Gas Prices Driving You Crazy? At Least No One's Trying to Burn You Up In Your Truck

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The London Evening Standard just published a harrowing report detailing the large-scale, violent fuel protests going on right now all over the world. In more than a few countries, shortages have all but halted the national economies as fishermen, grocers, farmers and truck drivers either refuse or find themselves unable to do their jobs.

You can read about it, but it's the photos that are really sobering: thousands of trucks blockading the road to the Thai capital city of Bangkok; protestors kicking a riot policeman; a lone injured farmer kneeling, arms outstretched, before a line of riot police. In Spain, where things seem particularly bad, a working truck driver narrowly escaped attempts by his striking peers to burn him alive in his cab; in Portugal, farmers say they will have to throw away over half a million gallons of fresh milk because there is no more fuel and no more storage.

This is not happening here in the US. Yes, gas prices are high, and they're disproportionately affecting our country's rural poor. And yes, our leaders continue to suggest startlingly short-sighted solutions. But so far, people seem to have decided to grin and bear it.

Why no riots? I'm not saying truck-burning is the way to go. But the national forbearance that's attended this year's jump in prices is a little unnerving. Even those suffering rural Southerners don't seem angry; just sad and mostly resigned. Have we lost so much faith in our government that we won't even bother demanding action? Or are we just not sure what to demand?

In this case, actually, I think that just registering our anger would be enough. The European and Asian protesters, by voluntarily halting work, are trying to make a point to their governments: that high fuel prices are unsustainable, and that if something doesn't change it won't even be possible for people to continue working. So far, those protests don't seem connected to a call for alternative fuels or transportation networks, but logically those things are the next step. What if people started demanding that the government make a real investment?

Photo used under a Creative Commons license from quarsan.

Comments

I'm an American living in Bratislava, Slovakia. I've been here over a year and just realized that I am paying $8.19 a gallon for gas. Wow! I mentioned this to my very conservative, Republican mother-in-law and she surprisingly said that we will all need to look at alternative fuels in the future. I guess it takes a crisis for people to consider real change.

Posted by: rachel on 06/14/08 at 12:16 AM Respond

Huntington, Vermont is fighting a citizen's request to affix a turbine on her wind tower based on a suit brought by her neighbor , a wealthy out of state attorney, who stays on his Vermont property 6 days a year. Public policy must catch up to reality.

Posted by: sara leggett on 06/14/08 at 12:22 PM Respond

I'm riding my bicycle a lot more,well,maybe not a lot, I ride a lot anyway. I'm going to get a t-shirt made that says on the back, "I'm spending my gas money on beer".

Posted by: dean on 06/15/08 at 7:22 PM Respond

America is on Viagra, but you'd never know it by the gross lack of reaction to higher gas prices and the faltering economy. But who has time to protest when you don't know when your medication might kick in. It seems America has more than just erectile dysfunction. These days, Americans are acting like there's no reason to raise our flag or our voices. We've been numbed into having to have an "enemy" we can hate before we can get riled up over current issues. The Cold War was very useful to us, to our government. If we didn't have the Russians threatening our very existence, where would we be today? Americans are living in a cacoon, if not a coma. We have a false sense of security that is slowly allowing our government to strangle us, or even more aptly, like the frog in a pot of water who can't feel the heat slowly cooking him. If we're waiting for a dirty bomb or another 9/11, forget it. We're dead already. Now, that's a bitter pill to swallow.

Posted by: dadpasadena on 06/15/08 at 10:01 PM Respond

Most people don't read history, or understand geology, or think logically.

So until the gas station down the street closes, or the gas is $5-$10 a gallon when they fill up, the lights are not 'on.'

But look out when the 'light' goes on...

Posted by: Elydog on 06/16/08 at 9:30 AM Respond

Why no riots? We Americans are good Christians and we do not behave in such a manner because Christ taught us to live peacefully with each other. Now, the Law, that is another story.

Posted by: Pastor Leroy Jones on 06/16/08 at 9:36 AM Respond