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

[lostcause]

i try to avoid pointless rants as much as possible, because i've always been of the belief that if you don't have a solution or at least a suggestion then there isn't any point of wasting breath on it. it's obvious that nobody on the consumer end likes high prices, so my question is what can be done about it, aside from just complaining about it? i certainly would love a solution, but we are a nation that requires large quantities of petroleum products at the consumer level. over the years, enterprising people have realized this and those with the means have capitalized on it, making for the $4 per gallon price we sit at today. you can blame all the people you want - politicians for adding additional taxes to cover marginally necessary projects, commodities speculators for driving up the cost, businessmen for drilling, capping and sitting on wells until the prices go even higher, the media for reporting on how it will go even higher - thus conditioning us for yet another increase, devaluation of the dollar... the list goes on forever.

i'd challenge anyone to find a solution, and even if you could, would you then be able to convince the majority of voters in a country of over 300 million you had the solution? in a few months we're going to elect one of two people who have burned a combined 300 million dollars in one campaign to get our votes. either one should be so ashamed at wasting so much that they would have the decency to know the were not fit to govern us. as a people we're dumb enough to believe them when they tell us they're going to cut taxes, increase spending, provide reasonable healthcare, and increase the standard of living for us. not once have we held them up to the promises they make.

since we're on pointless rants, here's one i find far more important than $4 a gallon fuel - healthcare cost. to pay for an individual healthcare policy like what many people get with a good job, i could round-trip commute 150 miles a day in a truck that gets 15 miles per gallon at $4 per gallon. actually, that would probably still be $50-$100 a month less than health insurance.

 

[arrow]

i try to avoid pointless rants as much as possible, because i've always been of the belief that if you don't have a solution or at least a suggestion then there isn't any point of wasting breath on it. it's obvious that nobody on the consumer end likes high prices, so my question is what can be done about it, aside from just complaining about it? i certainly would love a solution, but we are a nation that requires large quantities of petroleum products at the consumer level. over the years, enterprising people have realized this and those with the means have capitalized on it, making for the $4 per gallon price we sit at today. you can blame all the people you want - politicians for adding additional taxes to cover marginally necessary projects, commodities speculators for driving up the cost, businessmen for drilling, capping and sitting on wells until the prices go even higher, the media for reporting on how it will go even higher - thus conditioning us for yet another increase, devaluation of the dollar... the list goes on forever.

i'd challenge anyone to find a solution, and even if you could, would you then be able to convince the majority of voters in a country of over 300 million you had the solution? in a few months we're going to elect one of two people who have burned a combined 300 million dollars in one campaign to get our votes. either one should be so ashamed at wasting so much that they would have the decency to know the were not fit to govern us. as a people we're dumb enough to believe them when they tell us they're going to cut taxes, increase spending, provide reasonable healthcare, and increase the standard of living for us. not once have we held them up to the promises they make.

since we're on pointless rants, here's one i find far more important than $4 a gallon fuel - healthcare cost. to pay for an individual healthcare policy like what many people get with a good job, i could round-trip commute 150 miles a day in a truck that gets 15 miles per gallon at $4 per gallon. actually, that would probably still be $50-$100 a month less than health insurance.

At one time, our survival instincts worked toward just that...survival. In the time of lions ,tigers and bears, we became wired for the hunt and or the aspect of food nurture. As this aspect of survival became easier and easier and placed before our doorstep so to speak, we never lost the wiring of "acquisition" only now it was for different things. Power, material wealth, status etc. At least our ancestors got to acquire these things when they killed enough charging saber tooths or mammoths. Our energies and make up for the "hunt" that were applied more basically then are now redirected so we have what we have now as we never lost those intrinsic genetic make ups. Why would any normal person want to be president of the United States? This is one power hungry, status oriented individual.This is why it is so difficult to over come now. If anyone of us were placed in the realms of being able to take advantage for personal gain, I wonder how many would decline even if it meant someone else losing out such as the act of having to pay more for commodities. How do we fix it? It's not going to happen. Look what they did to Christ when He tried. We'd have to do things like get rid of lobbyists, term limits, get rid of credit and have the government give out no money except for defense, government salaries and the upkeep of government infrastucture. Or basically like it was 150 years ago.

 

[arrow]

i

i'd challenge anyone to find a solution, and even if you could, would you then be able to convince the majority of voters in a country of over 300 million you had the solution? in a few months we're going to elect one of two people who have burned a combined 300 million dollars in one campaign to get our votes. either one should be so ashamed at wasting so much that they would have the decency to know the were not fit to govern us. as a people we're dumb enough to believe them when they tell us they're going to cut taxes, increase spending, provide reasonable healthcare, and increase the standard of living for us. not once have we held them up to the promises they make.
.

How about the shindig George Clooney is about to throw as a campaign fund raiser for Obama with the theme of "Warriors for the Middle Class" or something to that effect. It only costs $35,000 give or take for a ticket. How many do you want?

 

[Redneck in training]

At one time, our survival instincts worked toward just that...survival. In the time of lions ,tigers and bears, we became wired for the hunt and or the aspect of food nurture. As this aspect of survival became easier and easier and placed before our doorstep so to speak, we never lost the wiring of "acquisition" only now it was for different things. Power, material wealth, status etc. At least our ancestors got to acquire these things when they killed enough charging saber tooths or mammoths. Our energies and make up for the "hunt" that were applied more basically then are now redirected so we have what we have now as we never lost those intrinsic genetic make ups. Why would any normal person want to be president of the United States? This is one power hungry, status oriented individual.This is why it is so difficult to over come now. If anyone of us were placed in the realms of being able to take advantage for personal gain, I wonder how many would decline even if it meant someone else losing out such as the act of having to pay more for commodities. How do we fix it? It's not going to happen. Look what they did to Christ when He tried. We'd have to do things like get rid of lobbyists, term limits, get rid of credit and have the government give out no money except for defense, government salaries and the upkeep of government infrastructure. Or basically like it was 150 years ago.

About 1000 years ago when people in Europe were turning from hunters/gatherers nomads to farmers their neighbors tried to steal from them. So they divided on protectors and the working people. It didn't take long and the working people were enslaved while the so called protectors became the nobility. It happened to them because they had no power.
If we gave up government we will be enslaved by corporations and the history will repeat itself. There has to be basic protection for those who create the wealth at the first place. 150 years ago USA was not that happy place you are thinking about. It was great for the elite.

 

[arrow]

About 1000 years ago when people in Europe were turning from hunters/gatherers nomads to farmers their neighbors tried to steal from them. So they divided on protectors and the working people. It didn't take long and the working people were enslaved while the so called protectors became the nobility. It happened to them because they had no power.
If we gave up government we will be enslaved by corporations and the history will repeat itself. There has to be basic protection for those who create the wealth at the first place. 150 years ago USA was not that happy place you are thinking about. It was great for the elite.

I did not say to give up government. What I did say is for government to stop with the money gives to the public. Also, the most unhappiest places on this planet in history have been places where government has had too much control and actually suppressed its population. You do raise a valid point Ladia on people's instincts to take advantage or to "acquire" more and more. Certainly that is one of the reasons unions took hold in this country. The problem with any level of our species is that if you give the inch, we take the yard and thus the road to **** being strewn with good intentions.
We have gotten to where we are because of no accountability for actions. It is not a money problem as much as a specie frailty problem. Our politicians have made us more dependent on government simply for a continuation of elected office and thus have made us weaker, less responsible and "entitled". We did not have these kind of problems in this country that our government has fostered even a hundred years ago.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Arrow, your grasp of US history, unions, Sherman Antitrust Act, and such is a bit one-sided. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Robber Barons = Union Bosses = Political Bosses. The Teapot Dome scandal might interest you if you are focused on history and the abuse of power.

The tiger twitches his tail to distract your eye from the real danger.

 

[arrow]

Arrow, your grasp of US history, unions, Sherman Antitrust Act, and such is a bit one-sided. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Robber Barons = Union Bosses = Political Bosses. The Teapot Dome scandal might interest you if you are focused on history and the abuse of power.

The tiger twitches his tail to distract your eye from the real danger.

Nope, I realize this. Look at who is in high places at the FDA for instance. You think its folks like you and I looking out for people? The FDA big wigs come from pharmaceutical and chemical companies. I am not sure how you are coming to the conclusions you are coming to about what i am trying to state here nor what they have to do with what I am saying. I am also not sure of what you are meaning by accusing me of being "one sided"
Me stating that it is a "human frailty" problem does not exempt anyone whether attached to government or not.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

I stand duly corrected Arrow.

ADM is one of my favorite corporate powerhouses. (Sarcasm)

 

[2manyrocks]

Some discussions follow this pattern:

Switch the subject.
Ignore the Facts
Name Calling.

SIN.

The facts are the facts, and an examination of the facts will lead to different conclusions than relying on inaccurate information. If the OP is sick of gas prices, think about how those prices are already affecting everything else.

My recollection is that stagflation was not brought under control during the Carter administration. Interest rates were out of control because of underlying inflation in the 1970's into the 1980's. Inflation wasn't brought back under control until the 1980's.

What set off the inflation? Government spending on social programs and the Vietnam War was part of it. Increased gas prices after 1973 was much of it.

Between our government spending and increased fuel costs, the current period reminds me of the 1970's all over again. It may be worse this time.

This time health care costs are a significant additional financial burden, many of our manufacturing jobs have been moved to China (remember how controversial it was for Nixon to go to China?), and we now have more monetarized debt than ever.

Vietnam was expensive. Our recent wars in the Middle East have been expensive. And gas prices have most certainly increased substantially. You can see the effects in your grocery store bill and bills for most everything else.

I don't believe it's pointless to examine why and how various decisions have affected us economically and to assess responsibility where responsibility is due.

Those of us who lived through 1973 and its aftermath--do you ever remember being told that the oil embargo began because Saudia Arabia decided to join the embargo in opposition to the US resupply of ****** in October, 1973? If this had been publically known in advance, would the US have enaged in this policy or would have changes been made? Is it Nixon's responsibility for resupplying ****** or Truman's for helping to establish ****** in 1948 over Arab opposition in the first place? These are all decisions that have affected everyone regardless of whether you personally support or oppose them on their own merits.

U.S. voters didn't get to vote on these decisions. They got to vote to elect the leader who made them.

I'm not sure that we've been told all the reasons for everything that is going on now any more than we were told in 1973 the reasons for what happened then. Facts have a way of coming to the surface later that explain why things happened the way they did.

Leaders make decisions and then the public has to live with the consequences. So it's a reminder to all of us to choose leaders carefully.

 

[Renze]

I drive Diesel, pay 1.41 euro per liter at the town station, and 1.45 at the highway. the guy next to me in the office pays 1.74 for a liter of petrol.
I pay some 500 euro of vehicle tax annual, and 600 for insurance.

Just to get the perspective straight, you guys complain over what you were used to, but what you get NOW, aint that bad...