Yes, Americans are a bunch of whiners ...

Posted by Jason D Scorse (Guest Contributor) at 7:56 AM on 12 Jul 2008

Read more about: politics | elections | presidential race 08 | energy | gas prices

As a big Obama supporter I am delighted that McCain's national co-chair and economic adviser Phil Gramm was stupid enough to talk about America being in a "mental recession" and the country being a "bunch of whiners"; it's going to be the gift that keeps on giving (Obama had a great line about how the country doesn't need a new Dr. Phil).

Gramm was 100 percent wrong about the "mental recession" part -- we are teetering on a real recession if not already in one -- but he actually was right about America being a bunch of whiners, although not for the reasons he thinks.

Courageous American politicians and economists (yes, there are a few), have been urging us to have a serious energy policy for more than three decades, including significantly higher gasoline taxes (see Jimmy Carter's speech on April 18, 1977). Unfortunately, these ideas have been regularly scoffed at by Democrats, Republicans, and virtually everyone in between. Americans wanted to drive huge SUVs that trash the environment, kill innocent people, and feed our oil addiction (as well as the terrorist-sponsoring states we are supposedly at war with). And now the worst of scenarios has come to pass.

But you know what, America has no right to complain. No politician in their right mind can say this, but luckily I'm not running for elected office.

Not only did America turn a blind eye to energy conservation and maintain the lowest gasoline prices by far in the developed world (prices are between $7 and $10 in many developed countries), but we were stupid enough to vote for George Bush and his oil cronies not once, but twice. Anyone that votes for people like this and thinks we're going to get a sensible oil policy is simply delusional. We got exactly what is to be expected.

I wish humans were much more rational than they are, but often they need crises to make them change their behavior. Now is our time for a reality check. We brought it on ourselves and now we got to deal with the consequences.

For story: Yes, Americans are a bunch of whiners ...
21 Comments | Post a Comment

Jason, SUVs are the easy part

the hard part is the suburbs. This could turn from whining to dangerous, demagogue-receptive anger, when even in a small car gas becomes so expensive that living in a suburb becomes difficult.

by Jon Rynn at 5:39 PM on 12 Jul 2008

It would help, but its not enough

I wish humans were much more rational than they are...

Humans are not wise enough. Rationality is good for problem solving and decision taking, especially in the short-run, but does nothing for understanding how the world works and using that to make good judgments. Wisdom takes in the big picture for the long-term. The vast majority of humans lack that ability. And it seems, so do the vast majority of the leaders we put in office.

I've written extensively about the little recognized brain function of sapience, the basis for wisdom. We often think we are not smart enough but it isn't intelligence that is lacking (well, looking at Bush it is) as much as judgment based on wisdom. We are foolish rather than stupid. (see refernce works below)

George

References:

Goldberg, Elkhonon, (2006). The Wisdom Paradox, Gotham Books, New York.

Hogarth, Robin (1980). Judgement and Choice, John Wiley & Sons, New York.

Sober, Elliott & Wilson, David Sloan (1998). Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior, Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA.

Sternberg, Robert J. (ed.) (1990). Wisdom: Its Nature, Origins, and Development, Cambridge University Press, New York.

Sternberg, Robert J. (ed.) (2002). Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid, Yale University Press, New Haven.

Sternberg, Robert J. (2003). Wisdom, Intelligence, and Creativity Synthesized, Cambridge University Press, New York.

George Mobus, Associate Professor, Institute of Technology, University of Washington Tacoma, and Professional Student for Life

by gmobus at 7:26 PM on 12 Jul 2008

Jon....

most people who live in the suburbs, while harmed by the rising price of gasoline, are still not so bad off. And let's put things in perspective, even with the huge gas price increases it's not like people are losing double digits of disposal income (for the most part). And again, if you chose to live somewhere and commute a long way a rise in gas prices was one of the things you should've considered as a potential risk and if you didn't oh well...live and learn.

