This is the posted price of gas at a Southern California filling station. You'll note that there is not much difference in the prices of the three grades of gas. And I expect prices to go even higher before they peak.
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The war between Russia and Ukraine is hurting people the world over. Ukrainians are getting killed, Russians are suffering due to economic sanctions imposed by the West. And the West is hurting because of its over dependence on Russian resources. I am constantly reminded of a line repeated often in the movie The Dead Don't Die - "This is not going to end well." The joke is that Adam Driver's character has been able to read the whole script (unlike Bill Murray), and he already knows the ending to the film they are acting in. Sadly, what's happening in Ukraine is not going to end well, and it is not a joke. Nor is the financial inflation which is being made worse by material shortages resulting from this war.
When I first started feeling comfortable going out as Marian, I used to drive all over the place, not worrying about the price of gas. Now, I am concerned about the price of gas, and for the electricity that will power my air conditioners this summer. I'm no longer concerned about having new frocks to wear on a cruise. Instead, I'm more concerned that the people I work with will be able to pay their bills. We've only seen the tip of the iceberg, and high gas prices are only the beginning.
There are many people who advocate for America to be directly involved in this war. That would be a mistake. The last thing we need is for two nuclear powers to be officially "at war" with each other. It is better that we and the Russians participate in a "Phony War", such as America did between 1939 and 1941. The powers that be understood the need to switch over to military production. But our government had to officially stay neutral until Germany or Japan declared war on us. We were able to supply the UK with munitions, and circumvent rules of neutrality by allowing the UK to pickup warplanes they owned, but which we couldn't ship outside the US. (We parked the planes at the border for the British to pull them safely into Canada without American assistance.) This is the type of tactic we need to use to avoid starting World War 3.
Right now, I'm almost glad that my relationship with XGFJ ended when it did. The cost of driving to her place would be excessive with today's gas prices. Hopefully, she's getting "cheaper" gas where she lives than I am. But that isn't much of a comfort these days. Tonight, I paid $4.29/gal for gas. A few miles away, the price has broken the $5.00 barrier. Yet, it is already much worse in some areas. In Gorda, CA, the price of gas has broken the $7.50 barrier. Soon, America will be paying European prices for gas - and we won't know how to cope.
As for me, I'm going to hunker down and hope for the best. Hopefully, that best will happen soon.
