Sammyboy

What are you talking about? I live in Southampton, and work often in London, and it's GRADUAL. 8 years ago, fuel was 74p a litre. A year ago, 95, now £1:10. That's gradual. I've dealt with it by buying more economical cars and riding my bikes and the trains more. I agree that so far, little has been done about public transport, but I'd expect that'll be next. Lots of money is being spent in London on improving cycling, tax subsidies are available for cycling to work. Things are changing, gradually. I suppose it depends what you mean by sudden. The OP seems to suggest that suddenly, with less than 24hrs notice, things will go to pieces and the lights will go out. When I was a kid, in the early 80's, I remember fuel getting to around £2 a gallon, and everyone complaining that it was getting too expensive to drive. I'd call that gradual - we're 25 years down the road, and people are driving MORE. I'd expect, over the next 10 years, to see cars get more economical, alternate fuel sources come to the fore (I'm starting to see electric cars in central London now), and also that public transport will be improved. There's really no "they" involved in this - the politicians we vote for set the agenda, so maybe we can expect to see them either start to move (as indeed they are), or the Green party to pick up more votes?

Aaron - I'm at a loss to see how your model in the States is at all analogous to Somalia? I suppose the wide gun ownership gives you some commonality with Afghanistan, but if you really want to know where you are, I think you're much closer to Russia in the early 80's. That is to say, looking presentable on the outside, but economically hollow. The Cold War would've been taken a lot less seriously in its latter stages if people had known what kind of shape Russia was really in. I suppose a total cut-off of your oil supply could bring a meltdown like you describe, but seriously, that's not going to happen. What will happen is that gas will continue to get more expensive; quite quickly, but not overnight. There'll be a tipping point where the people who say "We're Americans, we have a RIGHT to drive" will suddenly realise that it just aint worth it anymore. Most of America could already halve it's fuel bills by driving more sensible cars, and even with the parlous state of your public transportation, people could drive a lot less than they do. Sure, some people will jump up and down, but who are they gonna shoot? This type of crisis is not at all like a hurricane - it doesn't just happen overnight. People will gradually adapt. They won't like it, but they'll do it. America didn't turn into Afghanistan in the 30's, and it won't this time either.