Responding to Syria Fears, Gasoline Prices … Do Nothing

The LA Times reports:

Southern California drivers are paying the highest pump prices for gasoline in 2½ years amid fears that prices could jump even further if the United States takes military action against Syria….Oil prices shot up this week after President Trump tweeted that missiles “will be coming” to Syria following allegations of a government chemical-weapons attack on a rebel-held Syrian town last weekend.

Hmmm. Gasoline prices always go up in California around this time of year as refineries switch to their summer blend.¹ Nationwide, there’s been a slow, steady rise in gasoline prices over the past couple of years, but no spike in the past month:

The price of oil doesn’t seem to have spiked either:

This probably shouldn’t come as a surprise since, as the Times story itself notes, Syria doesn’t have any oil. Striking Syria may or may not be a good idea, but I doubt it will have any serious effect on gasoline prices.

¹And as refineries mysteriously shut down for a month or two due to “unanticipated” problems.

Fact:

Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do.

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2022 demands.

payment methods

Fact:

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2022 demands.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate