Well said "we are unique"

People can only "vote with their wallets" (I share Unique's abhorrence of this term) where there is choice. Monopolies, by their nature, do not provide competitive choice. They do not need to care for their customers when the customer has no other options. Hence the need for some services to be under government control, such as public transport, essential services (communication, water, power). The privatization of these industries have resulted in the loss of choice and redress to the consumer that we have today.

Awaiting another 'bait' from Yabby.

To Severin, Yabby, Foxy, Pelican and all the other inhabitants of these
dungeons, I think that you are all arguing in vein.

I suggest that you spend 10 or 15 minutes and & read the following link.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6574

The present recession that the world seems to be having trouble
climbing back out of, is not going to change much.
We can expect increasing pressure on our standard of living as the
price of oil continues to press up against our reluctance or inability
to pay more for petrol and food.

The cost of energy and the difficulties of transitioning to a different
energy regime is going to change the whole economic and political
systems to such a degree that your present comments will sound like
discussions in the flat earth society.

Anyway Gail Tveberg says it much better than I can so go read that link.

*The privatization of these industries have resulted in the loss of choice and redress to the consumer that we have today.*

Pure rubbish, you seem to have a short memory, Severin.

When Telstra was a Govt monopoly, they basically screwed us blind
without any choice. When Qantas was a Govt monopoly, they did much
the same.

When I first went on the internet, in 1995, it cost 6$ then 9$
an hour, there was one ISP, that was my only choice. I tried
long and hard to get through the wheels of Govt, to suggest that
their Govt gorilla was holding us back, as I felt that the internet
had the potential to change lives and our world as we know it.
They were not interested. Now I pay 1.50$ a day, for an increasing
better service and its due to competition. Phone calls to Europe,
in those days cost me 2$ a minute and given that most of my
export business was done to Europe, phone bills were off the
planet, all thanks to a Govt monopoly.

The selling of Qantas and the deregulation of airlines, has
dramatically changed what used to be litle but the screwing
of the consumer, by Govt mandate

"OK those who think Corporations are sensitive and responsible"

No. They are not.

"Corporations driven by competition to offer cheaper access usually riddled with trip wires,-and aggressively pushed at the consumer"

Noooo......no, that wasn't the subject of this thread.

For a moment there I was confused..., then I realised the confusion wasn't mine!

Ooohhh the relief!

*I think that you are all arguing in vein.*

Hang on Bazz, we argue for fun! I've read your posts about peak
oil before and had a look at the URL.
I am simply not a worrywart as you are, for I have learnt to
accept that predicting the future usually lands up in failure.
For good reasons, some variable comes along which nobody had
considered and bang, the whole game changes once again.

Is society as we know it going to change dramatically? Sure
it will, so what?

So the price of oil goes to 300$ a barrel. The first thing
we'll all do is start to use it a little more wisely then
we now do, for if you look carefully, you will see huge
waste going on.

But of course if somebody is paying more for oil, somebody
else is earning more from oil and highly likely spending it.
More resources will be spent on drilling for more expensive
oil, the Middle East will have even more money to spend then
they now have, it all goes in a circle.

Let me give you an example. The price of lamb and mutton is
at an all time high right now, despite all the recession talk.
The reason is quite simple. Prices were so low for so long,
that farmers largely baled out of producing them. Now there
is a shortage. But the Middle East don't care, they are
simply paying the price, based on all their petrodollars
and buying what they need

Thanks for the reply Yabby, always good to hear your opinion.
Yes, Yabby you are right as far as it goes, but it is the timing that
will get us undone.
It is too late to avoid major problems but our politicians seem to be
aware of the problem, but are not game to stand up and tell the
majority what is going to happen.
They are not prepared to make even the simplest preparations.
Obama's speach a couple of days back is the closest any major
politician has come to saying it out loud.

My comment on the discussion here was the feeling I had of a lot of
good comment that was wasted because it was all relevant to a world
that will not exist.
I am not as pessimistic as perhaps you thought as I believe
we can surmount the energy problems, but we need to use the presently
available sources to achieve that transition.
There are not going to be any magic bullets and we will just have to
develop what we have now as alternatives.