Our GAS heading to $5 per gallon..What is the reason now? (Iran, Israel)
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"So most of you can sit back down in front of the tube, open another beer, and grouse about how unfair life is. And don't forget that those much-ballyhooed mas-transit systems usually suffer a decline in patronage and require a bigger subsidy whenever fuel prices temporarily stabilize. Maybe, with a little creative thinking, you can find someone to blame for that, too." Quote: 2nd trick OP
Just looking for some answers this time around doesn't mean one wallows in life being unfair.
Most of us are not in front of the tube with a beer at all.
There usually is some kind of answer for the rise in price.
The price rise won't kill me, but I worry about others. If everyone sits back and keeps quiet they might as well make it
eight dollars a gallon. If no one cares then why should the industry worry. Just raise it up!
But there are alot more steeper rises i price than gasoline.I think you miss the point ;why sit around worying about these went you can be usig that time to make more money.We are not in charge of regualting gouging and its does no good to try.Too mnay perhaps sittig around worryig when they could be using the time to make more and not complian about what other are charging and justifyig why they want more themselves.
Communism is an economic system where man exploits man. In capitalism it's the other way around.
With one very important difference.
Under communism, the state's monopoly on the use of force enslaves everybody.
With (not under) capitalism, the dreamers, "trend-setters", and other miscellaneous losers enslave themselves. Human progress depends upon the ability to say "no" to oneself from time to time.
Under communism, the state's monopoly on the use of force enslaves everybody.
With (not under) capitalism, the dreamers, "trend-setters", and other miscellaneous losers enslave themselves. Human progress depends upon the ability to say "no" to oneself from time to time.
Most in America believe the U.S. became a world power because of the superiority of our ideas, our values, our religion, or our economy. In fact, we became a world power because of our superiority in using applied violence. We frequently ignore this, the rest of the world never does.
Liberty is the right to choose, freedom is the result of the right choice. We have no choices with the oil industry, and those that support it are putting up every roadblock they can to alternative fuel choices that would give people a choice. No choice, no freedom. Almost all of our "wars" in the past fifty years have been to promote capitalism for a few corporations---including oil for certain. Under capitalism the state uses force to enslave us to capitalist corporations.
Read John Perkin's book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and/or his sequel, The Secret History of the American Empire. Both books are accounts of how he assisted the U.S. in economically exploiting the resources of other countries to benefit our corporations at the expense of the people in those nations. And how we were involved in murder when any national leader stood up to us.
Communism is an economic system where man exploits man. With capitalism, it's the other way around.
Most in America believe the U.S. became a world power because of the superiority of our ideas, our values, our religion, or our economy. In fact, we became a world power because of our superiority in using applied violence. We frequently ignore this, the rest of the world never does.
Almost all of our "wars" in the past fifty years have been to promote capitalism for a few corporations---including oil for certain. Under capitalism the state uses force to enslave us to capitalist corporations.
Communism is an economic system where man exploits man. With capitalism, it's the other way around.
What you describe isn't capitalism, but a corrupted mixed economy skewed in favor of "connected" quasi-corporate institutions with access to the state's legitimized monopoly on the power to coerce. As a famous historian observed well over a century ago; "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
I think most free-market advocates with a sense of pragmatism can understand the need for a basic "safety net" in today's super-concentrated industrialized society. But such a mechanism invariably leaves holes through which those motivated by simple irresponsibility seek to escape carrying their part of the burden.
The obvious answer here is to relinquish the role of "gatekeeper" to the local level, where the local hard-core parasites can be easily recognized, identified and excluded. But I guarantee you that the advocacy for a bigger welfare state will fight this tooth-and claw, because the aforementioned ne'er-do-wells are the central component of their constituency
Same rule applies to the overblown quasi-environmental movement. No power -- no "soft" patronage "jobs" to hand out to the politically-connected, and I guarantee you that Al Gore and the rest of Barry-O's WonderPet groupies will manifest a lot less enthusiasm.
Apparently, we're already paying USD$5/gal in Toronto. Our family got rid of our cars a few years ago and switched to bikes and using a car share program. We need a car every couple of months for a few hours. Definitely helped me lose my baby weight between the exercise and if I want that tub of ice cream, I have to get up off my butt and ride for it. The added effort is enough for me to decide I shouldn't be eating that tub of Ben & Jerry's anyway.
Obviously, bikes aren't always going to be the best solution for everyone, everywhere. At this point, the best way we could think of protesting gas prices was to stop paying them. Doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but I'm feeling better not fuming at the pump weekly.
Apparently, we're already paying USD$5/gal in Toronto. Our family got rid of our cars a few years ago and switched to bikes and using a car share program. We need a car every couple of months for a few hours. Definitely helped me lose my baby weight between the exercise and if I want that tub of ice cream, I have to get up off my butt and ride for it. The added effort is enough for me to decide I shouldn't be eating that tub of Ben & Jerry's anyway.
Obviously, bikes aren't always going to be the best solution for everyone, everywhere. At this point, the best way we could think of protesting gas prices was to stop paying them. Doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but I'm feeling better not fuming at the pump weekly.
I completely agree. But I will point out that it is far easier to go carfree in Toronto than probably 99% of the areas in the United States. I have been trying to get carfree for over a decade now and it is still not happening in my life. I'm making as many adjustments as reasonably possible, but unless I want to pay $50 for a taxi or ride a bike through some seriously dangerous traffic with a kid in tow, I still need a car on many occasions throughout a typical week. The thing is that very few others in this country seem to be trying to make any adjustments. Like how hard would it be to go from an SUV or huge truck to a fuel efficient car for most people? Not at all. But so many are living in denial, trying to grasp hold of the life that has been the norm for decades now, but cannot be the norm forever. If more people would wake up and start demanding cities, infrastructures, products, etc that rely less on oil, we would get that life...and we would all not be slaves to oil prices. Instead, we choose to boycott buying gas once a year (and organize this event by chain emails!! lol) and whine the rest of the time.
In the metro I live in, in the last year or so, a huge majority of voters voted against a tax increase for public transit while a huge majority voted for an increase in taxes to widen a highway...a highway that in my opinion is not even congested. But the public transit is horrible here. Even poor, desperate people can't rely on it as a last solution for most things because the routes are so limited and it runs a very limited schedule.
Last edited by soanchorless; 02-23-2013 at 06:24 PM..
I completely agree. But I will point out that it is far easier to go carfree in Toronto than probably 99% of the areas in the United States. I have been trying to get carfree for over a decade now and it is still not happening in my life. I'm making as many adjustments as reasonably possible, but unless I want to pay $50 for a taxi or ride a bike through some seriously dangerous traffic with a kid in tow, I still need a car on many occasions throughout a typical week. The thing is that very few others in this country seem to be trying to make any adjustments. Like how hard would it be to go from an SUV or huge truck to a fuel efficient car for most people? Not at all. But so many are living in denial, trying to grasp hold of the life that has been the norm for decades now, but cannot be the norm forever. If more people would wake up and start demanding cities, infrastructures, products, etc that rely less on oil, we would get that life...and we would all not be slaves to oil prices. Instead, we choose to boycott buying gas once a year (and organize this event by chain emails!! lol) and whine the rest of the time.
In the metro I live in, in the last year or so, a huge majority of voters voted against a tax increase for public transit while a huge majority voted for an increase in taxes to widen a highway...a highway that in my opinion is not even congested. But the public transit is horrible here. Even poor, desperate people can't rely on it as a last solution for most things because the routes are so limited and it runs a very limited schedule.
Toronto is cutting back on transit frequency even as the number of people taking it are increasing. Buses and trains and subway will take you everywhere, but it's getting crowded. There really aren't a lot of bike lanes. And some of the cyclists seem intent on pissing people off. At least most people behave when they see the cargo bike with small children in it.
My husband is the environmentalist. I'm just the one with a bad temper that won't pay for things when I feel like I'm being ripped off. Between car insurance, maintenance/repairs and gas, I was pretty happy to tell them all where to shove it. I love driving and I love cars. But this isn't driving, this is gridlock. At least on my bike, I'm moving and I'm not teaching my children colourful language that I don't want them repeating.
It's good that you're trying to do something. It's satisfying that someone isn't so willing to hand over cash to gas companies.
I heard in the Midwest, they are doing significant improvements to the Whiting IN refineries. That the current renovations are the largest construction project currently underway in the U.S. with 15,000 contractors working onsite every day. Yes, once again IL is the highest, mostly around $4 per gal now.
Not so much the price that bothers me but the severe fluctuation. If you could budget for it, it would be easier but when the price can swing 20 cents a gallon in one week!! I am going euro and have now resigned to driving a very small fuel efficient car for the rest of my lifetime.
Toronto is cutting back on transit frequency even as the number of people taking it are increasing. Buses and trains and subway will take you everywhere, but it's getting crowded. There really aren't a lot of bike lanes. And some of the cyclists seem intent on pissing people off. At least most people behave when they see the cargo bike with small children in it.
My husband is the environmentalist. I'm just the one with a bad temper that won't pay for things when I feel like I'm being ripped off. Between car insurance, maintenance/repairs and gas, I was pretty happy to tell them all where to shove it. I love driving and I love cars. But this isn't driving, this is gridlock. At least on my bike, I'm moving and I'm not teaching my children colourful language that I don't want them repeating.
It's good that you're trying to do something. It's satisfying that someone isn't so willing to hand over cash to gas companies.
Is that stupid mayor of yours still pitching the idea of ditching the TTC streetcars?
Is that stupid mayor of yours still pitching the idea of ditching the TTC streetcars?
He managed to push through a subway when we don't really have the money for it, but the conservative suburban voters love their subways. Yeah, I like subways too, but if we don't really have the money for it and the provincial and federal government aren't willing to pay for it, then we need to go with our other alternatives. You'd think conservative voters would be more conservative in their spending choices...
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Choices
Yeah, I like subways too, but if we don't really have the money for it and the provincial and federal government aren't willing to pay for it, then we need to go with our other alternatives. You'd think conservative voters would be more conservative in their spending choices...