Opus 2012-141, Green Pieces: Cooking the Frog, Attacks on the Poor, Oil Changes

The elites of the world do not understand the struggles of the working classes.  It might be more accurate to say they don’t really care.  The environmentalists who continue to try to regulate us would fit into this category.  They are in the exclusive club with Marie Antoinette who is reported to have said, “Then let them eat cake.”  They never take into consideration what their need to control does to the lives of the poor.

When I was a kid we used to change our own oil.  We would save up the used oil and, when we accumulated, enough, take it down and sell it to the recycler.  This private business man would clean it up, package it and sell it.  It was cheaper than new stuff.  When I was young and had no money I used to buy recycled oil.

This was a win, win, win.  Because I could get money for my used oil, I did not dump it.  I made money on the deal.  A local, small business hired people to process the oil.  Read this as jobs for people and profit for the entrepreneur.  He then sold it at a lower price and the oil was available to people with limited income.  This meant poor people could afford to buy and drive cars.  This allowed them more choices in work, education and recreation.  It made life better for them.

Compare this to the modern world.  I talked to the manager of a chain store that would change my oil for a price.  I asked if I could give him my oil.  Notice I knew he would not pay me for it but I assumed he could take it for reprocessing.  He said, “No.”  He had once been fined $10,000 because he took someone’s oil and it had an additive in it that the environmental people did not like.  So now instead of getting paid for my oil I pay someone else to change it and pay a fee to have it recycled.

What have we gained?  Under the old system everyone was better off.  Everyone could benefit financially.  The cost of freedom in transportation was lower.  The oil was recycled at a profit instead of under coercion. 

Of course, under the new system the Control Freaks of the Elites are happier.  I guess that is worth something.  I just wish the value did not come out of my wallet.

homo unius libri