Of course you must keep in mind that I am a retired engineer, living in the Smoky Mountains, who drives 10 miles to town once a week for groceries; these facts make it possible for me to develop a Solomon like understanding of reality from an Archimedean point of view.
Quickie from Wiki—“An Archimedean point is a hypothetical vantage point from which an observer can objectively perceive the subject of inquiry, with a view of totality. The ideal of “removing oneself” from the object of study so that one can see it in relation to all other things, but remain independent of them, is described by a view from an Archimedean point.”
Does $4 gas signify the beginning of the ending of a civilization of adolescent life styles divorced from the reality principle? Does it presage the beginning of the ending of a self-absorbed and largely fictional pattern of social behavior?
I doubt it but I can dream can’t I?
This morning I listened to NPR interviewing the mayor of Houston Texas speaking about anticipated efforts for completely remodeling the living and cultural standards of the citizens of Houston in anticipation of creating a city where citizens might work, shop, and live within walking distances of shops, supermarkets, and jobs.
Reality seldom challenges salient points of hero-systems largely because the earth has been so bountiful; natural bounty has thus far allowed Americans to live largely in a world of playful fantasy that may be beginning to crumble around a commercial-military hero-system of fantasy.
Socrates was sentenced to death by hemlock because he tried to awaken the youth of Athenian society to this very reality-principle; he died a hero in the eyes of history because he asked the youth to question their own hero-system.
Will $4 gas lead you to question your own commercial-military hero-system?
So far the only thing that gas prices have affected are travel and eating habits. Its going to have to take a bigger wonk on the head then energy costs to start the shift. But I share the dream in a way, there is always hope.
I have a similar situation - i use my car primarily for purposes of buying groceries or other necessities that arent available within walking distance of my home. I watch with relative indifference as prices rise - it’s a lovely dream to think that people (particularly Americans) will finally learn to respect the real costs of their lifestyles, but truth is, they always seem to manage to find some way of avoiding the necessarry self-confrontation. Offshore drilling, ANWR, middle east occupations, partisan scapegoating, any stopgaps we can think of, however ill advised, will be seized upon and employed in order to keep towel draped over the mirror. That’s human folly in a nutshell, and youre right - that’s eactly what Socrates was warning us against.
Look at England God damn fuel prices! I pay £1.30 per litre thats more than twice what ammericans have to pay! I work as a specialist care worker, which though is very rewarding pays me peanuts. I have to travel 25 miles too and from work everyday as i live in a very rural location. But do I think its a bad thing that fuel prices are going up? No. as anyone who knows me, will know that I think we take far to much from the planet as it is. Im gunna convert to used chip fat and if I ever actually get any money buy an alternative energy car.
But what realy gets my goat, what realy pisses me off, is when ammericans complain that they dont have enough money to run their 5 lanes wide 4x4s through a city because the fuel price might make them miss out on that extra big mac meal!
Eventually very large bombs will start falling much faster than they are now. Even if gas doesn’t go back down, the economy has a way of correcting itself.
We’re paying about $1.60 a litre at the moment, which is twice what we paid 5 years ago. I reckon it’ll be $2 by the end of the year. Luckily I have a 3 cylinder car.
