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Archduke Tips · #1

Oil is not the issue.

War is ingrained in the hearts of mankind. We are all to blame for choosing a violent solution. It is the solution that we desire, and it is our trap because we can not let go of our selfish desires. The only thing that keeps us in this trap is that we are not willing to relax our grip and embrace a peaceful world.

My only hope is that we do use up every last drop of oil. Then we will be so desperate for energy that we will not be able to waste our resources on war anymore. Maybe then our great minds can be dedicated to something other than building war machines. Our natural resources can be used to propogate a sustainable future.

But more than likely we will just find new ways to use what little we have to kill eachother until there is nobody left to kill. We are on the path to self destruction, and it is because we continue to harbor the evil within ourselves.

The solution to our problem will not be found by looking towards science or politics. No manner of intelligence can overcome evil, and no slick talker can guide us from it. Every individual must look upon themself and accept their evils, then overcome them.

It only takes one act of evil to inspire more. It takes all of us to begin peace.

kahljorn · #2

so basically the American relationship with Saudi Arabia/other countries made it possible for us to get low oil prices? and then other countries that we didn't like were basically paying for 2/3s of our gas -- that, and inflation?

taxes on gas that I've seen are only 36.5 cents. Maybe there is hidden trade taxes or something that isn't seen by the consumer...
i suspect gas prices will be at 4 dollars a gallon by the end of summer, especially if "Supply and Demand" is now in effect...

Preechr · #3

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahljorn

so basically the American relationship with Saudi Arabia/other countries made it possible for us to get low oil prices?

Basically, Ok yes. It's not as simple as they are our buddies, so we get better prices, though. When you say "relationship," think trade. We give them stuff and they give us stuff. We have many, many things to give where they have basically oil, sand and crazy. So, when we give more in trade than we need in oil, we can drive the price down on the oil we need.

When I talk about what we give, I'm not just talking about money or stuff. Our government offers security, protection and political influence, and that has a value. When our government offers these services to some rathole that cannot provide these things for itself sufficiently, all it has to give in return is more oil or a lower price on oil or a guarantee of supply... or also if the terms are sweet enough, an embargo against some other rathole we don't like.

Other trade scenarios with countries that also buy oil can include similar embargos against those ratholes we don't like, so not only could we buy loyalty from, say, Iran in our cold war with the USSR, we could also make an agreement with France that in exchange for a sweet package from us, France would refuse to buy oil from the Soviets. We could work those kind of deals with any commodity marketed by any of our enemies to weaken them. That's what cold war means. It's basically economic warfare.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahljorn

...and then other countries that we didn't like were basically paying for 2/3s of our gas -- that, and inflation?

Essentially yes. They weren't directly paying money to us as much as they were losing it in trade deals we shut them out of or otherwise influenced to our ends. They made financial alliances with other enemies of ours or with countries that didn't want to enter into trade alliances with us and thus became our enemies.

Let's leave inflation out of it for now, Ok? That's a financial constant that can also be manipulated similarly, but we're talking about variables, not constants right now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahljorn

taxes on gas that I've seen are only 36.5 cents. Maybe there is hidden trade taxes or something that isn't seen by the consumer...

There are "hidden" corporate taxes, compliance costs, witholding taxes, SS and Medicare contributions, mandated expenses related to employee benefits, and countless other federal intrusions... not to mention state taxes and other strongarm, leeching tactics.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahljorn

i suspect gas prices will be at 4 dollars a gallon by the end of summer, especially if "Supply and Demand" is now in effect...

Could be.

Preechr · #4

Russo, that's a neat way to go with the discussion. It's every decision we make on any level, whether an individual decision to wipe your butt after pooping or a UN sanction against Israel, valuable as either a decision based to some degree in both self-improvement and self-destruction?

Can war be waged in a destructive way to positive ends? Are good things worth fighting for? Further, if there can be a war that results in a better world for everybody left in it happens to also allow an opportunity for some opportunistic jackasses to hurt other people for profit, could we still be happy with a generally better thing having happened?