The Minds Of Many DUers Have Been Colonized By The Mass Media -Victims Of News Cycles

I just paid $42.00 to get my tank filled up. But the high cost of gas prices are rarely discussed here. Why? 'Cause the mass media isn't talking about it. They're dealing with Rosie and Donald today so there's a lot of discussion on DU about Rosie and Donald. Many of us are prisoners of the mass media, with minds dwelling inside the jails on the contents of a 24 hour news cycle. If high gas prices are being discussed on CNN or MSNBC it will be here. While I'm gaining momentum in this rant I might as well say that many of us dabble in politics here in a kind of dilettantish way.

 We express anger at the evils of this world , but like most liberals, we do not offer a fundamental analysis of social, political, and economic problems, and, consequently, cannot offer real solutions to real problems.
The staggering increase in gasoline prices is taking an enormous toll on working families in the US, whose paychecks are already being eaten up by a host of other rising costs, from health care, to education, to housing and food. Of course you won't see this in the corporate owned mass media.

What many of us do not get is that Underlying this crisis is the fundamental contradiction between the development of the productive forces and the social relations of the capitalist profit system, which finds its starkest expression in the maintenance of a petroleum-based economy that every day becomes more incompatible with human needs and life itself.

While the oil companies and their apologists in Washington have blamed world crude oil prices and environmental regulations for the price hikes, the chief cause is profiteering by oil companies, which are posting record windfalls. Over the last decade, there has been a wave of mergers and consolidations in the oil industry, allowing a handful of monopolies to tighten their grip on supplies, manipulate production levels and drive up prices. The present crisis is the result not of some natural working out of the laws of the market, but rather of definite decisions made by corporate executives who have immense personal interest in the matter.

 In the 1990s, oil producers complained of too much refining capacity, not too little, and an "oversupply" of oil that was driving down profit margins. The industry responded by shutting down 25 refineries in the US since 1995 and cutting capacity by 830,000 barrels a day. In addition, competitors conspired to control the amount of oil and gas on the market, eliminate independent producers and consolidate control of supply and pricing in the hands of the oil monopolies.

The rising gas prices prompted politicians (Democrats and Republicans alike) to call for investigations a few months back - remember folks? - into price gouging and, in some cases, even sought to legislation to impose a "windfall profit tax" on the oil companies. Not a thing came out of this posturing, which was strictly for public consumption.

Under conditions in which the living standards of hundreds of millions of working people in the United States are being driven down by the soaring price of fuel, immediate action must be taken to bring the cost of fuel under control.
At the same time, the larger task of developing alternative energy sources and confronting the mounting threat posed by global warming cannot be postponed.

Neither a short-term answer to the present crisis over gas prices, nor the longer-term solution to replacing an unsustainable petroleum-based economy is possible outside of a direct assault on the capitalist profit system and the powerful social, financial and political interests that are behind the policies of Big Oil.

Liberals tend to whine and complain about corporate greed but are timid when it comes to advocating actual solutions. What is needed is a policy that places social needs before profit interests. What we need is an immediate capping of gas prices for individual consumers and small to medium-sized businesses at $1.50 per gallon.

The exploitation of the energy needs of the American people in the interests of corporate profits and the private accumulation of wealth must be halted. The actions of Big Oil must be approached objectively for what they are: criminal, anti-social behavior. Criminal investigations must be initiated into the practices of the giant oil companies, including the auditing of the personal accounts of all leading executives. The massive profits recorded by the oil companies during the past year as well as the obscene multi million-dollar compensation packages paid out to executives must be expropriated and placed in a publicly controlled fund.

These short-term measures must be combined with a fundamental change in the financial structure and organization of the energy industry. The American people and, in fact, the people of the world are being held hostage to the profit interests of vast energy conglomerates that threaten the globe with declining living standards, environmental destruction and war. It is necessary to break this stranglehold by nationalizing the energy conglomerates, that is, converting ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, etc., into publicly owned and democratically controlled utilities.

This would begin to make available the financial resources that are needed for launching an internationally coordinated, multitrillion-dollar effort to develop alternative energy sources and confront the danger posed to the environment and mankind's future.
In opposition to the deliberate "fixing" of the market to enrich the wealthy elite, the exploration, development and use of energy supplies must be guided by a rational international plan that is publicly debated and democratically approved by the working class. This plan must meet the needs of the world's people for low-cost, environmentally safe and renewable energy.

