Gotta love this BS!!!

[TomT]

Until we Americans quit looking at energy as waste that can be tossed out like we toss out our cans and bottles all day, there will be no end to this energy crisis. As gas prices go up are we driving less? No. Don't start blaming other countries just because they are catching up with us in energy consumption. It's not their fault we Americans choose to drive gas guzzlers. I'd say 80% of our Hummer, Suburban, and other ridiculously large SUV drivers could easily be driving something smaller and more fuel efficient. It's not their fault we choose to live a lazy pampered lifestyle completely dependant on oil. Until we learn how to control ourselves, no one here should be talking about other counties.

 

[Tom Schindler]

The Chinese do not play by the rules. Copyright infringment, fake products, etc. We are complaining about the price of gas. I, myself, don't complain any more. When I researched the figures TrainTrac just posted, I see that the profit margin of Exxon is not as high as Microsoft, Sony, and most other corporations. We don't complain about the price of a TV, Microwave, or the newest version of MS Streets and Trips.



As I have said before, I don't care about China building things or buying fuel. When they cost us jobs, then it gets personal. If that makes me a bigot, arrogant, or selfish, so be it. When the Chinese government, it people, or anyone else in connection with China actually ADD'S jbs to the US economy, and not displaces them from one company to another, then I am happy.



Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and other do not add jobs, they displace jobs from one side to another. When there are 100 people hired in Alabama, and 100 people layed off in Michigan, how many jbs did we gain?



It depends which one you are. Did you just get a job or did you just lose your job?



The Chinese could care less about the USA. Why should I care about them?





Tom

 

[Thomas Rogers]

It's your govt Tom, the most mighty govt in the world. If China doesn't play by the rules, why do we still trade with them? People complain about everything China does, about illegal immigrants, etc, out of one side of their mouth, but then enjoy the benefits that these things that our govt allows provides (cheap labor, cheap products, etc). We can't have it both ways....heck "Made In China" has been stamped on most all products since before you and I were born.



TJR

 

[Tom Schindler]

cheap labor=legal slavery

If China doesn't play by the rules, why do we still trade with them?

Money. The government will ALWAYS get their money. It doesn't matter if the goods come from outerspace. The government will get their share. The difference is there are corportions that have money to make.



I still stand by my ststement. Do your part to combat rising fuel prices. Quit supporting those people that compete with us in buying oil. You don't see GM buying Ford cars. You also don't see Wal-Mart buying from K-Mart. A family is nothing more than a mini buisness. The decisions I make influence the future of myself and my wife.



The choices I make are to avoid buying Chinese made products whenever possible and to not support any company I know of that outsources call centers, help desks, or anything else to another country. I cll my credit card company and the person on the other line is clearly from India, I can cell my credit card on the spot.



The reason? I live in the USA, not India.





Tom

 

[Deleted deleted]

That's why I drive a 4cylinder manual tranny car. I don't want to contribute to the bottom line of any oil company any more than I have to.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Hey, a Tom, there was a time in this country when people didn't want Blacks to get an education and to better themselves because "we" would have to compete with them in the workplace. How are your attitudes towards Indians and Chinese in today's global workforce any different?



Forcibly keeping others in a lower working class because we are trying to protect our way of life is slavery, IMHO. It's what the plantation owners did!



TJR

 

[Fer Echegaray]

Blaming the neighbor when your house is dirty does not accomplish much.

Lat us all get mandarin language lessons...



According to the Treasury Department, major foreign holdings of U.S. Treasury

securities total $1.38 trillion. Over the first seven months of 2003, Mainland China and Hong

Kong have accumulated $177 billion of U.S. debt. Currently, China is the world’s secondlargest

buyer, exceeded only by Japan. Furthermore, China’s purchases of U.S. government

securities rose 20% over the first half of this year and have exploded by more than 105% since

the beginning of 2001.



This situation is dangerous because it is how the Bush Administration is in part funding

the federal government –by selling our debt to the Chinese. This August, the Congressional

Budget Office (CBO) projected that the federal government will accumulate a $401 billion

deficit next year –not including the additional $87 billion request for Iraq.



This means that foreign investment in the United States is financing the U.S. budget

deficit and the war in Iraq. We need to borrow approximately $1.5 billion per day from foreign

investors to finance these deficits. Increasingly, foreign investors, not U.S. residents, will be the

beneficiaries of the interest paid by us, our children, and grandchildren.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Hey, a Tom, there was a time in this country when people didn't want Blacks to get an education and to better themselves because "we" would have to compete with them in the workplace. How are your attitudes towards Indians and Chinese in today's global workforce any different?

That is simple. The Constitution of the USA says "All men are created Equal".



Last time I checked, it is the Constitution of The United States of America. I haven't seen an amendment that includes China or India.





Tom

 

[Mike Wilson]

I refuse to reply to this post, or I will have to go back on my medication!:blink:

 

[Mike Wilson]

P.S.

I read somewhere, years ago, that Japan owns a major interest in two of the top U.S.

Banks, and also owns a majority interest Yosemite National Park/Forest. Without getting

this thread too far off topic, could someone who is familiar with this refer me to a website

where I can read more on this?

Thanks...

 

[Tom Schindler]

I have read that if a few countried got together, they could bankrupt the USA. China is one of them.





Tom

 

[Ryan Schaecher]

This situation is dangerous because it is how the Bush Administration is in part funding

the federal government –by selling our debt to the Chinese. This August, the Congressional

Budget Office (CBO) projected that the federal government will accumulate a $401 billion

deficit next year –not including the additional $87 billion request for Iraq.

Not to turn this into Politics, but it is actually the US Treasury that handles foreign transactions with other countries based on what the Congress sets as the Budget. The Federal Reserve is the only entity that can buy and sell US debt as origionally produced. The Administration (be it Reagan, Bush, Carter, Clinton, Vermanjasick, etc) has no say in what US debt is sold where and for how much.



Before you start blaming Bush for everything, do your research and you'll find that a good portion of the rules governing foreign transactions of US debt, along with a good percentage of the debt sold to China occured during the Clinton administration. You know why there was a "quote" balanced budget under Clinton? Most of the debt that was on record before he took office was transferred to long term bonds (being 10 years or more) so as to not affect the bottom line during his adminitration. Those bonds are comming due and are not being rolled into additional long-term bonds.



But back to ExxonMobile. This is a Capitalist society. We are free to choose the products we buy, including our cars. If people want a H3 or Suburban to drive their crumb crunchers around with, fine. You have to accept all that goes with it including the high fuel usage costs.



Do you go to McDonalds for Dinner? McDonald's profit margin is nearly double that of ExxonMobile. Do you complain that your happy meals are costing you an arm and a leg? Something that is near and dear to my heart is the cost of firearm ammunition. Winchester (Olin Brass actually) has a pretty hefty profit margin on most of it's products. They are able too since that is what people will pay for it.



That's what's happening with fuel. There is a point where diminishing marginal returns will begin to take a higher chunk of the profits out. THat is when the speculators will begin to loose money and the market will come back into alignment.



It's my belief that it's not that we are paying such high fuel prices, it that just two years ago gas was 1/2 the price it is now. If it took 5 years to go from $1.50 to $3/gallon, the outrage would not be nearly as high. Heck I can recall paying sub $.80/gallon in 1999 while living in Tulsa. It's not that fuel has gone up, it's the time range that is has gone up.