Price of gas no longer a political issue in US?

[Imran Siddiqui]

That only happened once, and this isn't that time.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
It was probably in the negative because of your tendancy to weasal when you've been shown wrong .

Being the author of the post I know best about how it was intended...I don't need you pwning interpreting it for me...

[Ned]

Originally posted by Micah Goodman

But I get tired of people implying that high oil prices are some Machiavellian plot to enrich oil companies.

If you think today is bad where Democrats accuse Bush of wanting higher oil prices so that his oil cartel buddies can make more profit, you should then there in the late 1970s when Jimmy "The Fool" Carter almost daily blamed high oil prices on the oil companies and went out of his way to accuse them of making excess profits. He even got Congress to pass an excess profits tax back in those days so that the oil companies could not take advantage of the high oil prices that were caused by oil price controls originally imposed by Nixon but maintained by both Ford and Carter. The insanity that was the Carter administration did not end until we elected Reagan.

By the way, Carter was on the Chris Matthews show last night. The pronouncements coming out of his mouth, particularly on Iraq, were not only insane, they were out and out racist. He more or less said that people like the Iraqis were incapable of democracy -- this on a day when Afghanistan had completed its first national election in its history, proving a lie to the very words that were spilling vilefully from his putrid mouth. He declared that the only valid strategy for America was to plan its early exit and to leave Iraq to the UN.

[Ned]

Why are people opposed to drilling for Anwar's oil from locations outside of the protected wilderness?

[Arrian]

Personally, while I'd obviously prefer prices to be lower, it hasn't hurt me all that much.

First off, I drive a relatively efficient car (Honda Accord, 26.5 mpg in mixed driving). Second, my office moved last year into the same building my finacee works in, so now we drive in together, which saves us a bundle on gas/wear & tear/parking fees (well, it saves HER parking money, not me. My parking was free before ).

And generally I think it's a good thing that will help push more efficient technology. I like seeing the Hybrid tech being put into normal cars. Next time 'round, I will probably buy one of those.

-Arrian

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Ned
By the way, Carter was on the Chris Matthews show last night. The pronouncements coming out of his mouth, particularly on Iraq, were not only insane, they were out and out racist. He more or less said that people like the Iraqis were incapable of democracy -- this on a day when Afghanistan had completed its first national election in its history, proving a lie to the very words that were spilling vilefully from his putrid mouth. He declared that the only valid strategy for America was to plan its early exit and to leave Iraq to the UN.

The election in Afghanistan was a disaster. So will the election in Iraq. Carter was right on.

[Kidlicious]

I like the idea of higher prices where the money goes to a good cause, like developing and implementing new technology or building better transportion. I don't like the idea of more profits going to the oil companies so that it can be spent lobbying congress to do things that we as a society generally disagree with.

[Arrian]

Good point there, Kid. Did I just say that?

Anyway, it does suck that the oil companies, who will of course fight the alternative fuels tooth and nail, are getting rich off the current prices. On the other hand, they are ultimately fighting a losing battle (even if it takes decades for them to finally lose). They can either be smart and invest in the alternative fuel market now, so they can make money on it down the road, or they can just try to obstruct, and go down in flames later.

-Arrian

[pchang]

Didn't either one of you look at the calculations in JohnT's link from an earlier thread? In order to realize $11B in profits, XOM paid $68B in taxes. If only M$oft paid anything close to that ratio.

[Arrian]

And those taxes, like the rest of them, will no doubt be largely wasted by the government.

edit: furthermore, those figures are scary in and of themselves, because a government that makes $68 billion off of a company is likely to listen to that company's tale of woe when times get tough, because that nice fat paycheck might just dry up...

-Arrian

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by pchang
Didn't either one of you look at the calculations in JohnT's link from an earlier thread? In order to realize $11B in profits, XOM paid $68B in taxes. If only M$oft paid anything close to that ratio.

Taxes are only one part of costs. XOM definitely makes their share in profit or they wouldn't be in the oil business. Would you rather XOM made $79B in profit and spend most of that lobbying congress?

[Ned]

Repeat: Why are people opposed to drilling Anwar oil from outside Anwar?

[Ned]

Originally posted by Kidicious


The election in Afghanistan was a disaster. So will the election in Iraq. Carter was right on.

Kid, link to the disaster story? Or is this your personal opinion?

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Ned


Kid, link to the disaster story? Or is this your personal opinion?

I heard it on Pacifica. Voter cards were handed out. Every voter was suppose to get one card, but some people got more than one and some people didn't get any. The Pacifica reporter was even given a card, and could have voted.

I'll try and find the link.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Ned
Repeat: Why are people opposed to drilling Anwar oil from outside Anwar?

I don't like it as a short term solution. Better long term solutions should have been implemented. I'm not in a big hurry to drill all the last remaining reserves of oil to make Bush's buddies rich.