capitalism gone wild

[JJuday]

Things do look grim, although times past have been worse. I think 25 years from now we will all look back and say these times were much more simple! :-laf

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Things do look grim, although times past have been worse. I think 25 years from now we will all look back and say these times were much more simple! :-laf

I definitely feel we are at the ragged edge of a major transition in the way we develop and obtain our energy - and that the general public is finally realizing the hazzard of continuing our current dependency on foreign oil as the major source of our energy.



I expect to see LOTS of discussion and proposals for new energy policies and programs by up-coming politicians, and a rapid increase in alternative fuel vehicles. Reliance upon crude oil won't go away overnight - but this latest episode of "fuelishness" has likely really gotten lots of folks attention like never before - and times might very well be a-changin'!

 

[TLanier]

dont misunderstand me. i dont mean to say that bush is the only one to blame and, thats it. its alot deeper than that. and its alot deeper than some lame old out of date republican vs democrat oversimplification.



dems wanna raise taxes and support welfare. repubs wanna support free enterprise. yeah right, that black and white rhetoric sounds believable to a four year old.



arent the right wingers supposed to be the guys who balance the budget? why do we have a record deficit with those same guys controlling house, senate, and white house?



arent the right wingers supposed to be christians standing up for the moral values this country was founded on? then why have none of them stood up and put God back in our schools, and done something about abortion? that line they preach is just to get votes from good people who want a good country.



I really dont feel good about either party. but i love my country. and her people. and someone is selling her out.



it is no coincidence that big oil is making record profits at the same time as fuel prices make record increases here too.



who do i support? well, jesus is my president. hes a capitalist; each man has a right to what he has earned. and hes a socialist; each man should help his brother.



my . 02

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

"arent the right wingers supposed to be the guys who balance the budget? why do we have a record deficit with those same guys controlling house, senate, and white house?"



Pretty hard to balance a budget, when the outgoing party fights you tooth and nail at every turn, wont't even confirm a full White House staff for about a year, leaving the incoming Prez shorthanded, especially after the long delay even GETTING into the WH after all the garbage about a "stolen election", one legal recount - and a couple of illegal ones that ALL ended up supporting Bush's election.



Then throw in his inheritance of an economy well on a downward slide that began a full YEAR before he won election - then no sooner up and running in the WH, and gets hit with 911.



Add to the above, the inherited NAFTA and GATT - a bi-partisan boondoggle that takes OUR technology, manufacturing and jobs, and ships them outta the USA - and THEN wonder about a "balance budget"?

 

[DHayden]

I really dont feel good about either party. but i love my country. and her people. and someone is selling her out.

I agree, I just think it's silly to finger one man like most Americans do when DC is the crook capitol.



A politician is a politician and they have all had their hand in the cookie jar just as deep as the next guy. I believe they will all do what they can to line their pockets while the getting is good (use their appointment to rake all they can before leaving congress or senate). We have to get a hold on them somehow.

 

[TLanier]

my point exactly hayden. we need to get a hold on all of them, all politicians.



i dont point my finger at just one. but i think that the lines BOTH parties feed us are excrement. Fox news is just as much propaganda as CNN.



i just want people to wake up and stop the dems/repubs finger pointing when they are all crooks.



and yes, bush did inherit a souring economy BEFORE he took office. part of that is the natural economic cycle of capitalism.

 

[klenger]

arent the right wingers supposed to be the guys who balance the budget? why do we have a record deficit with those same guys controlling house, senate, and white house?

Just look at the highway bill passed a few months ago to see why. We need a line item veto to stop this crap.

 

[rbattelle]

conoco, exxon mobile, bp, all RECORD profits. exxon actually had 9. 8 billion, the highest ever profit for anyone in WORLD history.

Although my knee-jerk reaction is to be appalled, I will withold judgement on this until I know WHY profits are so high. The implication in this thread is that it's because of high prices at the pump, but I argue that assumption is unreasonable until you know exactly what the contributions from "other factors" were that lead to the profits. By "other factors" I mean:



1. Record demand for and consumption of petroleum products in the US

2. High per-barrel crude costs

3. Record demand for and consumption of petroleum products in India

4. Record demand for and consumption of petroleum products in China

5. Demand for and consumption of petroleum products in all other industrialized nations



If I sell Milk at $1 per gallon and I make $0. 01/gallon profit, but I sell 10 trillion gallons in a year my net profit would be $1 billion with no change in the per gallon profit rate.



So, I will withold judgement until someone can break down exactly where those record profits came from.



-Ryan

 

[RGardner]

here is the kicker to this whole deal! the royalty owner (who own the oil and gas under the land) are not getting rich over this deal! Most of the pmts that they receive are based on about $6 for gas and $35 for oil! So tell me where the profit is coming from?