People Power

This is my latest at the Partial Observer. Excerpt:

The people took action, but not by pressuring politicians to "do something" on their behalf. Instead, they did things on their own. Their own self-interest caused them to reduce gasoline consumption, which led to lower oil prices. They looked at the money they could save, and they drove less.

Oil prices accomplished what years of environmental warnings could not: they motivated people to cut down their energy consumption. When conservation pays, the people will conserve.

This speaks to the efficiency of rational self-interest. The benefits are tangible and immediate.