New freeper argument

[wryter2000]

Okay, now I've heard it from two different freepers. "Gas prices are about the same as they've always been. During Carter's administration in the shortage time, gas was .81 a gallon. That's over $2 in today's dollars."

Any thoughts?

[camero]

1. Wages were rising to meet inflation then

Now they are behind and falling further

[Amerpie]

2. Wrong

The previous high ( in real dollars) was during the Reagan administration

[Frederic Bastiat]

9. Yup that was in '81 'round $3 inflation adjusted n/t

[lovedems]

3. Novakula, the douchebag for liberty did the "adjusted for inflation"

gas prices on Crossfire yesterday. It came to over 2$ a gallon. I was young but didn't the high gas prices play a roll in Carter's defeat? I know there was also the hostage crisis.

[Skittles]

4. ask them if they'd say the same thing if Clinton were in office

nt

[rinsd]

5. Based on real dollars(ie: adjusted for inflation)...

I believe they are right about the cost.

However, the highest gas price in real dollars was 1981, so it wasn't Carter.

Handy chart:

http://oregonstate.edu/Dept/pol_sci/fac/sahr/gasol.htm

[Mountainman]

8. Please don't muddy up the discussion with facts!

sarcasm off:

[Mountainman]

6. Per freeper logic bad things only happen during a Dem administration.

It is similar to the "it's Clinton's fault."

Also freeper logic. If something bad happens during a Dem administration it is the Dem president's fault. If something good happens during the Dem administration it is because of some action taken by the last Repub president.
Now if a Repub is president and something good happens it is his doing, but if something bad happens it is the fault of the previous Dem president.

Rule off freeper thumb, bad=Dem, good=Repub. After that you are free to make up your own facts to support that idea.

[Mz Pip]

7. Given inflation

it's true.

Thing is we've become used to low gas prices, so the rapid increase is even more of a shock.



I remember paying about .30 a gallon in 1968. Minimun wage was about .90 an hour. So gas prices really haven't kept up with inflation. This isn't really a freeper argument.

My concern about gas prices is that BushCo is filling the oil reserves at prices that will give his contributors big profits. THis is what happened in CA with the energy crisis. THe energy companies made out like bandits before the prices dropped.

We could cut our dependance on foreign oil if we conserved and used more fuel efficient cars. I honestly don't have much sympathy for the SUV drivers.

MzPip
:dem:

[wryter2000]

13. Thanks for the input

Lots to think about.

For the time being, I just mentioned that $2.239 (the current bargain price here) may be correct as far as inflation goes but it if goes up to $3+ as predicted, that ought to be real enough.

[daveskilt]

10. they could have a better argument if -

If gas had kept pace with inflation across the last fifty years it would actually be even higher priced. this is now my queue to begin my rant about the value of a free market and how republicans screw it up and pervert social justice by supporting farm subsidies and not letting the market do its job....rant

[pinto]

11. could be close. I found one stat, shows $100, 1980 $'s = $49.5, 2003 $'s.

Searched "Ask Jeeves", query: Inflation of the US Dollar.

[pinto]

14. But....I would also look at profit margin for oil companies over the same

time frame.

[sandnsea]

12. Min wage was $2.65

Double it and we've got $5.30. So maybe $1.60 for gas is reasonable. Except everything else has quadrupled, at least, since 1978. Great America was $12.00 and a big concert was $10. Electricity was 3 cents KWH and a nice 3 bedroom home was $25,000, in California.

Damned stupid don't let the union force the bossman to give you more wages Republicans.

[gottaB]

15. How did Carter win re-election if gas was $.81 per gallon?

eom

[alcuno]

17. He didn't

We got Reagan.

[Imalittleteapot]

19. Carter served 1 term.

:cry: Reagan stepped in.

[truthseeker1]

21. Re-election?

You're kidding, right?

[taquinas101]

22. Isn't the proper response, "Exactly!"

Which is why Americans voted Carter out, and we ended up stuck with Reagan. I find it ironic that a Freeper would compare their man Bush with Carter.

[gottaB]

23. yep, you got me

What's up with these freepers, though?

[Imalittleteapot]

16. It's all Clinton's fault. He vetoed ANWR drilling in

1995. If he hadn't, we'd be getting 1 million barrels a day from Alaska - according a right wing radio host on the drive home tonight. I have to stop listening to these guys. They're making me crazy. TG for Randi Rhodes.

[WoodrowFan]

18. Almost

The previous peak was in 1982, and if adjusted for inflation, prices HAVE been higher. HOWEVER, the increase is still outpacing increase in wages.

http://oregonstate.edu/Dept/pol_sci/fac/sahr/gasol.htm

[alcuno]

20. That doesn't explain a 33% increase in less than 3 months.

It's one thing to have gas prices increase over time. It's another for them to jump dramatically.

[LoZoccolo]

24. WHO CARES?

They're still higher than they were like two years ago! Who cares what they were in '81 or whenever inflation-adjusted!