Oil Speculators and Congress - Page 3

excuseme · 06-24-2008, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris92

The avg. person is quickly getting to the point where the cost of driving to work is gaining on the money you make at work. If it keeps going up many wont be able to even get to work. We need to end speculation, increase production, and even MORE importantly we need to invest HEAVILY on finding alternatives. We need to be weening ourselves off of our reliance on oil to protect ourselves in the future.

What are the chances that real estate in the suburbs are going to feel the increasing oil prices? A vicious circle it could become.

GOODOLEDAYS1016 · 06-24-2008, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris92

Not to mention that when oil goes down the rest of the market goes UP. while commodities will be effected so will everything else, but in a positive way. This needs to change immediately or we are heading quickly to a depression. The avg. person is quickly getting to the point where the cost of driving to work is gaining on the money you make at work. If it keeps going up many wont be able to even get to work. We need to end speculation, increase production, and even MORE importantly we need to invest HEAVILY on finding alternatives. We need to be weening ourselves off of our reliance on oil to protect ourselves in the future.

We could also start weening ourselves from being dependent on oil from other countries, kill some caribou and get our own oil.

Whirlpool · 06-24-2008, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GOODOLEDAYS1016

We could also start weening ourselves from being dependent on oil from other countries, kill some caribou and get our own oil.

So instead of getting our crack from the dealer in another city..we should get it from the dealer in our own neighborhood?

How about weening ourselves off crack all together....or at the very least, cutting back our crack intake.

The two need to happen NOW..and it takes an effort from everyone.

Mitch · 06-24-2008, 10:23 AM

Big problem I see in all this IF we get off foreign oil (which I think we should) or when they just flat out run out: We think we have problems with the middle east now, just wait until their governments (I use that term loosely) and, to a much lessor extent, the people of these countries start seeing their revenue dry up. What else do they have over there to replace that revenue? Nothing, but hatred. It'll be like many countries in Africa...only they will fully blame the U.S. for it...millions of more terrorists just waiting to get their revenge on those they are told gave them their station in life.

There is no easy, quick, neat fix to this. Just saying we need to get onto an alternative energy plan ASAP is like saying we now need to pull troops out of Iraq immediately. Maybe if we thought about the repercussions beforehand, we wouldn't be in either problem that we are in right now...

And we haven't learned our lesson, with all the increased outsourcing/importing we do now there could be several other sectors that soon become wholly DEPENDENT upon foreign countries to sustain the United States of America. Oil is just the first, but there could be others soon enough.

Chris92 · 06-24-2008, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mitch

Big problem I see in all this IF we get off foreign oil (which I think we should) or when they just flat out run out: We think we have problems with the middle east now, just wait until their governments (I use that term loosely) and, to a much lessor extent, the people of these countries start seeing their revenue dry up. What else do they have over there to replace that revenue? Nothing. It'll be like many countries in Africa...only they will fully blame the U.S. for it...millions of more terrorists just waiting to get their revenge on those they are told gave them their station in life.

There is no easy, quick, neat fix to this. Just saying we need to get onto an alternative energy plan ASAP is like saying we now need to pull troops out of Iraq immediately. Maybe if we thought about the repercussions beforehand, we wouldn't be in either problem that we are in right now...

Well thats why the Saudis are dumping so much money into other things and building up Dubai so quickly. They are building other revenue sources. They know it wont last forever and appear to be attempting to act proactively by investing into other ventures.

Mitch · 06-24-2008, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris92

Well thats why the Saudis are dumping so much money into other things and building up Dubai so quickly. They are building other revenue sources. They know it wont last forever and appear to be attempting to act proactively by investing into other ventures.

One country out of how many? Do you think tourism of a few cities will fill the same coffers oil does? Without looking at numbers, I don't THINK so.

Whirlpool · 06-24-2008, 10:38 AM

Mitch,

Most of the burgeoning terrorist you think exist in these countries see the huge money as a source for many of the problems that they are fighting against. Money moves you away from the true form of Islam. To lead a simple life and be generous. It has been said a million times: money is the root of all evil. This is very true in that part of the world...at least from the view of the extremist. Also, look at the UAE, they are planning for their future through tourism and business and are really becoming the "capital" of the whole of the region. They are a diamond in the rough..and it is working. (I do not agree with some of their behind the scenes dealings)

As for alternative energy...it has been available for years...it just has not been embraced by our society. We cannot go back and undo what we have done, but we can certainly move forward. No one is saying that we should have a hybrid in everyones hands by Christmas...but we should start putting some American ingenuity to work and solve this problem for the long term. We CAN and WILL do it.

We should have thought ahead...but we did not. When did we start taxiing on just one engine? When did we quit starting the APU at FL180? When did we start driving the speed limit? When did we sell our gas guzzling cars for something more efficient? When did we push the temp up one or two degrees on our thermostat? My opinion is that efficiency starts with the individual..and will find its way up. People are not buying SUV's...so GM is making more efficient cars. (Japan has done it for decades..it knows it has limited resources). Use your cash to speak for you..only then will change happen.

Mitch · 06-24-2008, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whirlpool

Mitch,

Most of the burgeoning terrorist you think exist in these countries see the huge money as a source for many of the problems that they are fighting against. Money moves you away from the true form of Islam. To lead a simple life and be generous. It has been said a million times: money is the root of all evil. This is very true in that part of the world...at least from the view of the extremist. Also, look at the UAE, they are planning for their future through tourism and business and are really becoming the "capital" of the whole of the region. They are a diamond in the rough..and it is working. (I do not agree with some of their behind the scenes dealings)

I should have written "thousands" instead of "millions" when talking about the people, but I thought I was clear that I was mostly referring to the governments. Money is the root of all evil, especially when you lose it once you're accustomed to having it. That is what I'm saying. When those accustomed to having money have it pulled away from them, justified or not, you could see the continuation/worsening of our problems with the middle east.

Quote:

...but we should start putting some American ingenuity to work and solve this problem for the long term. We CAN and WILL do it.

I agree 100% with the first sentence. I'm a lil worried about the time line for the second one. As you say next...we don't have a good track record of thinking ahead.

Quote:

We should have thought ahead...but we did not. When did we start taxiing on just one engine? When did we quit starting the APU at FL180? When did we start driving the speed limit? When did we sell our gas guzzling cars for something more efficient? When did we push the temp up one or two degrees on our thermostat? My opinion is that efficiency starts with the individual..and will find its way up. People are not buying SUV's...so GM is making more efficient cars. (Japan has done it for decades..it knows it has limited resources). Use your cash to speak for you..only then will change happen.

Agreed.

excuseme · 06-24-2008, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris92

Well thats why the Saudis are dumping so much money into other things and building up Dubai so quickly. They are building other revenue sources. They know it wont last forever and appear to be attempting to act proactively by investing into other ventures.

Just FYI - Saudi Arabia and UAE (where Dubai is only a part) are two different countries. Our "friends" (the royal family) mainly keep the fortunes to themselves and contrary to UAE where the future is actually planned.

Ready.Set.Jet · 06-24-2008, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whirlpool

I appreciate your concern about me embarrassing myself. I am well aware of how things are done. If you think that the current president has little effect on policy and/or law, than you need to go back to civics class...or maybe even take a civics class.

Carry on.

As I said, the president doesn't make laws the congress does. So if you want to be critical maybe you should blame the republican controlled congress. I guess that wouldn't work since you lean right.