Will the car run out of gas or did I forget to fill it up?

This might seem like a very stupid question, but it have some real impact on the way act to the energy question. I was on an oil-meeting the other week and we talked about 200$ oil - more specific when oil will hit 200$. Some said we might not hit 200$/barrel, because the economy would take a dive long before 200$ - It might not reach 100$ before it would turn the economy in to recession again. If that happens its not curtain that any fingers will be pointed at the oil, but all talk will be about the "bad" economy. Then we will miss the point that the energy-price is bringing down the economy (again) and miss that we have an energy crisis, but look to the politicians or the bankers to fix the "money" problem.
when we hit 147$/barrel Juli 2008 it was clear to all (in mass-media) that there where an oil(price)problem, but when the world monetary system nearly collapsed 2 month later (October 2008) all talk of oil disappeared and to this day only a small group of die-hards have made the connection between oil and money. That the oil got to 147$ in the first placed was probably because of "good" state of the world economy up to crash - If the the general state of the world economy had bin worse when oil-demand outstripped supply and there way a price ramp-up, the price might not had passed 100$ before the "bad" economy had destroyed demand.
If I have 5 liters of gasoline left in the car, but no money to buy more gasoline, I would probably not think that I have a "gasoline problem" but likely think I'm a poor man (unsuccessful pathetic broke idiot) that need to get some money.
If I drive the car and it run out of gas, THEN I will think that I have an acute gasoline problem.
 
One of the BIG challenges right now is to promote the connection between oil (energy) and money.