As the New Year approaches, many people try to predict what will happen in it. This one goes a little further into the future: Ex-Shell president sees $5 gas in 2012

My prediction, if this comes to pass, is that the same people who cried “Socialism!” every time the Obama administration tried something (other than tax cuts for high-income people) to jump-start the economy will wail for government intervention to lower the price of gas. People who scoffed at hybrid and electric cars will wonder why nobody (government and businesses alike) has done more to make them more widely available.

They will do this without recognizing any irony.