat 25 Sep 2004, 12:27:48

I am not old enough to remember the early 70's oil shocks, did the price of gas increase or was it just left to 'sell out' at its normal price?

Also I read a big part of the problem was that the suez canal couldn't be used and so the tankers had to go the long way round the cape of good hope. Also there wasn't the supertankers available that we had today. Would these factors of multiplied the effects of a 5% shortage in oil supply?

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Unread postby MonteQuest » Sat 25 Sep 2004, 13:34:56

I was 22 at the time living in San Diego. Depending on whether the last number on your license plate was odd or even determined the day you could get gas. I saw gas lines two miles long at some stations. People would camp out the night before in their cars to be first in line. Not all stations had gas. People hoarded. You couldn't buy a gas can anywhere. The old jerry-cans from WWII sold like hot cakes! People fought over position in line. Wealthy people tried to buy themselves a spot in line. Sometime you would wait hours in line and then the gas station would run out.
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Unread postby k_semler » Sat 25 Sep 2004, 14:03:38

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Hawkcreek', 'I')n 1973, an automobile and plenty of gas to burn was thought to be every Americans god-given right. Kind of amusing in hindsight.


And when did this change? Every day when I get off work, I see the parking lot at work completely full. This parking lot holds over 350 vehicles. There has not been a day that this parking lot is not close to full. I look out my window at my house, and I see not three vehicles, but 5 vehicles, and only three people live near me. When did the attitude of, "Who cares? I want it. Live for today! There is a sale at Wal*Mart!" change?

I feel that consumerism has gone to far, and I honestly am sick of the non-stop bombardment of advertisement. Yes, eliminating television from my life has reduced it drastically, but I work at a retail chain, (hint: the largest one in the world, and we have 4.32 billion dollars of inventory just in our store), and I see nothing but advertisements on the job. Not to mention that the WMTV feed is broadcast throughout the whole store even during the 3rd shift, (which I work). The only time I am not subjected to advertisements is when I have my radio tuned to either the BBC, CRI, or NZI. Other than that, I am constantly deluged with advertisements by greedy corporate clowns that only want my money while promising a false sense of satisfaction until the new product line is released.

If for no other reason, this is the reason I want the modern society to completely collapse upon its self. I am sick of the incessant propaganda from the corporatist empire promoting a "New And Improved*" way of life just for purchasing a product that will probably be disposed of in 3 years. The corporate sponsored attitude of "keeping up with the joneses" actually fulfilling a purpose in life is nothing but a false promise. I submit that a class action law suit be filed on behalf of the "consumers" for false advertisement by every corporation in America. This false teaching is even by the highest levels of our government. After 9/11, president bush urged the population to go shopping to stimulate the economy. Suddenly an act of self-indulgent consumption became patriotic. I do not agree that consumerism is patriotic, but I agree that it is pathetic. It is a sad state of affairs when wasting money on disposable goods, (which virtually everything is now), is considered a fulfilling experience. Fahrenheit 451 meets Brave New World.

We need the old form of capitalism back, not this new global "community" of corporate giants paying their employees poverty wages. There needs to be competition on more aspects than price alone. Yes, a S/W radio may cost more from C. Crane company than from Radio Shack, but C. Crane actually produces durable quality products while providing decent pay for their employees, yet their products are more expensive. (my radio cost me $259.00 for an entry level model). The only advantage Radio Shack has is price. I can purchase a "decent" entry level model for about $40.00, yet the warranty is only 90 days, and the employees who sell it to me are only making minimum wage. Since C. Crane actually realizes that their employees need a decent wage, and provides a quality product, (my warranty is three years), I am more than willing to pay four times the amount for my radio.

Communism: Evil imposed upon man, perpetuated by man.
Corporatism: Gluttony imposed upon man, perpetuated by man.
Here Lies the United States Of America.

July 04, 1776 - June 23 2005

Epitaph: "The Experiment Is Over."

Rest In Peace.

Eminent Domain Was The Murderer.
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Unread postby MonteQuest » Sat 25 Sep 2004, 14:20:57

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')e need the old form of capitalism back, not this new global "community" of corporate giants paying their employees poverty wages. There needs to be competition on more aspects than price alone.


Good post k_Semler. Capitalism must have growth and change in order to operate. The engine of capitalism is driven by wealthy investors who put their money into the economy in order to increase their wealth. If the economy offers no growth opportunities, then investors withdraw their money and the whole system collapses. A minor collapse is called a recession, and a major collapse is called a depression. Propaganda myth tells us that capitalism and free enterprise are one and the same thing. They are not. Under free enterprise a business can provide a service or product, make a profit in the process, and continue on stably for many years. Under capitalism such a business would be considered a failure—it does not provide a growth opportunity for an investor. Under capitalism, society is forced to continually destroy old ways of doing things and adopt new ways—not because it is good for society but because that is how wealthy investors can increase their wealth still further. That’s why General Motors and Firestone banded together to destroy excellent urban transit systems throughout the U.S. in the 1940s and 1950s—so that people would be forced to convert to automobiles and create growth for the automobile, tire, and petroleum industries.

We need a return to 'free market", while actually paying the true cost of goods when we purchase them, i.e., pollution and true energy costs. Ban commercial advertisement. Make things to last. Like my post: A Culture of Quantity to a Culture of Quality.

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Unread postby k_semler » Sun 26 Sep 2004, 23:44:04

I agree with your post completly, especially the banning of commercial advertisment. Advertisement is the bane of modern society. On the internet, advertisement can be tastefully done where it does not interfere with the content, (like here on peakoil.com, cnn.com, bbc.co.uk, or slashdot.org), or it can be a determent to the content as it is on Yahoo!, Nytimes.com, or millions of pornography sites. Non-interfering advertisement on billboards, television, and radio do not exist unless you count product placement as a form of tasteful advertisement. Unlike the internet, when an advertisement is broadcast on the radio, it interferes with the content of the program that is being aired. About the closest to tasteful advertisment that I have heard on the radio is on Coast to Coast AM when either George Noory or Art Bell read the second segment of advertisments per half hour.
Here Lies the United States Of America.

July 04, 1776 - June 23 2005

Epitaph: "The Experiment Is Over."

Rest In Peace.

Eminent Domain Was The Murderer.
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Unread postby dmtu » Mon 27 Sep 2004, 00:33:22

I was only five at the time but I can remember the lines for gasoline only from television. I lived near Portsmouth, OH at the time and while I'm sure the prices went up we never had to wait in line or even saw a line. I suppose I would attribute this to living in a lightly populated area.
You observed it from the start
Now you’re a million miles apart
As we bleed another nation
So you can watch you favorite station
Now you eyes pop out your sockets
Dirty hands and empty pockets
Who? You!
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