New England

It's a foggy Sunday morning in Maine, and I was struck by both the truth and the missing pieces in Ben Stein's column in today's New York Times. Stein points out that while the increase in gasoline prices has very little effect on him (and other members of the professional classes), it can be devastating to the "average private worker [who] now earns very roughly $600 a week, not counting fringe benefits." His solution-which he quickly dismisses-is to balance the budget. In the meantime, he says, "the only thing for workers to do is to drive less, buy fuel-efficient cars and trucks and, above all, whip their children into a frenzy to get more education."

Accepting that Stein was to some extent engaging in hyperbole (we'll assume he's not urging corporal punishment), the steps he suggests may be necessary, but they're almost certainly not sufficient. In particular, self-help will not be sufficient.