A recent Op-Ed piece in The New York Times said that high gas prices are good for the nation. The writer – Thomas L. Friedman – basically said that Americans have been spoiled for too long and we should keep gas prices high. Apparently, we need to be taught a lesson if you ask Mr. Friedman. Here are a few other highlights from his piece:
• There is no short-term fix for the oil crisis.
Well, I’m sorry to say, but there are many fixes for the oil crisis. Sure, long-term solutions are still a few years away. But we’re letting China drill near our own shores. Why can’t we do offshore drilling?
• Auto dealers offering gas deals are the moral equivalent to tobacco companies marketing toward teenagers.
Huh? First of all, adults are buying the cars and they have every right to make the decision about what type of car they want to buy. If it has a gas deal with it, that’s just a bonus. Who is he to say we shouldn’t be able to buy the cars we want?
• There should be a “price floor” on gasoline to where it won’t drop below $4 a gallon.
Wow! So now this guy is telling us we should never go before $4 a gallon just to “punish” us for our irresponsible use? Who is this guy anyways? He also went on to say that if the price ever drops below that price, the federal government should create a tax that ensures it goes above $4 a gallon for good.
Well, I for one am not falling for it. I’ll drive my Ford trucks until the day I die. And “holier than thou” people like this only make me want to drive it more.
