Whooooo! whooo! chug a chug a chug achug

And we aren't talking about the little train that could.

In a set of emails today, a Friend and I were discussing the price of fuel. There are rumors of $180/brl oil in the near future.(Haven't felt like digging for the actual reports online: no linkie today)

It really doesn't matter much anymore does it?

Someone is going to yell for the Gooberment to do something. They always do.

Then the Gooberment 'does something' and we all know just how well that will work.

My comment to him was about we won't really see much more than $6/gallon gas. We might see it but by then it definitely won't make as much of a difference as you would think.

By that time, Diesel will be well over $7/gallon. Trickle down economics will mean that everything else is 50-75% higher than now (not counting in inflation: this is straight off production and delivery costs) Yet the likelihood of pays rising in accordance is unlikely. By the time we hit $6/gallon, many people will find it cheaper to stay put, raise a small garden and hope for the best. It won't behoove them to go to work when it costs more just to GET to work then they earn. In cases such as mine; the likelihood of 'permanent layoff' is VERY likely. In order to justify my position I would need to carry roughly 200% more product on a daily basis and that isn't possible without increasing the size of the vehicle I drive.(more costs in addition to more fuel usage. Best to cut the loss and struggle through)

But here is the interesting part. Not only will people be buying less gas, (note 1 below) working less (note 2) and eating healthier foods (note 3) BUT the GOVERNMENT of all things will be bringing in less Revenue (here's note 1) due to less fuel sales,(note 2)less revenue from higher unemployment(and more unemployment claims) and Trying to figure out how Micheles ideas of eating healthy are killing the beast.
OK OK, I know I am reaching here. Hell, no matter how any of this 'falls out' its going to be painful on a huge portion of the world. Not just here, but all over. Food is going to get really scarce and only those that foresaw it and prepared are going to be 'not so pained'. Bill has pointed out that some of what is going on in MENA has not one thing to do with oil but the reserves of fresh water stored underground above that oil. We aren't seeing the real pain from that yet, but we are hearing muscle spasms of its nature from out west.

We also know that there is a lot of turmoil over religion in that region. Always has been but it seems to be growing to new levels. I don't know if that is going to stabilize or peak and spill out to other areas(like it has been doing.) Nor do I really wish to contemplate it now. For this to come to America would take a lot of effort though its not all that impossible.

Here is a thought for you. I don't want to sound like some crackpot or whatnot but I have been thinking on this for some time.

Assuming God has 'wash his hands' of guiding the human race (or at least one specific tribe as some have argued) We are making a real mess of things on our own. Also assuming that God has done the above, doesn't mean other entities have.
But lets look at the numbers. World population in 2010 was estimated at 6.91 billion.. This is up from 4.5 billion when I was in highschool in the 80's. Thats a lot of Monkey meat walking on the face of this planet.
Thats a lot of monkey meat that wants stuff. Stuff that isn't going to be sustainable at present levels let alone accounting for projected growth.
Are those other entities attempting to 'thin the herd' or at least set up a situation where the herd thins itself?

Chug a chug a chug a chug. Toooot-tooot!