I truly wish it surpasses 5.00 per gallon. Before anyone tries to pound me for saying that, remember that my WISH doesn't affect what actually occurs.
IOW, I cannot affect what price gasoline hits by wishing it goes higher.
But, if gas prices go high enough, demand will decrease due to several mechanisms, and less demand is good for a multitude of reasons. I realize it is a hardship for many, and could even cause a blip up in the currently very, very low employment rate. So be it....increases in the cost of gas would be well worth the increases in shipping and end product prices of almost everything found in stores in my view...but, I'm looking long-term, not tomorrow's nor next week's nor next month's struggles that it would certainly cause for many people. Five years out. Ten years out. 25 years out.
As long as I'm wishing, ideally, this wished-for increase in price would happen gradually, so we could have time to adjust. But, we spoiled "Americans" (even the term shows how self-centered we are, ignoring Canadians, Central Americans and South Americans, etc.) will NOT give up our inexorible thirst for fuel so that we can instead have our dear SUV's and the like, unless it hits us in our bank accounts.
Some of the results of much higher gas prices? Less pollution. Less money going to an area of the world that is populated with people that abhor our way of life (and, I have to agree with some of that abhoration, just not in the way they sometimes choose to express their disgust with us), smaller, more reasonably-sized vehicles. MORE WALKING and bicycle riding! If exercise were a prescription drug, it would be the most-prescribed medicine of all.
Those that can see this line of thinking know where this discussion is leading, those that can't see it will not pause long enough to think of anything other than immediate effects. Sort of like our culture of immediate gratification.
Remember, my wish has ZERO effect on what actually happens...temper your flames with that FACT.
