Gas Prices!

Shift518 Automotive Shift518 Off Topic
121

I’m not trying to start $hit with you, but I have to share my opinion here…

People have it so good here in America, they can afford not to care about the circumstances or welfare of other countries. As a superpower, the US is pretty much unaffected by all but the largest and most serious crises that take place elsewhere.

(And when it comes to these crises, the US often gets involved when it feels it might be influenced, but that’s another story I guess)

However, as the world gets smaller, and other countries become more developed and more influential on a global scale, the huge advantages Americans enjoy with respect to the rest of the world will continue to erode… Some might say this has already begun.

America and its people have made so many great contributions to the world, but it is not responsible for all of them. Part of the reason is that the country is set up to (for the most part) allow people the freedom to invent, create, and enjoy the fruits of their success.

Many people would go to great lengths to be able to come here and enjoy all of this… Yes it’s true that many people try to take advantage of the system here and illegally cross the border and try to emigrate, etc because this is indeed a land of opportunity, etc. That’s what makes it so great in the first place.

But to maintain its position, the US has to look outside of the country- I’m not talking about dependence on foreign resources, but how about just talent itself?

Not all the best talent is here- that’s not a knock on Americans but when a country has only 5% of the world’s population I think it’s statistically safe to say there are a lot of educated individuals outside the country that could make significant contributions to the country. Will these individuals ever get a chance? I understand the need to protect local jobs as well, but one has to draw the line somewhere. Without knowledge nor interest of what is going on internationally or even across the border, where does one start?

My personal feeling is that if any one nation becomes lackadaisical in expanding its world view, it will become a victim of its own complacency and be forced to care at some point when it is no longer “ahead”.

122

I have NO problem with people voicing their opinion. However, I do call people out on bullshit. This is not directed at you as I can’t remember you posting anything like that.

Correct. It’s good to be an American. :slight_smile:

That would make a very good thread and would bring in how no one came to our aid with Katrina hit which is sad given the amount of support we give others.

Are you suggested the other countries are “catching up”? If so, I’d agree with that.

I see both sides to this. A lot of people we bring in do nothing but leach off of us. I have a problem with a Mexican who doesn’t pay taxes getting hospital care at the expense of another US kid not getting theres. It’s a very touchy subject but I am ify on where I stand on it.

Talent in regards to what? Are you talking about importing goods? I think the problem is that we don’t use enough of what we have here. Isn’t it a bad thing to be dependent on another Country? I think it’s a good thing to have imports as it forces the America-made equiv to step up to the plate. For instance, the American car companies have reaped the benefits for far too long and now they are playing catchup to imports.

Part of me says let them come over and survival of the fittest but then I feel bad for those here that can do good things but don’t due to over population, outsourcing, etc…

A fair post but please don’t take my post out of context. I said who cares about the rest of the world in regards to our problems. To be honest, I still feel this is the great country in the world in many regards but I am not about to feel happy about my health care or the gas prices because some other people have it worse. That’s bullshit. That was what I was trying to say.

123

so much anger. release, release!

124

By talent I meant just labor, didn’t mean to be confusing. I agree that import/export/competition is a good thing (but depending of course on regulation).

OK, I get it about “in regards to our problems” comment. I guess I didn’t catch the end of that thought from your last post or something. I guess that happens when it’s like a 7 page thread with people writing more than like two sentences each…

125

Yea, I was replying to a person that basically said: “We don’t have it that bad. Look at the little babies in Africa.”.

126

as far as GAS prices, we dont have it that bad. most european countries are paying over 3$ PER LITER

127

It is very difficult for me to even give a shit about gas prices. I just don’t care. Everyone, not just on this forum seems to be getting drawn into this pesimistic state of unhappiness.

If all you do all day is watch the BS that media feeds you and complain strictly because it is what they say to do then fuck it, your done. You might as well jump off a bridge now.

I on the other hand could care less about half the shit they have to say. Msot of it is sepculation and politics. I like to view the positive in the world not the negative. Gas is $4 a gallon. Ok fine. Who cares. I haven’t noticed a difference in my lifestyle and I won’t either because I know how to handle money. As far as some of the more “unfortunate” people in this country are concerned, maybe high gas prices will start pushing people out of their double-wides and into the workforce…

If I offended anyone, kiss my ass.

Ok im done ;D

128

I am sure I can find a lot of welfare cases that have it better than some but that doesn’t justify it. But, I do see your point.

I’d like to see the increases they have had in the last 5 years or so vs our increases. In the last 10 years or so, our gas has went up over 4X.

129

The problem is you are looking at it inside a fucking box. Start thinking about the big company exploitation, our President’s Administration connection with oil companies, air line costs, rising grocery costs, etc…

Basically, you can live in your home like a hermit and getting fucked daily.

