No, its more confusing than that.
The government has raised taxes on fuel, this was sly when the oil price
was falling, but now with oil above $30 a barrel, gas here costs 80p
($1.20) a litre. The British are copying the French, who have a long
tradition of protesting when they disagree with government policy. French
fishermen recently successfully forced a fuel price reduction. The British
road hauliers looking at how action had been effective in France, blockaded
the oil refineries in an attempt to force a similar climb down on the part
of the UK government. PM Blair has told them to drop dead and says he will
get the police to escort tanker trucks through the blockades if necessary.
(it is now necessary)
PM Blair is many things, but we have yet to see if he has the mettle to
stare down a strongly held belief. So long as you do not need to travel
anywhere by car, this whole thing has so far been quite entertaining.
As to Brian's point of rationing, it never had time to be implemented,
people rushed to gas stations, and drained them within a day or so. Now
gas is almost impossible to find and limited to emergency vehicles, but we
are promised ACTION! (So hold your breath).
-----Original Message-----
From: Bryan Caplan [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2000 6:54 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Gas
Supposedly Britons are already cueing for gas. What's happened? Price
controls? Expected price controls?
--
Prof. Bryan Caplan [EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/bcaplan
"We may be dissatisfied with television for two quite different
reasons: because our set does not work, or because we dislike
the program we are receiving. Similarly, we may be dissatisfied
with ourselves for two quite different reasons: because our body
does not work (bodily illness), or because we dislike our
conduct (mental illness)."
--Thomas Szasz, *The Untamed Tongue*
