Unlike the mass outcry registered the last time the cost of gas peaked into the magical three-digit range, consumers simply kept on gassing up and driving off.


It's an alarming sign, for it is apparent that neither the private consumer nor any level of government is ready to address an impending crisis.

The economy of North America - indeed, of the Western nations - is based on energy. The price of foodstuffs can fluctuate wildly, for example, with only a modest impact on the stock markets and the economy.

A fluctuation in the price of oil, however, causes mass market mayhem, and affects the costs of everything from toilet paper to orange juice.