I'm getting SO SICK of gas prices and car taxes!

[rsewill]

My uncle story is similar but worse ... had COBRA for a while but it was like $1000 or $1500 month so he let it lapse. He rolled the dice as he only had like 2-3 years till he was 65. He rolled wrong. A year or so after he let it lapse he had a massive heart attack. He survived and had to have triple bypass. Still has circulation problems but otherwise heathly just weaker. But he is left with like $100-150K in medical bills that he is paying $1000 or so a month i think on till he dies i guess. The Cobra would of been way cheaper, hindsight is 20/20.

COBRA applies for only 18 months. He may no longer have still been eligible. Or he could have had his insurance time-out the day after his heart attack but before the surgery took place. Isn't our system grand...

 

[clemsonfor]

COBRA applies for only 18 months. He may no longer have still been eligible. Or he could have had his insurance time-out the day after his heart attack but before the surgery took place. Isn't our system grand...

Maye the Cobra was up and did not get the ususal insurance to replace it? It was his choice though to stop coverage for whatever reason, i do know that.

 

[RollingsFarms]

Why are gas prices so high??, the answer is simple. About 15 years ago, China wouldnt let its citizens even own an automobile, There was only about 1 million cars in the hands of private citizens. Also about 15 years ago, Bill Clintion managed to give china the Favorite Trading Status and made them a major trade partner with the US. Now China has over 85 million automobiles and that number is increaseing by 1 car every 2.3 seconds. If you cant figure out the supply and demand of gasoline, what it means to fuel prices, and what/who created that demand, then you simply aint even trying. It aint Bushes fault, it aint Obamas fault, it aint the fault of the big oil companies, its simple supply and demand brought on by the policies of Bill Clinton while he was in the White house. Yes the same Bill Clinton that claims to have left the Whitehouse with a blanaced budget and a surplus, but actually increaded our National debt by 3 trillion dollars. Its easy to claim a surplus if you dont pay your debts.

Buy this man a beer! He talks sense!

 

[Redneck in training]

Isn't it true that US corporations and business in general wanted free trade?

 

[Renze]

Sorry, you mis understood what i wrote. My parents are your age. Dad was born in 1953, so hes a few years after a true baby boomer but really same generation. His SS is in jeaperty, yes but mine will be gone just as i plan to retire.

Just to name man and horse, i am 29, my father is from 1943 and my mother from 1951. Thats what i meant when i said that you and me (29 and 30) are the same generation, and mine and your parents (1940-1955) are of the same generation.

Our system is based on a theory that you are resonsible for your care.

Thats the part i DID understand... the main difference is that in Holland we already have Obamacare though the rich carry more of the expenses because it is a percentual rate related to your wages.

Yea i know you will have questions and i know this has huge holes in it but ask away i will try and elighten you and eduacte. I apreciate your view of things as many think canada and europe our our solutions. I am interested but do not think the same so i appreciate you info.

I think i get the main idea, though there are many formal differences as it seems now. Thanks

Its easy to claim a surplus if you dont pay your debts.

Dont count on us here in Europe: France just elected Hollandaise, a socialist that wants to break up the budget deficit reduction deals, and in Greece the parties that carried out the cuts, no longer have a majority in the parliament. The Greek think they can continue without taking responsibility for how they spend OUR !!! money.... So the other PIGS countries (Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain) wont cut their budgets either, skyrocketing interest rates of our common Euro, and thereby crippling the entire European economy...

 

[crazyal]

At the end of the day the real problem is that there are people willing to work for wages that most of us wouldn't dream of. Countries like China have an endless supply of cheap labor and a growing middle class that wants to live like we do. Of course never having any money in their hands getting paid a couple of cents a year seams like a lot.

That leads to what Mudstopper wrote about the number of cars skyrocketing in China. Even countries like Vietnam where the motorcycle was the main form of transportation is getting replaced with the car.

 

[300UGUY]

At the end of the day the real problem is that there are people willing to work for wages that most of us wouldn't dream of. Countries like China have an endless supply of cheap labor and a growing middle class that wants to live like we do. Of course never having any money in their hands getting paid a couple of cents a year seams like a lot.

That leads to what Mudstopper wrote about the number of cars skyrocketing in China. Even countries like Vietnam where the motorcycle was the main form of transportation is getting replaced with the car.

It's not just China, but also South America, Africa, Eastern Europe, all of asia. Energy is needed for modern living, and everybody wants it.

 

[Renze]

Countries like China have an endless supply of cheap labor and a growing middle class that wants to live like we do.

These two factors combined, means that they will cancel each other out: Within 15 years, the Chinese are close to our prosperity level and therefor demand political freedom, better labour health and safety, start to care for the enviroment, demand more wage for their labour.

I work in the construction machinery business: 40 years ago the Japs started and they were laughed at. 30 years ago they earned their share, and the Koreans started and were laughed at. The chinese started 5 years ago, are laughed at, we'll take them for granted within a few years, and then the Indians will start.

If the chinese rulers do whats best for their own country, and not fill their own pockets, they will evolve and come stand at our level, over time.

The only ones that dont realise this, are the Western countries that spend their money foolish, let their deficits grow and have all their economic growth cancelled out by their growing interest. The decay of our economic systems by national debts, is a bigger threat than the growth in china.