Yay for $4 gas

One of my favorite articles in recent memory is this Time piece called "10 Things You Can Like About $4 Gas." The list is:

1. Manufacturing jobs returning to the U.S. (because of higher transport costs)

2. Reduced urban sprawl

3. The spread of 4-day workweeks

4. Less pollution

5. More frugality

6. Fewer traffic deaths

7. Cheaper auto insurance

8. Less traffic

9. More beat cops on the street (as opposed to cruising in cars)

10. Less obesity (more walking)

All of these are good things, but I'm especially happy about Numbers 2, 6, and 10. It seems like high gas prices are an antidote to almost all of the most disgusting American cultural trends of the past decade - our refusal to live in proximity to each other, our aggression on the road, our criminal disregard for our own health. I feel like aggression, self-segregation, and poor life choices, all of which were fueled by cheap debt and cheap gas, were making America a less and less interesting place to live. Smashing that slob/jerk (S.(l)O.B.?) lifestyle is just one more benefit of expensive gas.