How to Beat Gas Prices

I keep getting invited to these groups on Facebook about how to slash gas prices. It's nice that everyone has these idealistic concepts and principles but honestly, they just won't work. See gas corporations such as Exxon and Shell don't care about consumer culture the way a lot of other, noticeably smaller businesses do. We as American citizens are legally bound to support such malevolent organizations financially even if we make the personal decision to not buy from those companies.

I am a conscious consumer who makes sure to purchase gas for my car from the "best of the worst" if you will. When possible, I buy from small local gas companies that do not have ties to bigger ones (as many do). When this is not possible, I look for Citgo, Sunoco or Hess. Under no circumstances do I ever buy from Exxon, Mobil, Texaco or Shell. This is in response to their highly unethical practices in recent years. I don't expect to shut the companies down, I just wish to provide minimal contribution for them.

Even though I never buy from Exxon, I know that I am helping the corporation—as are all of us—through tax dollars. In the past ten years, Exxon has received over $5 billion in taxpayer subsidies. Exxon also provides hefty amounts of monetary support to politicians in return for favors and lobbies heavily and extensively. Our government and Exxon are best friends.

The latest group I have been invited to proposes that we all refuse to buy from Exxon and Mobil in order to make gas prices go down. Gas prices didn't rise because of demand; there has been an extremely high demand for gas for years. They also haven't risen because of the growing demand for hybrids or alternative fuels. They haven't risen because of the occupation of Iraq or for any other political reason. They have risen—and are rising—because they can. In 2007, Exxon made record profits.

The government subsidizes gas companies all the time and makes it a part of their agenda to be sure of their success, not just here where we pay at the pump but on a global scale as well. The IMF/World Bank are very kind to corporate gas conglomerates such as Exxon and Shell and ensure that they will be financially stable all over the world.

The truth is that we can't affect the gas prices because the gas companies don't even need us. We're also not at the level where hybrids and alternative fuels are widespread enough to destroy the gas industry. Doing so would be classist as the poor would not be able to afford relatively new models of cars that come with hybrid or other alternative features. Those in poverty who are fortunate enough to possess cars would be coerced to pay a higher price for a commodity which they simply cannot afford. The results would be disastrous to say the least.

I'm not saying don't boycott big gas companies because I am all for that. But that's a matter of personal choice and deciding not to contribute to the filthy politics of a company you are opposed to. I won't ship with UPS because they supply Huntington Life Sciences, an organization that I adamantly oppose, but I won't waste my time pretending that this will shut down UPS.

I'm also not saying just accept that gas prices will keep rising. In fact, if economists are right (and they are often not), the economy will regulate itself and gas prices will eventually start to decrease. But don't be disappointed when prices go in the direction opposite to what you were expecting. There are ways to go about combating the evil and the greedy but pretending that where you buy will lead to their demise (or decline in profits) is simply romantic. The revolution didn't fail you, you failed the revolution.