Editorial Critique

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20110304-editorial-rising-oil-prices-will-keep-stalling-the-economic-recovery.ece

The issue of rising gas prices affects Americans with each added cent, and over the past weeks it has begun to take a huge toll on many American's pocketbooks. The lurking dread we all feel when pulling up to the pump gets worse by the day, and with oil at one hundred dollars a barrel "cheap" gas seems to be a thing of the past. The author of the editorial "Rising Oil Prices Will Keep Stalling the Economic Recovery" discusses many issues with which I feel many Americans and Texans will agree.

The article did not display the author of the editorial, however, I found it easy to understand: Written more in "layman's" terms rather than Greek, which is what most political articles may as well be when it comes to my understanding of them. This indicated to me the editorial was probably not written by a political journalist, who generally go into great detail when discussing economic issues. After reading some of the comments posted by people who also read the article, it seemed that the author did not touch on many key points regarding the economy and oil crisis. The intended audience of this editorial was more than likely middle class with a moderate education of politics and general understanding of the current economy and worldly issues. Since the author is unnamed, his or her credibility cannot easily be verified.

The author's main argument stemmed from recent events in Libya and Egypt in relation to the economic recovery in the U.S.  He/she states the economic recovery in the U.S. has been slow and modest, and regardless of statements given by Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, stating the revolts in Libya and Egypt will not affect America's economic growth, American's are still in for economic pain. The author argues that our daily routines have become more painful each day as oil prices are raised, and since we are spending more money at the pump we have less money to spend elsewhere. A few examples given were the crisis airlines such as Southwest and American, who depend on energy prices, will face if oil continues to rise, and since consumers will have less to spend, businesses will not hire new employees, and small businesses will have a harder time obtaining loans. These are all factors that affect our economy, and when viewed that way it seems impossible to believe the rising cost of oil will not affect the economy negatively. The author also believes our government should stop blaming our economic downfalls on political upheaval in other countries and focus on the United States budget crisis and heavy reliance on fossil fuels. The author believes if the government focused on issues closer to home, international issues would not have such a negative affect on the American economy, and until this changes oil prices will continue to rise.

I am in no position to get down to the facts about why gas prices and our economy are in the position they are in today. However, I have my personal opinions, and agree with the author's arguments. Personally, the rising gas prices affect me negatively in many ways. I drive fifteen miles to and from work everyday, and have family and friends all over Texas that I enjoy going to visit. Since the cost of gas has risen, I have less money to spend on groceries, less money to travel, and less money to spend on clothes or whatever else I would purchase with my extra money. I also agree with the author and his thoughts on American's need to be more self reliant, which would result in the U.S being less susceptible to crisis as a direct result of other countries political turmoil.