In their efforts to secure vast profits, the energy monopolies and the auto industry have long conspired to prevent the development of reliable public transportation, and, in the past have dismantled existing transit systems. A rational plan for energy use must include the pouring of billions of dollars into urban mass transit and light-rail systems, as well as developing fuel-efficient vehicles.
These ideas are not utopian but absolutely necessary for the future of humanity. They require, however, that working people assert that their rights to a decent standard of living, secure jobs, a clean environment and a future free from war take precedence over the profits and property rights of the America's ruling elite.

To achieve this, the working class must rise up and take over the Democratic Party to end the monopoly of the two big business parties and the outmoded and bankrupt capitalist system they defend.

These are real solutions to real problems. Anything else is like putting a band aid on cancer.  Many liberals have medicine cabinets full of nothing but band aids. We need real medicine. I'm not saying anything that a left leaning New Dealer wouldn't have said in 1938 to confront the problems of 2006. That this sounds so radical shows how far to the right the U.S. has gone since then.

To hell with this crap here about Rosie and Donald. Let's get real. Let's take over the Democratic Party for the good of the working people of America who built this country and who are now watching the rich get richer while they get poorer. I hope you are just as pissed off about high gas prices as I am. Brothers and sisters, let's raise a little hell! Let's break out of the jails of mind imprisonment by the oppressive, insultingly superficial, and mind numbing 24 hours news cycle. Let's tell Big Oil and the politicians that we're not going to take it anymore! Write your Representatives. Write letters to the editor. Picket gas stations. Organize selective boycotts of Big Oil companies. Turn off the TV! Tell Big Oil and the politicians to f*ck off!
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I don't quite think so. We changed the control of congress through action. Where are you coming from?

Whine and complain?

The whining and complaining I've heard about is from conservatives who don't believe W is one of them.

You also edited the sentence and quoted it out of context.

"Liberals tend to whine and complain about corporate greed but are timid when it comes to advocating actual solutions."

He's right. They attack the GOP aggressively to seem like an opposition but in many cases the policy is so close it's obviously just theater. WWE politics slam fest.

"We changed the control of congress through action."

Action on corporate greed? Do tell... Like the OP said, their fixes if they have some, will be like a bandaid on a cancer. They won't touch the root of the problem. They'll work about as hard as the republicans, corporations and media to keep it out of public discourse.

Edit: I don't intend to direct all this at you, but I got to thinking so I'm writing for the audience.

I'll be happy to be proven wrong, but I think the most surprising thing about possible democratic control of the government in the near future, to some of us at least, will be how few real important changes are on the table and how many democrats won't seem to have much problem with that (or will get hostile when it's mentioned). Both political parties are well to the right of the public on most issues, as long as the democrats are republican lite instead of opposition these will continue to be valid criticisms.

Most of these suits have about dick in common with me or most people I know or their interests. Unless you are part of the ruling/owning class, they probably don't really have much in common with you either. On the other hand, if I wasn't hopeful (well, I don't know about hopeful, maybe just aware of the importance) that the people could get some sort of control of their government I wouldn't be here.

I'd recommend most people interested in the topic to go to www.democracynow.org and watch pretty much every show this week. This week alone they played speeches by historian Howard Zinn, linguist and scholar Noam Chomsky, former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter, and journalist Seymour Hersh.

Googled and found an interview where Noam Chomsky talks briefly (or as close as he ever is to it :) ) about the subject:

Geov Parrish: Is George Bush in political trouble? And if so, why?

Noam Chomsky: George Bush would be in severe political trouble if there were an opposition political party in the country. Just about every day, they're shooting themselves in the foot. The striking fact about contemporary American politics is that the Democrats are making almost no gain from this. The only gain that they're getting is that the Republicans are losing support. Now, again, an opposition party would be making hay, but the Democrats are so close in policy to the Republicans that they can't do anything about it. When they try to say something about Iraq, George Bush turns back to them, or Karl Rove turns back to them, and says, "How can you criticize it? You all voted for it." And, yeah, they're basically correct.

GP: How could the Democrats distinguish themselves at this point, given that they've already played into that trap?

NC: Democrats read the polls way more than I do, their leadership. They know what public opinion is. They could take a stand that's supported by public opinion instead of opposed to it. Then they could become an opposition party, and a majority party. But then they're going to have to change their position on just about everything.

http://www.chomsky.info/interviews/20051223.htm">More...

Democratic leaders have vowed to investigate how the government collects billions of dollars in royalties on oil and gas.. they've vowed to investigate price gouging --- and they've vowed to investigate everything else you mentioned in your thread.

But hot dayum.. they haven't even been sworn in yet!

"Neither a short-term answer to the present crisis over gas prices, nor the longer-term solution to replacing an unsustainable petroleum-based economy is possible outside of a direct assault on the capitalist profit system and the powerful social, financial and political interests that are behind the policies of Big Oil."

"What is needed is a policy that places social needs before profit interests."

"These short-term measures must be combined with a fundamental change in the financial structure and organization of the energy industry. The American people and, in fact, the people of the world are being held hostage to the profit interests of vast energy conglomerates that threaten the globe with declining living standards, environmental destruction and war. It is necessary to break this stranglehold by nationalizing the energy conglomerates, that is, converting ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, etc., into publicly owned and democratically controlled utilities."

"To achieve this, the working class must rise up and take over the Democratic Party to end the monopoly of the two big business parties and the outmoded and bankrupt capitalist system they defend."

If democrats try to do even half of those things, I'll wear a Larry the Cable Guy shirt around smart people for like a month. Won't happen.

Get 5 or 6 friends, go down to an Exxon-Mobil gas station with homemade signs which say HONK FOR LOW GAS PRICES and 2 signs which say STOP, JOIN US! Tell local TV and press that you're going to do this - you might get lucky and get coverage. We've done it here in LA and we feel one hell of a lot better afterward because of all of those smiles, waves and the sound of horns still ringing in our ears. Who knows, it might just start raising counsciousness. It's better than watching Chris Matthews ask horses*it about whether Hillary has cred as being a good mother!

the other night. They're already blaming Dems for everything before they've even been sworn in.

i think we will see in the near future just how willing the leadership is willing to go up against the corporate democrats.

I just do..

Hey, btw madrchsod.. when you get a free moment, can you please 'splain that spaghetti guy? I keep seeing him all over the place, but don't know the story behind him..

http://www.venganza.org/

Wikepedia has stuff on him as well

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster
Flying Spaghetti Monster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

did Ezekiel see the wheel or was it the fly spaghetti monster? we will never know the truth

I somehow can't see me drapped over it with my big belly, my dress, hose and heels - particularly not on rainy days such as today.

My Mustang gets about 28-30 mpg. I can live with that. :)

$42 to fill up your tank?

I mostly ride a bike and carry groceries and other stuff in the basket attached to the back fender. When I have to drive my Lexus 300 it's on the freeway where it gets 24 miles per gallon. The tank of gas will last me weeks 'cause I work from my home office on the computer and don't have to drive much. But that isn't the point brother. Gas is higher in Los Angeles than in other parts of the country. It's eating severely into the budgets of my kids who have long commutes to and from work.

Now that that's out of the way, how about dealing with the points I made in the post?

(e.g. price gouging, influence of media, alternative energy), I must take issue with one idea. I do not think of the liberals in this country and "whiners and complainers" who are shy to put out ideas. On the contrary, all I hear from liberals are ideas. The problem is....no one is listening.

Why aren't they listening? Because of a long-term campaign to besmirch the entire liberal wing of the Democratic party for decades. Think about it this way: Repblicans get power and the country is all about conservatism; Democrats get power and it is all about bipartisanship. When the hell is it ever time for liberals to have a place at the table?

They do not get one...period, unless they fight like hell and yes, slice a few political throats in the process. The gatekeepers will not acquiesce for less because there is too much money being made and the American people are too easily fooled into voting against their own interests with the help of the corporate media.

That is my take on why there is a paucity of "liberal ideas" in our political discourse.

How do we change this? Like you suggst, take back the party and make it work for us. We have come a long way in the last 4 years, but we have a long way to go. Still, I do not believe that we will rectify some of the more fundamantal problems with our society until liberals are brought to the table, especially the economic populists. There will be a lot of damage and human misery until then, unfortunately.

I also believe in the power of the general strike, but too many cling to their paychecks as a life preserver from economic tempest we have built for ourselves. It is hard to convice them that they are drowning, anyways. That's another problem with liberals getting an ear....we tell the truth, and the truth sucks. We are up against a wall of denial, as well.

At least a couple of people here can deal with the points at issue and not get lost wandering off on some side trail to nowhere. I appreciate the criticism. Now let's do something in our communities!!