I make enough money to own multiple BIG HUGE SUVs and to drink gas if I wanted too but it DOES affect me and it bothers me how we can let this happen.

130

I did read that they may be taking the State tax off from Memorial day to labor day. $.32 off per gallon.

131

Yep. They want you to spend that bullshit rebate check. I hope GWB gets aids by a fucking rabid dog.

132

I know where your coming from but here is the thing. There is nothing YOU can do about it. So why drag yourself down? If the world is going to go to shit, then it’s going to happen no matter how much you argue your point.

133

I guess I should stop voting now too?

While I do hold the same thought that there isn;'t nothing I can do, I am not going to just accept it while being silent. Hopefully each person will speak and masses will prevail.

134

That would be the best outcome but most of the people in this country, due to our shitty education standards, do not have the intellect to think they way we are thinking. If your not born with some sort of “smart” gene in this country, you are basically fucked. You become a sheep and follow the herd. As far as I am concerned individually, I know that nothing will happen until its starts affecting people to the point where we go into a depression. Even then I don’t know…

135

I don’t believe in destiny. I had no father, food stampes, and .25 lunches in school and I am alive and making a paycheck.

We have enough opportunities for anyone to succeed.

136

where the fuck did I ever say anything like that?
my point was that all the people here like to bitch and whine about how bad they got it (even though they don’t) but don’t care enough to do anything other than bitch and whine about it.
If you gonna complain about others taking your quotes out of context be kind enough to not do it yourself.

137

I can’t help how I read it. I think the post you quoted was a bit of tongue-n-cheek though. Here’s some words of what I read:

my friend, you have no idea what real corruption is like.
corruption is when cops pull you over to extort you when the feel like it.
corruption is when people in the politics openly and directly own most of the business in the country, and don’t bother keeping it legal.
corruption is when you can’t do anything without calling favors and paying kickbacks.
you have no idea how good you have it in this country.

I never said that.
I said that other nations, namely my original homeland, have it much worse.
As far as the war - that’s what the people at the helm of the nation want to do.
And people in power, like it or not, are a good yardstick of the nation is like as a whole.

138

My 2 cents lol if you ask me the only way gas will ever go down is if one of two things happens
1 they find more oil and when i say that i mean like they strike it rich to the point that oil would be worthless because they found so much of it.

or

2 when the time comes that the majority of working Americans can’t afford to go to work anymore and they just start missing days of work because they have to choose between buying food or buying fuel to get themselves to work. So they just stop showing up because gas is 20 dollars a fucking gallon. if you ask me i think number 2 will come before number 1.

eventually it will all come to a head and there will either be massive government intervention or massive civil unrest but the point is when wages stay stagnant, fuel cost and the cost of living goes up because of the cost of fuel then couple that with the fluctuating American dollar its a fucking mess…
granted theres so much more to this thing then just gas prices or oil prices… the expanding global economy, china and india getting more industrialized. theres alot more then just that. but when you add everything together you end up in the boat were in.

139

there is things you can do about it like buying car that don’t run on gasoline. I have seen very few discussions on alternative energy which kinda shocks me. With the skills some of use have minus the :stfu type of people, you can mod a car with a convetor and batteries enough to run a couple years on a source. Instead of spending 10 grand on a new hybird that gets 32 miles to the galon buy a natural gas cailver and trick it the F out. You could lock yourself in for a rate cheaper for natural gas than what we pay for right now. Or for the tech guru’s install a convetor hooked up to a series of batteries to build an electric vehicle. I know this would not work for those trip takers but would give you a semi free rides around the capital region. American are to fucking stupid to wake up and see the oil is running out and we have more than just a enternal combustion engine. We have had other technology in the past and the government has either seized it or derailed it. In closing one my my good friends is a silver jewelery designer. He specialize in pressure cuts, forms and molds…to make a long story short he makes his own fuel off of small amounts of oil. He has not paid for fuel since the mid ninties and drive a sweet ass dodge pick up truck and a 05 mercedes coupe diesil. I think he is doing something right in life. I guess my focus was to say that, we are talented enough to make our cars push the excess of 400 when can we make an engine that is more fuel effcient?

“DEATH OF THE ELECTRIC CAR” AND “TELSA’s MAGNET CAR EXPIRMENTS”

140

you make a good point, i’ll be honest if i knew how to convert my stang to hydrogen/water i would, ford has done it with a prototype fusion but as of right now theres only one company i know thats actually DOING it and thats honda. but i havent the first clue on how to do that , and because its the main vehical i use and everyone in the house here works i cant just borrow another car from someone. But if someone were to be able to convert it for me i would happly pay them