Have You Hugged a Spectator Today?

A student once asked me if I thought lower gas prices would help the economy. "Not inherently," I said. "So what should they be?" I responded: "They should be at the price that accurately reflects the conditions of the market."

Economists know genuine growth doesn't come from high wages or cheap oil. It lies in efficiency because that allows us to do more with less. And the best way to get efficiency is to get everyone acting appropriately based on the conditions of the market. Thus the importance of accurate prices.

As Megan McArdle explains, this is where speculators come in. Because they believe gasoline is going to be more expensive, the price of oil today is higher than it would be and the price of oil later is lower than it would be. This allows us to better prepare for the future and adapt more smoothly than we otherwise would.

Speculators aren't "gambling." They aren't even "guessing," as McArdle suggests they are. They're estimating. They're smart people working very hard to get reality right--that's how they get paid--and they've independently agreed that prices are just going to get higher. Thank your spectator because now you'll more smoothly consume gas and you won't be caught off guard by a sudden jump in prices. Now you can plan.

HT: Mike Mills