Highway Robbery in the 21st Century

Highway Robbery in the 21st Century
Thomas H Czech
June 28^th, 2011

Eggs, milk, bread, fruit and vegetables. There are skyrocketing prices in all we purchase, not just in groceries but also in clothing, electricity, heating fuel and the list goes on.
I hear the complaints at the supermarket and at the school when I speak with the other parents who are waiting for their children.
The question everyone has is “Why?” Why are the prices going up the way they are? And why are our incomes not matching the increase in the cost of our living expenses? We can not blame the farmers for the cost of our food as they are not charging that much more, not enough to justify the increases we see in our bills when we pay for the products we purchase.
There are two words followed by one common word that are always on the lips of those with whom I speak, and those words are ‘CORPORATE and GOVERNMENT GREED.
Yes you read correctly, those words are always coming from everyone with whom I speak, and those simple words indeed explain it all, they tie it all together.
Corporate greed, the main one being the oil companies which have unjustifiably raised the price of oil to the ridiculously high prices are the main culprit in draining our wallets and bank accounts like the highwaymen of old who would lie in wait for some unsuspecting traveller and then jump out robbing him of all his cash and belongings. Such is the oil company, only now they do it and legally get away with it. They gouge us and rob us, knowing very well that we, the consumer will pay the price.
Farm equipment use fuel, transport trucks which move the products use fuel, our vehicles which take us to the stores use fuel and so do many hydro plants which give our homes and stores electricity for the light, heating and cooling systems and refrigeration system to keep our food fresh and ovens which cook, it all use some form of fuel whether directly or indirectly.
So yes, the corporations that mine and sell the fuel know this and they gouge us knowing very well that we the consumer will, one way or another pay the price.

So let us look at the governments hand in all of this, their word…the governments word is simple, oh don’t get me wrong, it is a big one, it is merely three letters but its meaning is huge and it sends chills up the spines of all consumers and that word simply is—TAX. Yes the dreaded, most hated three-letter word in todays society.
The government will not ever, nor do they have any intention on stepping in and laying down legislation to prevent price gouging by the oil and lets face it the gas companies as well, because they receive a ridiculously high amount of money from taxes, not just from oil companies but also when we buy fuel at the pumps, and also when we pay for other products. Just look at your receipt and see what the taxes are, also look at your hydro and gas bills, look at what all the other charges are including the taxes you pay! Oh my Gosh, a revelation! The government is also gouging us, highway robbery of us by our politicians as well. So not only are we being robbed by the corporation but we are then also robbed by our government, by the people we hired to work for us, to do what’s right for us, by those we thought would have our best interest at heart. Wow! Were we wrong! So since we hired them…can we not fire them? A thought comes to my mind, is this why people in countries like Egypt and perhaps Libya are protesting? Should we be protesting? Should we ban together and fire those who we hired because they are stealing from us? The thing is, if an employee working for an oil company or working in the parliament buildings were caught stealing, would they not get fired? So why then, can we not fire our PM and his people for gouging or let’s be blunt—for stealing from us?
Just something to think about, after all, how long are we supposed to cower from those in power before we say “Enough is Enough!”
Im not saying that we should start a riot or a coup, but maybe it is time for us, for those who pay the wages of those who are gouging us to tell the government that we want legislation passed right now which prevents price gouging and a cap put of fuel prices or we will fire them, not next election but right now.
How can this be done? We force an election, yes we may have a majority government at the moment, but when desperate people ban together the government has to listen. Like I said, we hired them, so we can fire them.

©Thomas H Czech, 2011