Economic Illiteracy Harms The Planet! www.voicesofreason.info.

by Jason D Scorse at 8:20 PM on 12 Jul 2008

it's still about discretionary income

$100/mo/car extra in a two-worker household that's seen other costs rising much faster than income, and now maybe more mortgage than there is house, but the gas cost is the one everybody can see and nobody likes the oil companies and they're obviously bad guys, unlike the insurance industry and the mortgage bankers and the "wage inflation" cops and the "deficit hawks" who only care about food stamps -- all of that, you can't see or taste or smell without a score card -- so there it is, the pain at the pump, a couple bucks you shouldn't really be feeling like a spike through your hand when you "select grade" but you do because the rest of it has gone worse than you expected -- and then the nice lady and the camera come up and say, "what are you doing to save money on gas?" and you almost say, "i'm sending my son to state college," but you don't.

by hapa at 8:46 PM on 12 Jul 2008

But does anyone really think about driving,

that is, do they really think, "maybe I could walk/bike/transit, or just not do it, or do it when it's done with other trips", stuff like that, or are people still in the mindset, that it is their God-given right to not think about jumping in the car and driving? It's not like the number of cars on the road are down, as far as I can tell.

So Jason, if gasoline doubles again, that will take a huge bite, except of course the upper-most brackets. That's what I'm afraid of, at this point the political repercussions are pretty bad (drilling, etc), but I still see a time when, even with small cars, suburbia (and not all suburbia is the same) will be in trouble, because you can't go anywhere without a car.

by Jon Rynn at 9:21 PM on 12 Jul 2008

where the cars are

It's not like the number of cars on the road are down, as far as I can tell.

that VMT chart's report said more of the traffic reduction was on rural roads. makes sense.

in the city sometimes i think i'm seeing fewer SUVs, and those, driving conservatively, but i don't know, everything seems to be lately going a little slower.

by hapa at 10:08 PM on 12 Jul 2008

Many people are too ashamed to whine...

I bet a lot of these people didn't vote for Bush, and many of the ones that did were misled by the media (h/t to the energy bulletin). Maybe if people whined more, we could get a social justice movement going.

A mother and father in rural Vermont: "Due to increasing fuel prices we have at times had to choose between baby food/diapers and heating fuel. We've run out of heating fuel three times.... The baby has ended up in the hospital with pneumonia two of the times."
A man in north central Vermont: "As bad as our situation is, I know many in worse shape. We try to donate food when we do our weekly shopping but now we are not able to even afford to help our neighbors eat. What has this country come to?"
A mother: "By February we ran out of wood [for the wood stove we use for heat] and I burned my mother's dining furniture. I have no oil for hot water.... We are certainly a country in distress."
A 55 year old man: "I have worked since age 16. I don't live paycheck to paycheck, I live day to day.... I can see myself working until the day I die.... I work 12 to 14 hours daily and it just doesn't help.... I am just tired, the harder that I work, the harder it gets."
A man in a small town: "I have what I used to consider a decent job, I work hard, pinch my pennies, but the pennies have all but dried up.... I began selling off my woodworking tools, snowblower (pennies on the dollar), and furniture that had been handed down in my family from the early 1800s, just to keep the heat on. Today I am sad, broken, and very discouraged."
A woman from Northeast Kingdom: "I have always been a big pusher of `if you can do something to change your situation, do it'.... [But] it seems like every time [my husband and I] do the right thing and try to move ahead for our family, something out of our control happens in order to slap us back down.... We now find ourselves unsure if we will be able to pay for both the mortgage and our oil next winter."
A working mother of two: "I spend around $150 per week at the grocery store and trust me when I say I don't buy prime rib.... Some nights we eat cereal and toast for dinner because that's all I have. My family has had to cancel our annual trip to the zoo, and we make less trips to see our families in another town due to the increase of gas."

by Colin Wright at 11:37 PM on 12 Jul 2008

The solution is alternative CHEAP energy

we just haven't figured out how to do it yet. But that's where this is going. We need a cheap energy replacement for oil.

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 8:39 AM on 13 Jul 2008

bad judgement

humans are just not equipped with a good mechanism for judging risk and allocating effort to avoid it. we've outrun evolution on that front. as evidence, consider that the vast majority of premature deaths are the result of something that would have been avoided had a functional risk assessment system been operational; whether it's car crashes, smoking, bad food and exercise choices, russian roulette, whatever.

by gzuckier at 10:55 AM on 13 Jul 2008
[ Parent ]

What is life without risk taking?

As I always say, if you can't get killed doing it, it ain't worth doing.

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 11:47 AM on 13 Jul 2008
[ Parent ]

H.L. Mencken

Well said, Jason. Your line that:

We got exactly what is to be expected.

recalls an old favorite from H.L. Mencken that

The great thing about democracy is that it gives the people exactly what they want, and it gives it to them long and hard.

I am not normally nearly as cynical as Mencken on such topics, but it's been hard not to since Bush's 2004 re-election.

by Sean Casten at 12:57 PM on 13 Jul 2008

50 banks?

