What if a president ORDERED gas prices to be lowered

[bluestateguy]

Just thinking out loud here.

What if a hypothetical president ordered gas prices down (no, not this president), and stipulated that there would be criminal penalties for failure to comply, or even having federal marshalls take over gas stations that refused to comply.

Again, just thinking out loud here.

[shoelace414]

1. something like Price Caps?

[babylonsister]

2. I thought of a similar question earlier: what if

Dems were in control? Would the gas prices still be this outrageous? Things that make you go hmmmm.

[BlueEyedSon]

3. They wouldnt have messed up the flow from iraq, methinks

[benburch]

4. Nixon tried that.

The "Wage and Price Freeze".

Didn't work.

The companies found ways to cheat.

[DS1]

6. Price-cap processing fee

simple

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. Once upon a time, the feds would impose "windfall " profits taxes

and hold investigations & so on. With jr running things, NEVER.

[brmdp3123]

7. Then we would have a massive shortage of gasoline.

[cynatnite]

10. Why would there be a massive shortage?

Would the gas companies cut off supply in retaliation for a price cap? Would gas get so cheap there would be a run at the pumps?

[ovidsen]

14. OPEC would stop selling

BigOil would ask the Saudis, Kuiwait to sell oil for less, and they wouldn't.

It's not just BigOil making the $$ from higher fuel prices, it's OPEC. And it has far more cash than it needs to wait out the US until it becomes "reasonable" (desperate?) to buy at the asking price.

You can't make gasoline from empty tankers.

[cynatnite]

17. That makes sense

something that I hadn't thought of.

Thanks

[Sammy Pepys]

8. That's probably not legal....n/t

...

[tocqueville]

9. he'll had an accident within the coming week

so sad...

[MadHound]

11. Nixon tried something like that

Oil companies responded by limiting supply, which is what caused those long lines in front of gas stations that you see in pictures from that time period.

[mcscajun]

15. Check the chronology...Nixon didn't start the 1973 oil crisis

We had a lot to blame him for back then, but the formation of OPEC in mid-September 1973 and the Yom Kippur War just weeks later precipitated this particular mess. Nixon's price controls came in later November, and exacerbated the situation rather than helping. Your original point isn't far wrong.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_energy_crisis

Gee, Odd-even day rationing was such fun! So were the long lines, fist fights and swearing from drivers. Locking gas caps...oh, the memories! :sarcasm:

[The2ndWheel]

12. Goddamn, anything to keep this machine going

Just thinking out loud.

If peak oil is going to happen/already happening, we're so screwed. Using the state to force the corporation to comply. The corporation putting us in this ever expanding culture in the first place. Nobody really wanting to stop.

Why not really go after the oil? Lets put federal troops in a country to protect the oil fields and take over the countries who refuse to comply.

Criminal penalties? Like sanctions in a way? Those always hurt the leaders.

So fucked. So, so, fucked.

[Duer 157099]

13. ...or just (re)imposed GROSS PROFIT taxes on the oil companies

and used that money to subsidize gas for the public

[TheCowsCameHome]

16. Oil execs would laugh themselves silly and he'd be kicked out of the GOP

[ContraBass Black]

18. If the president ordered whom to lower prices?

[BurtWorm]

19. Would you want such a scenario to be possible?

It sounds extremely un-Constitutional to me. The President can't make an emergency order like that without there being an actual emergency.

[Javaman]

20. Then peak oil would come sooner. People would drive more...

thus burning up what is left sooner and causing more greenhouse gases to be released into the air.

I say, keep them high. We the people have to learn to adjust and live like the rest of the world.

I know, what a completely horrible thought...:sarcasm:

[radfringe]

21. the repugs will scream

socialized gas.... gummint owned businesses.... the commies are coming