America in the 1940s: Gas coupons/rationing were common. Would rationing work today?

[Deja Q]

Or would freeperbabies whine about "socialism"?

[NOW tense]

1. It wouldn't just be Freeperbabies

Everyone would be pissed. You tell some family heading to the Jersey shore that they need a gas coupon.

[hack89]

2. What shortages are you talking about? nt

[Deja Q]

6. None. But "peak oil" is such a cool topic, I thought rationing might be worthwhile.

Then again, as if anything actually matters...

[OmahaBlueDog]

3. 1. It didn't work all that well

2. It was really done more to make people feel invested in WWII -- like they were making a personal sacrifice, than out of dire necessity (England, OTOH, was a whole different topic)

3. It created an open "black market" that continued a scofflaw mentality begun in Prohibition. If you needed gas, you just bought stamps on the black market. It was common.

4. What traded commodity is in such short supply now that we'd need to ration it?

[Historic NY]

4. why would you ration something that is not is short supply..to drive up the price..

Thats so OPEC.

[Deja Q]

7. Good point. BTW: Thank you and everyone else who responded.

Perspectives are not useless things. :)

[jwirr]

5. Rationing may yet have its day if we get shortages caused by oil

depletion or global warming but not yet.

I am old enough to remember those days. My extended family would save their stamps and pool them so we could all have enough gas to get to northern Minnesota to go fishing. Rode in a very crowded Model A all the way. Stopped at grocery stores to buy lunch (bologna, bread, bananas and sweet rolls). Had to stop at the liquor store for my great uncle. Stayed in one cabin. Those were the days.

[taterguy]

8. 99% of the population would whine

[customerserviceguy]

9. It's a good topic

and the first product to be rationed is likely to be healthcare. I mean that whether or not we get universal coverage or single payer. It's something to be thinking about.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

10. I think Americans are still capable of dealing with rationing and other adjustments in a crisis.

No one's asked in a while.

[taterguy]

14. How much of your personal gas consumption could you reduce?

That's a bit of a trick question

Surely you're not wasting gas now right?

[madrchsod]

11. no

[rurallib]

12. We ration health care, freepers think it's wonderful.

[oldnslo]

13. There would be much blood with gas rationing.

[KharmaTrain]

15. Rationing Depends On Enforcement

It would open up a huge black market...just like what occured in the final days of the Soviet Union. As we've seen with drugs and alcohol, when you try to limit or prohibit things people want, they'll find other ways to get them. If there's a supply shortage, rationing only works when the common good (a war) outstrips the self interest.