Fuel Protesters: Are they justified?

pANDAS Radio · 13th December 2007, 12:50pm

Just wondering what people think of the plans for fuel protests this week.

If you're wondering what their big problem is then this graph of worldwide fuel costs might explain it a bit better.

http://www.gtz.de/de/dokumente/en-fl...rices-2007.pdf

Jaemi · 13th December 2007, 12:52pm

Yes.
We pay the highest fuel prices in europe (as far as I'm aware).

Fallenblackrose · 13th December 2007, 12:53pm

The flayers blank when i click it

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*LesMTS* · 13th December 2007, 12:54pm

A commodity is becoming increasingly more scarce, prices rise. There may be a lot of nefarious political fingers in the pie, the details of which I'm not furnished with, but there's surely a good dose of "thems the breaks" in there too.

poprock · 13th December 2007, 12:56pm

I’m against the fuel protests. Our prices are higher through taxation, not artificially inflated charges. Lobby the Government all you like, but don’t try to make your point by disrupting services for everyone else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallenblackrose

The flayers blank when i click it

.

You might need to check that your PDF reader (or plugin, or whatever you use) is up to date.

Fallenblackrose · 13th December 2007, 1:01pm

It says an error occured while trying to read the document. Meh not fussed. And although i hate the fact that petrol prices are so high as a drive a hell of a lot, i am against protesting them. Im with the whole not disrupting the service.

Addy · 13th December 2007, 1:17pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by LesMTS

A commodity is becoming increasingly more scarce, prices rise. There may be a lot of nefarious political fingers in the pie, the details of which I'm not furnished with, but there's surely a good dose of "thems the breaks" in there too.

As is so often the case with stuff like this I reckon you're right.

I hate the high fuel prices, it's a total pain in the arse, but as Tony has said it's because of taxation, and it's an easy thing to justify taxing because of the whole climate change deal. If the tax was lower on this, it would be higher somewhere else.

And I most definitely do not believe in disruptive strikes. This sort of situation reminds me of the Malcolm in the Middle episode where Francis leads his colleagues in military school on a hunger strike after the TV is taken away. They all suffer due to lack of food, but Commandant Spangler is utterly unfazed as he isn't being affected by it. Similar case here, it's the people the protesters are acting on behalf of who ironically suffer due to this.

pANDAS Radio · 13th December 2007, 1:25pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by poprock

I’m against the fuel protests. Our prices are higher through taxation, not artificially inflated charges. Lobby the Government all you like, but don’t try to make your point by disrupting services for everyone else.

They aren't going to be disrupting anything.

Quote:

"We are not about to bring the country to its knees, as we did in 2000," says the website.

"We aim to negotiate directly with those in power, unions and associations peacefully, not forcefully to get our message across. Fuel refinery blockades are a tactic of the past due to the implemented Police Reform Act, brought in shortly after 2000 to quell any future uprisings."

endless psych · 13th December 2007, 1:25pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by poprock

I’m against the fuel protests. Our prices are higher through taxation, not artificially inflated charges. Lobby the Government all you like, but don’t try to make your point by disrupting services for everyone else.

Correct me if I am wrong but panic buying was probably the major contributing factor to fuel shortages last time (well outside of the actual blockade?). I reckon herd mentality probably had a little more to do with the disruption. (Although I can't remember if the protestors set a deadline for stopping the blockade or were planning to do it indefinatly. Which probably means theres a huuge hole in my reasoning.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Addy

As is so often the case with stuff like this I reckon you're right.

I hate the high fuel prices, it's a total pain in the arse, but as Tony has said it's because of taxation, and it's an easy thing to justify taxing because of the whole climate change deal. If the tax was lower on this, it would be higher somewhere else.

And I most definitely do not believe in disruptive strikes. This sort of situation reminds me of the Malcolm in the Middle episode where Francis leads his colleagues in military school on a hunger strike after the TV is taken away. They all suffer due to lack of food, but Commandant Spangler is utterly unfazed as he isn't being affected by it. Similar case here, it's the people the protesters are acting on behalf of who ironically suffer due to this.

Pop culture reference really strengthening point there.

The problem is Addy every strike is disruptive. Thats kind of the point of strikes.

pANDAS Radio · 13th December 2007, 1:26pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Addy

And I most definitely do not believe in disruptive strikes.

As i said above, it won't be disruptive. And it isn't a strike either.

JennyPiccolo · 13th December 2007, 1:29pm

I'm against them. If anything, we should be lobbying the government to put more funding into alternative fuels/means of transport.

If army trucks can run on vegetable oil, i dont know why we actually need to be using fossil fuels in the first place. But then, im an idealist.

Fallenblackrose · 13th December 2007, 1:29pm

Long as i have access to petrol im not fussed either way i suppose. If theres no disruption then go ahead and protest.

pANDAS Radio · 13th December 2007, 1:32pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by LesMTS

A commodity is becoming increasingly more scarce, prices rise. There may be a lot of nefarious political fingers in the pie, the details of which I'm not furnished with, but there's surely a good dose of "thems the breaks" in there too.

True, but the UK is in the top 10 most expensive countries on that graph.

Here is the current tax in the UK as compared with the tax in Australia, for ease i have converted the Australian tax amount into GBP. And i haven't added the VAT on to the UK fuel tax.

Petrol & Diesel UK tax = £0.5035 + VAT
Petrol & Diesel OZ tax = £0.165896/£0.174595

Biodiesel & Bioethanol UK tax = £0.3035 + VAT
Biodiesel & Bioethanol OZ tax = £0.165896

UK tax on aviation fuel = £0.000000
OZ tax on aviation fuel = £0.012412

JennyPiccolo · 13th December 2007, 1:33pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallenblackrose

Long as i have access to petrol im not fussed either way i suppose. If theres no disruption then go ahead and protest.

That's, unfortunately, the view of a lot of people in this country, which is why nothing's being done about climate change.

I'd be happy to undergo the inconvenience of not being able to get somewhere (as it would be, i live in the middle of buttfuck-nowhere) if it was actually proving something i cared about. I don't care about petrol prices, in short. I just wish there were better alternatives.

Fallenblackrose · 13th December 2007, 1:41pm

Id use an alternative fuel if available, its the expense of something like that i cant afford. Public transport doesnt bother me persay. Its just the amount of time it takes. When i finish uni and have to be down from paisley to greenock at half 5 to start work, the train is not a viable option. getting up to glasgow after work to go out is not viable either as i finish at 9.45. Another side to the alternative fuel idea is that (depending on what it is) you would need an entire new engine or even a new car for that fact would you not. I dont really know a whole lot on this obv, dont think ive been very clear either

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