BOYCOTT GAS!!!!!!!!!!!

[feederband]

By this theory, thousands upon thousands will be out of jobs.

It's not good to maintain inefficiency just to keep jobs. They'll find something else to do. People always do when they get bumped out of their jobs by progress. If we'd had that attitude throughout the last century, we'd still be a backward agrarian nation.

If you lost your income today I dont think you would feel the same...

[gtalum]

Its so easy just to say a certain person is the cause of all things...

Well he has a point. The invasion of Iraq is one major cause of the massive increase in the price of oil. Who is responsible for invading Iraq? George W. Bush.

That said, I am not saying the invasion isn't justified. I am simply saying that this incredibly high price of oil is a predictable result of it.

[gtalum]

If you lost your income today I dont think you would feel the same...

That's why I'm self-employed.

If I lose my income it's all because of something I do, not a decision by someone else.

History backs up my claim, though. We have constantly moved towards efficiency for at least the past century, and unemployment is still near historical lows.

[feederband]

Its so easy just to say a certain person is the cause of all things...

Well he has a point. The invasion of Iraq is one major cause of the massive increase in the price of oil. Who is responsible for invading Iraq? George W. Bush.

That said, I am not saying the invasion isn't justified. I am simply saying that this incredibly high price of oil is a predictable result of it.

Agree about the result due to going to war....I just don't think there is one person to blame..If that was the case I might as well say its Gods fault ..Although I can't because I don't have a religion...

[vbhoutex]

Don't forget the reality of inflation. If gas cost $1.25 in 1980, (That's a guess), with 3% annual inflation, it would theoretically cost $2.61 now. If there's anything to complain about, it would be that prices were kept artificially LOW for many years, by simply pumping oil faster and faster, to keep us hooked on cheap oil, thereby delaying the inevitable cost increases, and delaying our R&D into conservation and alternatives.

The highlighted underlined portion just about says it all, imo. Alternative energy sources and alternative fuels and engines have been around for years. The big oil companies have a strong enough lobby to hold down the funding necessary to fine tune the research and implementation of the alternatives which would take away their HUGE PROFITS.

[feederband]

Don't forget the reality of inflation. If gas cost $1.25 in 1980, (That's a guess), with 3% annual inflation, it would theoretically cost $2.61 now. If there's anything to complain about, it would be that prices were kept artificially LOW for many years, by simply pumping oil faster and faster, to keep us hooked on cheap oil, thereby delaying the inevitable cost increases, and delaying our R&D into conservation and alternatives.

The highlighted underlined portion just about says it all, imo. Alternative energy sources and alternative fuels and engines have been around for years. The big oil companies have a strong enough lobby to hold down the funding necessary to fine tune the research and implementation of the alternatives which would take away their HUGE PROFITS.

\n
Yeah big oil knows what is at stake here they are going to do ANYTHING to alternative energy sources.

[gtalum]

Agree about the result due to going to war....I just don't think there is one person to blame..If that was the case I might as well say its Gods fault ..Although I can't because I don't have a religion...

Have you ever heard teh phrase "The buck stops here."? The President made the decision to invade Iraq, and thus he holds the responsibility for its consequences. Had he executed the war more effectively, it would have been over long ago, and Iraq's oil production would be coming back online safely, bringing down the price of oil.

I think the Iraq invasion was justified, but I think its execution has been horribly bungled.

[feederband]

Agree about the result due to going to war....I just don't think there is one person to blame..If that was the case I might as well say its Gods fault ..Although I can't because I don't have a religion...

Have you ever heard teh phrase "The buck stops here."? The President made the decision to invade Iraq, and thus he holds the responsibility for its consequences. Had he executed the war more effectively, it would have been over long ago, and Iraq's oil production would be coming back online safely, bringing down the price of oil.

I think the Iraq invasion was justified, but I think its execution has been horribly bungled.

War is deadly and unperdictable...Compared to other wars we are executing the best we can....I'm no General but how would you have done it differently....The only thing I see that went wrong with the war is that the enemy gave up to quick do to a overwelming force..We wern't able to eleminate the enemy and now we are having to deal with them .. The other problem is the bordering country's are allowing thugs to cross over and we are having to deal with them now...

[GalvestonDuck]

Hold on a sec....someone fill me in.

It's my understanding that we only get about 30% of our oil from OPEC nations. So, what does the war have to do with the other 70%?

[feederband]

Hold on a sec....someone fill me in.

It's my understanding that we only get about 30% of our oil from OPEC nations. So, what does the war have to do with the other 70%?

