Why gas prices are rising
- Thread starter HKuser
- Start date
This isn't about how you think I may feel. Can you explain how having to buy expensive domestically produced goods would be a benefit to US "workers"?
We've been in an impressive period of expansion for a couple of decades.
Are you sure it is just that? Who told that we send jobs overseas?
80 years ago, many americans were happy to have physically demanding and mind-numbingly repetitive jobs. Increasingly, fewer americans want that. Do you want to stand at a machine making underwear all day? I know I don't.
Then let me place within your comprehension.
If an Alabama textile factory can't get people to work in it for $12 an hour, they have to offer $13, and a three pack of undershirts will cost $20. The people making $13 an hour will angry that they make so little and work so hard, and constantly agitate for more money and expensive benefits. The company will be squeezed by foreign competitors and make an increasingly slim profit for stockholders. Consumers will be outraged by the high cost and buy the overseas substitute instead.
If that textile operation moves to Thailand, people may stand in line for the privilege of making $1.20 an hour, seek opportunity for overtime, and be tickled pink at their newfound wealth. The company can sell the product competitively and make a decent profit. Consumers are happy to be releived of the excessive cost. Even better, the textile employee, if he is smart, energetic and competitive, will likely find better paying, more interesting and more satisfying work.
Everyone wins.
And I'm guessing you know what is really happening, right?
How silly of you, to try to equate my views with support for a Socialist like Obama. Of course, how dare I have a differing opinion than you. Is that your underlying point? And if I do, then I am a commie, liberal, pig lover. Have I just about nailed it there applesanity?
Obviously, you are a Republican. That is fine. I used to consider myself a Republican also until they began voting like democrats. Today, I simply proclaim that I am a Conservative. Yet, you can't comprehend my views because they do not sound like the mantra repeated by the media day in an day out. Your mind must begin to melt down as you begin thinking of negative things to say about my views because, that is how you are taught to react to someone who differs with your views. That used to be a distinctly Democrat tactic... .smearing your enemy. I see that some who call themselves Republicans have picked up this tactic as well as the tactic of ignoring facts that are inconvenient to the arguments you make.
Your responses are canned... they have been repeated often on television by people who think like you (or who fail to think for themselves, actually). But, I must admit, you repeat them well.
As for the man you most likely support, McCain, I hate to break the news to you, but he is about as near a socialist as Obama is. Yet, I am sure that you won't agree with that because you have swallowed the party line hook line and sinker. McCain is the Republican nominee so he therefore deserves the vote of Conservatives. Nope. He is a liberal who has fought against many conservative ideals for years. How dare this party suggest we vote for such a man.
It is amusing. People actually believe there are major differences between the Democrats and the Republican Party of today. They tear each other apart about their differences. The reality is, the Democrats and Republicans are feathers of the same bird. They both support free-trade deals which weaken our economy. They both support borrowing money from China to pay for yet another foreign war which we can not afford. They both pass spending bills which the american people cannot afford to pay. The differences between the two parties pale in comparison with their similarities.
applesanity, enjoy that television. I realize that you probably believe what the major media tells you, and that is fine. There are many americans just like you so you won't find it difficult to find others whose views you may be more comfortable with. Just a word of adivce... don't let it blow your mind when you run across a life long Conservative who doesn't seem to think like you. Not all of us can be told what to think. Some of us think for ourselves. Don't blame them. Blame the party you still hold allegiance to for they have devolved into a liberal shadow of its former self. It is sad to watch. Sigh.
With respect, and compared to your factless, emotional comments above... I would have to say, at the least, I have a much better grasp than you. But that is beside the point.
It comes down to this. The government is hastily trying to maintain control of a quickly down-spiraling economy. While our economy has had downturns in its past, such as in the 70's, we have always been able to "manufacture" our way out of the downturns.
In contrast to then when we had a manufacturing economy, today, we don't manufacture very much. So, when our economy goes down, there are some economists who worry that the recession/depression we will end up in will last much longer because we just don't have the economic infrastructure which we used to have.
Now, you can believe that there is pie in the sky if you want to... that the government will make everything all better very soon. But, facts... those silly facts... may get in your way. No amount of printing money out of thin air by the Federal Reserve is going to help us grow out of this downturn. No amount of credit, to the banks which are already failing, is going to help the average american pay his mortgage payment. The only thing which will help us is manufacturing. Yet, our plants are all in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Mexico.... you get the picture, don't you.
The other thing that will help us is if we stop using fiat (counterfiet money based on nothing) and return our dollar to the gold and silver standard. But, that is another topic entirely in itself.
I think we still manufacture quite a bit, don't we? We just have too many people and not enough robots doing it. People doing manual labor is a waste of manpower and a waste of resources when they're getting paid four times what a machine would cost to do it twice as fast. The focus should be on creating an educated populace and making technology and knowledge our key export. Use technology to handle the majority of our needs, make the farmer and the assembly line worker a cute novelty of a past. A manufacturing economy is a step backwards. But that's just one wild-eyed dreamer's speculation. 
As for the original title, that's an interesting article but I think the reason for the fluctuations in gas prices is too complex to be simmered down in a couple of pages.
As for the original title, that's an interesting article but I think the reason for the fluctuations in gas prices is too complex to be simmered down in a couple of pages.
This leaves me wondering what you read.
Which, of course, I didn't suggest. If you have this sort of probem in reading and understanding a short post, how do you maintain your confidence in your understanding of a large and complex economy?
Yes. Let's look at your 'facts".
I get the impression that you don't understand that the US has retained manufacturing abilities, and that you are confusing productivity with manufacturing.
Productivity helps people; it makes them wealthier. Retaining manufacturing slots that are not ideally productive makes us poorer.
Remember guys, you really shouldn't hate the players, but the game.
While my views are far from the norm, I stopped disrespecting people a long time ago over their views. It really isn't their fault that they have grown up watching and believing what has been fed to them by the msm and gov. I mean, we all have ethics, right? The fact that we are divided by such views speaks volume.
I, for one, think for myself. (Not that I always have) And fwiw, you guys make some valid points here. You can't build a house on sand. Our country, anymore, strives on service, rather than manufacturing. IMO our economy would do much better if we exported as much as we import.
But, getting back to oil...
While my views are far from the norm, I stopped disrespecting people a long time ago over their views. It really isn't their fault that they have grown up watching and believing what has been fed to them by the msm and gov. I mean, we all have ethics, right? The fact that we are divided by such views speaks volume.
I, for one, think for myself. (Not that I always have) And fwiw, you guys make some valid points here. You can't build a house on sand. Our country, anymore, strives on service, rather than manufacturing. IMO our economy would do much better if we exported as much as we import.
But, getting back to oil...
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gazundtite
Really? You need someone to define this for you? Okay... here is a partial list, for your entertainment..
Elitists
George Bush
Hillary Clinton
Barack Obama
John McCain
Nancy Pelosi
Harry Reid
Ben Bernancke (Federal Reserve Chairman)
Ted Turner (Creator of CNN Empire)
Rupert Murdoch (FoxNews Founder)
The Rothschild family (Bankers)
etc. and so forth.
If it were only the unproductive manufacturing jobs which we had lost, yes, you would be correct. However, an intellectually honest person will not fail to admit that we lost manufacturing jobs that competed just fine... except on pay. A factory worker in Malaysia may get 1/3 to 1/2 of what an American worker may get. Is that the American worker's fault, that they want a decent wage? Of course not. It is the fault of the trade deals which our politicians signed and which allowed the world to benefit as our economy has been raped and plundered.
LoneStranger
New member
The first thing you must do if you wish to address the Gun Control issue is deal with those people who believe(?) that guns are animate objects which go out on their own and cause various types of mayhem.
Until you get them to accept the reality that guns are NOT animate but just chunks of various inanimate material that can be used by INDIVIDUALS to do either good or evil anything said is going to quickly devolve into chaos.
That chaos is quite evident in this thread in that apparently few realize that corporations are not animate objects. Rather they are nothing more than ink placed upon paper and like guns they are a tool that can be used for either good or evil depending upon the decisions of INDIVIDUALS.
Ask which corporate officers are making decisions and what is influencing those decisions. Then and only then can you find the possible answers for dealing with todays situation.
As for FreeMarket economies, remember that most leaders in business really do not like the FreeMarket. They prefer that THEY be allowed free reign and all others be restricted. Kinda like having your cake and eating it too.
Now everyone congratulate me for making this thread gun related.
Until you get them to accept the reality that guns are NOT animate but just chunks of various inanimate material that can be used by INDIVIDUALS to do either good or evil anything said is going to quickly devolve into chaos.
That chaos is quite evident in this thread in that apparently few realize that corporations are not animate objects. Rather they are nothing more than ink placed upon paper and like guns they are a tool that can be used for either good or evil depending upon the decisions of INDIVIDUALS.
Ask which corporate officers are making decisions and what is influencing those decisions. Then and only then can you find the possible answers for dealing with todays situation.
As for FreeMarket economies, remember that most leaders in business really do not like the FreeMarket. They prefer that THEY be allowed free reign and all others be restricted. Kinda like having your cake and eating it too.
Now everyone congratulate me for making this thread gun related.
model70fan
New member
Congratulations LoneStranger
Firemax- that is a list of people you consider elitests, not a definition of what you consider an elitest
Firemax- that is a list of people you consider elitests, not a definition of what you consider an elitest
Technically if the jobs cannot compete on pay then they're simply not as productive, are they?
That factory worker in Malaysia may also be getting a decent wage...for Malaysia.
Though I do agree that too many jobs have gone overseas but I'm more concerned with the menial white collar jobs than the blue collar ones. The latter could be handled by machines a hell of a lot cheaper than even the Malaysian worker but you can't build a robot to handle a credit card dispute or to tell someone to power cycle their DSL modem for the third time.
...yet >_>
Yes, I realize the difference. If someone really needs the definition rather than the list of people I consider elitist, you can look it up the definition for yourself here... http://dictionary.reference.com/
applesanity
New member
FireMax said:
Wow, is it true? Do you not know what is an ad hom? By the way, please define "elitist."
FireMax, I'm just going to keep pressing you until you admit it. If you're going to reply, please do so in a manner that doen't veer off in a bunch of irrelevant directions, especially into areas having nothing to do with the thread topic.
Obama will stop the gas prices from going up. Gesundheit.