by Author Name Withheld 145

Created on: August 01, 2008

I think I may be the only person in the United States (and perhaps the world) who is not part of the oil industry but is glad gas prices are soaring.

Here my surely-flawed logic:

Since gas prices are so high - and likely to get higher - as people buy new cars, they will be more likely to opt for the fuel-efficient sedans instead of the gas-guzzling SUVs (why people drove those cars to begin with is beyond me - mostly an indication of how the priorities of the average American are messed up).

And as more people buy these high-mile-per-gallon cars, car makers will be more likely to design their new cars to get better mileage.

This is especially an issue with traditional American-made cars, which care more about speed and power than efficiency and practicality. So, when American car makers make the switch, they will provide competition for foreign car companies. This will, hopefully, cause more people to buy American-made cars.

So this would help the U.S. economy, keep jobs in America, help the environment, save people money, get America's priorities right, bring gas prices back down and put Arrested Development back on the air! (I don't know about that last part, but wouldn't it be great?! It would make the world complete again)

Now, as stated, I'm sure this logic is not airtight. I'm no economist, mechanic or fuel guru. And I realize this process will take years. However, I think the point is clear and I think it's already happening.

It is becoming less chic to drive the 3-mile-per-gallon Humm-scalade. And while many say the reason is because of the environment, I am doubtful that's the case. The environment has been around for a long time. The idea of saving the environment and fighting global warming has been around for a long time. No lie! Al Gore neither invented the fight against global warming (P.C. - climate change) nor the Internet.

No, the real reason - which shouldn't be a surprise to anyone - is money. Americans never change their lifestyles, ideas or morals unless it means more money. And now that all across America, citizens are staring to feel the gas-pump pinch, they are finally starting to realize it may be better to invest in a more fuel-efficient car.

Never mind the hundreds or thousands of dollars they could have been saving over the past decade by driving a car with better gas mileage. Not only would that not have been cool, but what would have been the point? The economy was in great shape! So they had plenty of money to shell out at the Shell station (badI knowfeel free to groan). But now that things don't look so great, people are finally starting to be motivated by the only thing that will do it - money.

So, when it comes to high gas prices, I hope they stay high (although it does sicken me that oil companies are making record profits and doing everything they can to make more money - again, money is the most powerful, and sometimes only, motivator). But I hope people will be smarter about their purchases. I hope they permanently reorder their priorities and realize that bigger and badder isn't always better.

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