Its just the blame game...

[gtalum]

It's my understanding that we only get about 30% of our oil from OPEC nations. So, what does the war have to do with the other 70%?

Oil is traded on a global commodities market. There is a given demand, and a given supply. Before we invaded Iraq, supply outstripped demand by ~5-10%. This kept the prices at the low levels we were used to. However, when we invaded Iraq, we took their oil production offline, and even now their production is nowhere near what it was even under the Oil for Food restrictions, and even that small production is in constant jeopardy of interruption by insurgents. Between that and the constant growth of both China and India, global demand has now outstripped global supply.

In short, it doesn't really matter where the oil comes out of the ground. All of the world's oil resources are pooled together at the commdoities market, and bid on by speculators. That's why there is just one oil price for the whole world. If you think this is bad, just keep hoping they don't start trading oil in Euros instead of dollars. If they do that, prices will go up even more for us. On the bright side, this seems unlikely now since the dollar seems to have stopped its slide versus the Euro.

[gtalum]

In an earlier post on this thread, I linked to a report that shows who we imported oil from in July of this year. After ourselves, our number one supplier is Mexico, and number two is Canada. I am no expert, but it seems to me it would be a smart move if we formed some sort of alliance with canada and Mexico, whereby we each took our oil off the world marketplace and pooled it together in a North American oil marketplace. That appeals to me "F You" attitude towards the rest of the world. But that's just me.

[feederband]

In an earlier post on this thread, I linked to a report that shows who we imported oil from in July of this year. After ourselves, our number one supplier is Mexico, and number two is Canada. I am no expert, but it seems to me it would be a smart move if we formed some sort of alliance with canada and Mexico, whereby we each took our oil off the world marketplace and pooled it together in a North American oil marketplace. That appeals to me "F You" attitude towards the rest of the world. But that's just me.

That appeals to me...But what if the other side runs out or if we do...Could leads to more problems. But I do like the "F you " attitude part...

[Stephanie]

Don't forget the reality of inflation. If gas cost $1.25 in 1980, (That's a guess), with 3% annual inflation, it would theoretically cost $2.61 now. If there's anything to complain about, it would be that prices were kept artificially LOW for many years, by simply pumping oil faster and faster, to keep us hooked on cheap oil, thereby delaying the inevitable cost increases, and delaying our R&D into conservation and alternatives.

The highlighted underlined portion just about says it all, imo. Alternative energy sources and alternative fuels and engines have been around for years. The big oil companies have a strong enough lobby to hold down the funding necessary to fine tune the research and implementation of the alternatives which would take away their HUGE PROFITS.

AMEN GUYS!!!!

[feederband]

Amen....

[coriolis]

In an earlier post on this thread, I linked to a report that shows who we imported oil from in July of this year. After ourselves, our number one supplier is Mexico, and number two is Canada. I am no expert, but it seems to me it would be a smart move if we formed some sort of alliance with canada and Mexico, whereby we each took our oil off the world marketplace and pooled it together in a North American oil marketplace. That appeals to me "F You" attitude towards the rest of the world. But that's just me.

D'ya think there's a connection with the lax attitude on illegal immigration?

[azsnowman]

I'm lucky enough that I CAN afford to do so, HEY...why NOT? I mean, at least it'll show the oil companies that we CAN and WILL stop buying gas for ONE Day!!

Dennis

[gtalum]

War is deadly and unperdictable...Compared to other wars we are executing the best we can....I'm no General but how would you have done it differently....The only thing I see that went wrong with the war is that the enemy gave up to quick do to a overwelming force..We wern't able to eleminate the enemy and now we are having to deal with them .. The other problem is the bordering country's are allowing thugs to cross over and we are having to deal with them now...

I would have run it just the way we did up to the taking of Baghdad. Then I would have pulled out with the exception of a small but visible force to train the new Iraqi Army and security folks and a very small ccovert ops team to find Saddam and find and assassinate the leadership of the individual terror cells. With a much less intrusive force, there is nothing to foment an insurgency like we're seeing now.

I also wouldn't have said "Bring it on", or said "Mission Accomplished" when things had just started.

[Kim_in_MN]

Referring to the smart cars. Okay please tell me where I am going to get two booster seats and one full size car seat in that tiny car. On top of the roof? It doesn't look that big?

I was thinking the same thing - my 2 kids and I wouldn't fit in that car!

Kim

[alicia-w]

We dont have public transportation here and since we both work in the same place, we already drive to work together. Our work hours are so odd, there arent too many people that would go with us anyway. (0600-1600)