War Profiteering

Discussion in 'Politics' started by OPTIONAL777, May 3, 2003.

  1. Hey man, I don't mean to sound like a dick, but I do live on my own and I'm definately not stupid enough to let a few dollars a day in expenses break me. My car gets around 38 miles to the gallon. I don't drive an SUV around. It isn't my fault that a lot of people have purchased vehicles that get 15 miles to the gallon -- that's their own choice.

    All I know is that England's cheapest gas prices have almost always been at least twice as expensive as American prices. Why don't you see so many SUV's in England? Because they're not stupid, that's why.

    If some soccer mom wants to roll around in the SUV to get the soccer team to practice, then she's just going to have to pay the SUV prices for gas. Am I right? Can I get a hell yeah here?
     
    #31     May 4, 2003
  2. Optional777,

    Does it justify gouging, no it doesn't. We agree on that.

    Yes we do and there are a lot of other things that we agree on, I'm sure.

    I never complained about the price of electricity beyond gouging, did I? You assume a lot of facts not in evidence, and it weakens your argument as a result, and demonstrates your personal bias.

    No you never complained about the price of electricity beyond gouging. Agreed.

    *I assume a lot of facts not in evidence, and it weakens my argument?* - That's a matter of opinion.

    "and demostrates my personal bias"
    I most definitely have a personal bias. When it comes to statements like "Sick to be an American" or when you hit me with,

    Did anyone else notice that the oil companies are reporting record profits, due to the spike in the price of oil due to fear of war?

    But where's the outrage? Where is the anger that while we all suffered in increased costs of fuel, where we were supposed to sacrifice for the common good of our country, oil companies just got fat. Have they offered to refund any of the profits?

    and use statements like this to back it up:

    Democrats in Congress--and Republicans who have not placed their conscience in a blind trust for the duration of the Bush/Cheney years, a group we hope still includes Arizona's John McCain in the Senate and Iowa's Jim Leach in the House--should borrow a page from past wars, when the nation's elected leaders knew what to call businessmen who used hostilities abroad as an excuse to raid the federal treasury.

    Come on man get real, "raid the federal treasury????" Surely you jest.

    There was an oil production strike in Venezuela.

    Nigeria's oil production had slowed to a crawl.

    War was on the horizion and uncertainty was high to say the least.

    The price of oil went over 35 dollars a barrel.

    Yet you insinuate that businessmen used hostilities to raid the federal treasury. While we all suffered. I don't about you, but I didn't *suffer*, inconvenieced yes, but suffered?

    I'm not buying in to that.

    Imagine your 77 year old mother, on a fixed income, having to pay these extreme energy bills, all as a result of a mistake or blunder by local politicians. Does the federal government just look the other way, and say, "well, so what if she and other fixed income types suffer, it is not our problem, it is the bed they made, let them sleep in it."

    I agree that more should have been done to correct the crisis in a more timely manner electricity is a necessity and not a whim.

    "As a result of a mistake or blunder by local politicians" rather light statement - but just my opinion - everybody has one.

    Were the democrats not in control of the congress at that time?

    Yet you want to blame Bush. I'm not sure that I buy that. But you have the right to cast blame wherever you want and you may be correct in doing so.

    p.s. I don't recall the questions you refer to, if important, or valid to the nature of this thread repeat them and I will answer them.

    If you wanted to answer them you allready would have, they are easy enough to see and read and have been asked 3 times. I don't see the point in writing them again.

    If they were surrounded by "waaahaaaa" comments, I didn't bother reading them.

    Intelligent debate, fine. Flaming juvenile stuff, no.


    Ok, I'll give you that one. True flaming juvenille stuff, Starting with my use of the word "crybaby" and continuing with assorted "waaahhhs" through several posts.

    And you 777 shouldn't claim not guilty. You do have this personal attack to your credit: "Yours is the typical response of a ditto head mentality, who lacks the foundation to construct their own arguments, and do nothing but regurgitate a party line."

    So lets do away with this patronizing. Can we?

    We disagree on some if not many things here on this thread. However, we agree on many other things on many other topics. I know that I can go and find - cut and paste *many* of your statements from other threads that I agree wholeheartedly with.
    I won't but I could. :)

    Although we have our different views and some of them quite adamant. I thank-you for the stimulating debate.
    Feel free to take the last word on anything I have said here. I'm done with it. (most likely.....lol..I think..)

    peace and goodwill to you,

    And if Bush wins Ca. in 2004,
    I'll buy you a steak dinner!!!!

    plumlazy

    PS. This link provides individual US. state fuel taxes and Canada:
    http://www.iftach.org/index4.htm click on *Tax Rate Matrices* (upper right side of page) then *OK* to the disclaimer - then *GO* for 2 cnd qtr 2003.

    There is a 10 cent tax difference between SC. and CA., but I am curious to know what you folks are paying at the pump. (is it more than 10 cents more, just curious)

    Tax rates on fuel by state. Fla. RI. NY. high on the east coast.

    NV. MT. AZ. CA. high on the west coast. Oregon is in a class by itself the highest of all...they are not in the IFTA program, but they make you buy a special plate just for their state.

    I had two plates on my front bumper: one for 47 states and one for Oregon. (yea, you can call me, "crybaby" now).

    When I was a trucker, owner operator, I was forced to pay fuel tax in each state whether I bought the fuel or not. It was based on a per mile basis that my truck ran in each state. So essentially I was being forced to buy some fuel in each state or pay the tax anyway. "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!"
     
    #32     May 4, 2003