(snip)
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 — The United States offers some of the most lucrative incentives in the world to companies that drill for oil in publicly owned coastal waters, but a newly released study suggests that the government is getting very little for its money.
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Apache, via Bloomberg News

The study, which the Interior Department refused to release for more than a year, estimates that current inducements could allow drilling companies in the Gulf of Mexico to escape tens of billions of dollars in royalties that they would otherwise pay the government for oil and gas produced in areas that belong to American taxpayers.

But the study predicts that the inducements would cause only a tiny increase in production even if they were offered without some of the limitations now in place.
(snip)

(snip)
“They are giving up a lot of money and not getting much in return,” said Robert A. Speir, a former analyst at the Energy Department who worked on the report. “If they took that money, they could buy a whole lot more oil with it on the open market.”
(snip)


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/22/washington/22royalty.html?ex=1324443600&en=3c13b8d3062224f4&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

High gas prices almost sound like a petty complaint when you see all the death and destruction in the world over energy.

After all, everything else the same, if we quit spilling blood for more/cheaper oil, prices might rise. It's the fact that the prices are as high as the are to enrich a few winners of the lucky sperm club at the expense of the environment and everything and everyone else. If we had something resembling a reasonable distribution of wealth in this country, or were able to reduce the cost directly to consumers by nationalizing, I don't think people would mind paying higher gas prices if some of the money went to, well, not kill for cheaper gas, repairing/limiting the environmental damage fossil fuels cause, and researching alternative fuels. The issue is bigger then just the gas, it's exacerbated by class and the class war and about a million other things. Neither party will touch the root of it though for reasons I said in a post up near the top of this thread.

never a word about the obscene profits made by the oil companies...
look over there - not over here! and we fall for it every time.
the american public has a very limited attention span at this point.
i think that's the most important problem of all...

you hit a lot of important points in your post. a very comprensive
list and good suggestions ... thanks very much!

We in the US use +20% of the worlds energy and have only 5% of the worlds population.

Parts of the rest of the world want be be "just like us".

Many oil producing countries are now nationalizing energy resources and will be using them as political leverage. China is making deals right and left for oil.

Many oil producing countries are selling their $ and moving into other currencies. Oil traded in $ has allowed the low US prices so far?

Energy is a political game.


Inflation adjusted gasoline prices:

http://inflationdata.com/Inflation/Inflation_Rate/Gasoline_Inflation.asp


Gasoline prices in parts of Europe are something like 2Xs what they are here? They use less gas.

http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/global_gasprices/


A good site for oil issues:

http://www.theoildrum.com/


Best bet? Conserve? After a likely economic slowdown into next year....oil prices will probably start climbing again (if not before then)....$4 a gallon next year?

I'm glad I can afford it. I only drive 6 miles a day.

And that is not to slam you, but I've seen some very good solutions proffered from various members of our community. The path that I advocate is both good for corporations bottom line, the enviroment, and the ordinary American. Have Congress mandate that within five years(twice the normal time it takes for a full plant retool) all vehicles made or exported to the US are equipped with a biodiesel ready diesel engine. Yes, we can produce enough biodiesel domestically<http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html> using algae as the feedstock. Biodiesel is ninety percent cleaner burning than petroleum based products, prolongs engine life, and the only waste products from refining biodiesel is water and glycerin, which can be used in soap manufacture. As the above article states, it would only require 15,000 square miles of ponds to produce enough algae for our needs, and interestingly enough, this algae production can be linked to wastewater treatment plants, who use ponds growing algae as a first scrubber step in treating wastewater. In addition, the infrastructure alteration needed would be minimal.

I believe that this is a viable solution for our country, and have contacted various people including my reps concerning it. I've written about this here on DU and elsewhere, as have many others. And while yes, it does seem that many folks follow the news of the day, you forget that people can, and do multitask.

Meanwhile, many many DUers are finding their personal answers to minimize gas usage. Personally I either carpool, or if the weather is dry and not too cold, I drive this for my commute. It gets 100mpg, travels at 55-60mph, and is durable as can be.

You've been around for a relatively short while friend, I would suggest that you go dig into the archives and search for the multitude of threads on various energy solutions. Or just stick around and pay attention and you'll see that people here are discussing this problem regardless of the news cycle. Yes, I agree with you about turning off the television, but I think that your calling out the entire board of this issue is wrong, and shows how little you have been paying attention. Peace, and welcome to DU:hi:

on media-generated "news" about celebrities is discouraging. If DUers can't escape the trap of considering the Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnel situation to be worth more than half a millisecond of their brain processing time, what hope is there for the rest of the nation?