That's the rumor, somewhere in secret, government has a list of 50 banks about to fail. the fear is that if that list leaks, then those banks will fail. As depositors withdraw their funds in panic.

That sounds kind of familiar. Does the great depression ring any bells?

Mental, economic, or metaphysical, the real terror that bushco hath wrought is about to reach fruition. People without jobs can't make mortgage payments, or pay for anything else.

Maybe china and saudi arabia will bail us out? Afterall look what good customers we have been, maybe they'll give us back enough of the money we sent them to recover? Hehehey.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog John Schneider, Northern Wisconsin

by amazingdrx at 7:11 AM on 14 Jul 2008

Yes, whiners all....

Americans are a bunch of privileged, entitled whiners. I ride my bike every morning to a commuter lot to catch my bus to work. It is always crammed with cars but mine is often the only bike on the rack. Most of the whiners driving to the parking lot are travelling less distance than I am. The price of gas should be $10 a gallon, not $4.

In my yuppy neighborhood, people drive to the commuter lots and drive to the gym to ride stationary bicycles...but they don't ride their bikes to work!

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

by John former Marine at 7:50 AM on 14 Jul 2008

What?

I take issue with the statement, "we were stupid enough to vote for George Bush and his oil cronies not once, but twice." Umm, no, the election in 2000 was most difinitely stolen, and there were shenanigans in Ohio in 2004 that would have made Nixon blush. "We were stupid enough to allow the Republitards to steal the election for Bush not once, but twice," would be far more accurate.

by helenros at 10:26 AM on 14 Jul 2008

"The price of gas should be $10, not $4"

I really feel frustrated when I read comments like, "The price of gas should be $10, not $4," because you (normally prograssive) folks are so CLUELESS as to how this is hurting poor people. Have you noticed how much basic groceries have spiked? The store brand mac & cheese which would go 4 or 5 for $1 on sale is now up to 58 cents a box. Milk is $2.50 for a half gallon, eggs are $3 a dozen, largely due to gas prices. And some poor folks don't have a job that's close enough to bike to, access to transit systems, or enough money or credit to buy a Prius. We are driving 1988 Buicks getting under 20 mpg because that's what we can afford, and it's the only way to get around.
PLEASE take the other $6 a gallon you wish you were spending and donate it to providing food and transportation for the working poor.

by helenros at 10:38 AM on 14 Jul 2008

Helenros....

A few comments:

You are correct that the 2000 election was stolen but it shouldn't have been close. That it was is an indictment of the American people's judgment.
From all my readings the 2004 election was not stolen and Bush won the popular vote by around 3 million.
I absolutely agree that high gas prices hurt the poor the most, which is why I vote for progressive politicians who want to cut income taxes for the lower income classes. Low gas prices are not the solution to poverty as they subsidize Hummers and rich people as much as the poor. The way to help the poor is to target programs at their needs, while making everyone pay high prices for energy so we move to a decarbonized economy. Obama is calling for a $1000 middle income tax break to offset higher fuel prices, but we still want people switching to more fuel efficient vehicles.
I reject the notion that poor people can't buy fuel efficient cars. I just bough a 95 Honda Civic in great shape for $2400- you just need to shop around for deals.

J.S.

Economic Illiteracy Harms The Planet! www.voicesofreason.info.

by Jason D Scorse at 10:50 AM on 14 Jul 2008

Poor people?...

Drinking milk and eating eggs every day puts you "poor" people among the richest (biggest eco-footprint) in the world. Just because factory-farmed milk is approved by WIC doesn't mean it's something that you should be feeding to your kids. Try beans and rice/tortillas. Yes, gas is undervalued and lowering the price fixes nothing. The real problem being "poor" is that the military-industrial-corporate-media complex grabs your kids and uses them for cannon fodder. Add another $2.00 a gallon to what you're already paying for gas and that's the current cost if you include the war in Iraq. Add the vehicle accidents, environmental pollution, athsma, diabetes, obesity, and other externalized costs and it is even more expensive.

You see, this is the whining I'm talking about. You want to eat your cheeseburgers every day, play the lottery, smoke cigarettes, and have cheap gas. No wonder we've got a $9 trillion national debt! People used to know how to eat on a budget and to get around without having one car per person. Does living in a 2000 sq-foot house make you "poor" if your neighbor has a 4,000 foot house? Gimme a break!

Il faut cultiver notre jardin.

by John former Marine at 11:17 AM on 14 Jul 2008

but Americans are not yet bought-and-paid-for...

.... the way many too many politicians have been.

Today, I do not see much in the way of new expressions by politicians for meaningful change, the kind of change that perhaps begins with individual action and leads to the incarnation of popular political will. It appears to me the family of humanity is precluded from effectively communicating with one another through the mass media (blogs are new and exceptional) by ubiquitous advertisements of material distractions that are adamantly and relentlessly promoted by people with the great wealth and the power over mass communication riches purchase.

Among the obstacles to the incarnation of popular political will is the mass media which mostly reports what those with wealth and power permit. What does not serve the overly indulgent interests of the prime beneficiaries of the global political economy is marginalized or ignored.

For example, last year a colossal "ice shelf", the size of 11,000 football fields, suddenly broke away from Ellesmere Island, but for 16 months the public learned nothing of the event. The collapse was registered by seismographs in Canada and the US, but there was no public acknowledgement until more than a year later. How are we to account for the delay in communication? Was evidence of global warming suppressed? Are bought-and-paid-for politicians, their benefactors and minions censoring unwelcome science evidence because it is politically inconvenient and economically inexpedient? What kinds of pressures have rich and powerful people exerted on great scientists like James Hansen, Paul Ehrlich and Rachel Carson in my lifetime?

How many examples can we find of huge companies like Enron collapsing just like the gigantic ice shelf and no one hearing about the event for 16 months?

May I ask you to consider how the primary focus of the small minority of the human community who possess most of the world's wealth, and the power it purchases, is on the family of humanity's artificially designed, manmade global economy? The natural world with all its polar bears, chimpanzees and other creatures, is an afterthought. It appears that actual positive regard for the Creation is given when it is politically convenient and economically expedient to do so. Otherwise, the human family is beguiled into forgetting about the blessings of the natural world by having its attention riveted on the endless accumulation of possessions from the material world.

Until something changes, I believe the family of humanity, other creatures, life as we know it and the integrity of Earth could be increasingly put at risk.

Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population
established 2001
http://sustainabilitysoutheast.org/index.php

by stevenearlsalmony at 11:25 AM on 14 Jul 2008

The Price Of Gas

Helen,

As other posters have commented, if you're "poor" you should concentrate on housing and food costs, not the cost of ecologically destructive driving. I'd like to see the price of gas get so high that no one could afford it! It's not that anyone is clueless about how higher prices affect the poor, it's that the environmental and ecological destruction caused by driving must be stopped. And BTW, if you own a car, you can only be poor by American standards. Compared to the rest of the world, you're rich. Your post is a perfect example of the author's comment about American whiners.

But more importantly, being poor does not give you license to cause ecological or environmental damage. The poor have no more right to destroy the Earth than the rich or the middle class. The kind of car people drive is a minor problem; the problem is that people drive at all, from the rich to the poor and everyone in between. Americans are much worse about this than anyone else.

by Wolverine at 9:16 AM on 15 Jul 2008

Public Transportation? Don't Drive?

I live in Evanston, Illinois which is a 'suburb' right on the city limits of Chicago. So we have fairly decent public transportation. I may wait 1 hour before the bus actually comes in -10 below weather in the winter, getting splashed all the way up on the sidewalk by the cars speeding past through the puddles of what was once snow, and be late to work. I could have taken the earlier bus, and been to work an hour too early. Now its summer, the bus still is never on time, or when it is, it breaks down half way through the ride.

I'd like to know if the people saying "Well, we could take public transportation! Though Americans just want to hop in their cars and be off!" have ever actually tried it or their just full of crap. I have a car, and if I can't get somewhere in less then 3 bus/train transfers, I'll drive. The only thing public transportation has made me grateful for, is saving at the pump sometimes. Though I pay for it by seeing people spit on the buses/trains, homeless people use the trains as their own personal toilet, most crazy people are on public transportation and you'll get yelled at from time to time or just wonder what the heck is going to happen with the guy playing with his knife sitting next to you... yeah, I'd rather drive.

by lacrimosa87 at 9:09 AM on 16 Jul 2008

Now here you and I agree

Fundamental problem: People writing checks without the money to cover it. Everyone wants everything and idiots are loaning them money to "buy" it. That never has a happy ending. I have avoided meaningful loans my entire life, and boy am I glad I did. The first rule of good finance is to live within your means.

Victory in Pattani

by MAD MAC at 9:18 AM on 16 Jul 2008
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