Ignore this - misplaced post.
The air in southern California is a lot cleaner than it was years ago. The environmental policies the state adopted were a small price to pay for the health benefits they produced.
“Sarah Palin is one of the worlds biggest hypocrites.”
Would she be a bigger hypocrite than the Speaker of the House who chastises auto execs for flying in corporate jets while she flies everywhere on her personal 757?
I personally believe that nobody beholds hypocrisy more keenly than another hypocrite.
The TRAITORS to the U.S. of A., in the SEC, on Wall Street (and in other financial centers), in the large banks, and down to the local financial institutions have done grave damage to our country and the car industry through their immorality and unbounded greed.
The unregulated gambling in the derivatives markets, and similar “casinos”, continues to do much harm to the economy and to the real stock markets.
As with any other kind of traitors, these need to be rooted out and dealt with in a telling manner.
Other than that, I guess I’m blase’.
It is the lack of refineries allowed to be built because of “environmental concerns”
Has NOTHING to do with “Environmental Concerns”…The reason no refineries aren’t being built is because the oil companies don’t want them built. The oil companies haven’t applied for ONE new refinery in 20 years. They don’t want them. The more refineries the LESS profit they make.
Speaking as an ex-SAAB tech, past SAAB owner, and current SAAB owner, the cars are far better than the perception of many who simply don’t know.
While working for SAAB (like any other car make) one will hear complaints of course but I never once heard of a SAAB owner stating they were “sick of that POS” or something like that.
SAAB builds great electronics, great trucks, great aircraft so it’s foolish to think that they will throw fine engineering standards and construction out the door on their cars.
As I’ve stated, just because someone has a complaint about a SAAB does not mean the car is at fault. Many of those faults are owner inflicted although it may be a cold day in before the owner would ever believe that.
Ditto. I’ll take the SAAB over a Subaru any day of the week. Also speaking as an ex-Subaru dealership tech I will say that I have heard more complaints over Subarus than any other make I’ve worked on and that includes a number of people who cursed them vehemently while swearing they would never buy another.
Socialism is not all bad, It is very good for some things, but automobiles is not one of those things.
“The more refineries the LESS profit they make.”
True. Refineries are operating under capacity to keep the price of gasoline high. If they had continued to run at their previous levels of 4 months ago, we’d be paying close to $1.00 per gallon. Instead, it’s $2.
Leave the SEC out of it. They do what Congress and the Administration tell them to do. They do not set policy. They don’t get anything extra on their government salaries just because Wall Street is raking it in. If you don’t like the way the government is run, complain to the ones who control it: Congressmen, Senators, and the President. Oh, maybe the Justice Dept, too, but the SEC is an independent agency.
We will wether we like it or not become a socialist sate regardless. It is the private corporations that have taken over in the entire world and people like you and me that have work our “b” off to make a living and pay taxes don’t really count anymore. The plan in the end is to eliminate the the middle class and that does not mean to make them rick either. Just go out and work, work, work, until one drops dead. No benefits included.
Let’s talk about the definition of “socialism.” Socialism is an economic system where the state owns resources, as opposed to a free market system where resources are privately owned. It is often confused with political systems (like democracy vs. totalitarianism), when in fact, it is an economic system. Contrary to what some reactionary pundits would have you believe, there are democratic socialist countries in the world. However, that won’t stop the pundits from trying to scare you with comparisons between Obama and Hitler just because Nazi Germany had a socialist economic system.
So don’t get sucked into a debate between democracy and socialism, or between freedom and socialism. They are not mutually exclusive. Anyone who says they are mutually exclusive doesn’t understand the difference between a political system and an economic system.
So if Alaska owns the oil resources, then yes, that is a socialist practice, although it would not be fair to call Alaska socialist since the majority of other resources are probably privately owned.
In truth, there are very few countries that are 100% free market and there are very few countries that are 100% socialist. Almost all countries fall somewhere in between.
That’s right. The SEC ls just like the Justice Department. They fall under the President and do what the President says to do. The buck doesn’t stop at the SEC, it stops at the Whitehouse.
Ahhhhh…(sigh of relief). Well put whitey.
“it would not be fair to call Alaska socialist since the majority of other resources are probably privately owned.”
I would also add to this that the state of Alaska does not pump any oil, distribute it, refine it, etc. That is all done by private companies in a perfectly normal market practice.
It is also the case that we (the big vague “We”) in the US grossly overstate the extent to which our own history has be one of pure “market.” US history is full of public-private partnerships in accomplishing all sorts of things - transport has been a big one. It is also full of a government that has bent over backward to help big business all it can. We have always had a significant degree of socialism - its just that much of it has been socialism for the rich - covered up by rabid declarations of “free markets.”
We have always had a significant degree of socialism - its just that much of it has been socialism for the rich - covered up by rabid declarations of “free markets.”
That is a very astute observation, cigroller. Corporate welfare has become a way of life in the US, and this is just another form of socialism, albeit one that is totally ignored by the more conservative elements of society, simply because it feathers their nests.
Some know my age (middle 50’s) my earliest memories (besides Mom) was the pure and absolute evil of communisum and socialism. I know the year I was born (1955) and some years latter there was much danger in the world in regards to nuclear war. Can people of my age feel anything but fear and anger (we were programed) towards the communist political and the socialist economic systems?
Right, but it is exactly those episodes of history that have people confusing “communism/socialism” with totalitarianism. States like the former Soviet Union and China (though not as bad now as it once was) were/are totalitarian states. They do not have democratic processes. Therein lies the major issue.
If you do talk to self-proclaimed “socialists” (of which I am not one, btw) they will generally tell you that democratic government with socialist principles is WAY MORE democratic than what we have now. A huge amount of social power is in the hands of very large corporations. If you want a vote in what a corporation does, you have to buy it - thats called “plutocracy” (govt by the wealthy). In some respects, “socialism” - in principle at least - means that we get a vote in both politics and economics.
If you want to see partial counterpoints to the USSR check out the Scandinavian countries that have long been described as having “mixed” economies - part private/ part public ownership. And no one sees them as totalitarian strongholds.
Also, don’t lose sight of the fact that it was we - the US - who dropped the first nukes, and everything that we do around the globe in our interests is not all warm, fuzzy & rosy for everyone.
I didn’t assign good or bad to my comments, just my observations as to why CA pays more for gas than the SE US for example…I am delighted that air quality is better in CA, but that is only a small reason why prices are higher there.
SAAB only produces about 125,000 cars per year. It is near, or in, bankruptcy. Its market is mostly Europe. Is should come out of bankruptcy still capable of producing some cars. Because of its small size, it can’t have a major effect on the Swedish economy. It doesn’t compare to companies which produce a million cars, or more.
The SEC did not perform its sworn duties.
Not that you are doing this, but I would like to point out that it is a mistake to treat “communism” and “socialism” as though they are synonymous. Communism is brought about through violence and is almost always accompanied by totalitarianism. In many cases, communism is forced upon the majority by the minority. Socialism, on the other hand, is instituted peacefully through democratic reforms with support (or apathy) from the majority.
By the way, I am neither a communist nor a socialist. I am a radical moderate.