I was watching CBS news a couple of nights ago and they said that U.S. consumption of gas is down. Sounds good right, the law of supply and demand. Less demand should equal lower prices, right? So why am I driving home today and seeing $3.56 posted?!
I’m paying $100 per month more in gas than I was last year. My ammo cost has doubled! Food is more expensive, etc. Did I mention the ammo costs!!! I have reduced my driving by half and my wife nearly as much. And we rarely eat out now (saves gas and food expense). And I know we not alone in doing this, so what else can Americans do???
I remember the American outrage following hurricane Katrina when gas reached $3.00/gallon. We’re at a record high in gas prices and we hear nothing. I remember in the 70’s during the gas shortages…long lines at the pumps and people siphoning gas out of cars. A couple of weeks ago the independent truckers staged a short-lived protest strike.
So, how much more will Americans tolerate before they riot and/or start to steal gas??? Are we at M4C (and our families) ready for the future? Hmmm…I think I’m going to buy some locking gas caps and buy more ammo!
True, not to mention the euro is at a record high and the dollar at a low. OPEC met recently and decided that oil production is meeting current demand. They blame the weakening US dollar. What would happen if OPEC and other nations (e.g., China) converted their US dollars for (the more stable) euro???
Remember Wall Street and the airline industry following 9/11 attacks? Our economy almost collapsed. Keep in mind that we did not defeat the (former) USSR on the battlefield. Our economy beat up their economy…it was called the arms race.
IMHO, I believe the US economy is under attack and we do not see or understand the danger. I wonder if Muslims are asking “What Would Sun Tzu Do?” :rolleyes:
I’m not sure what qualifies as “under attack.” Economics implies competition. Our economy did not “beat up theirs.” They simply bankrupted themselves trying to match our spending. That’s self-inflicted, the US had little to do with it other than spend.
Our economy almost collapsed after 9/11? I don’t think so… not even close. A recession does not equal collapse. We didn’t even have deflation.
Cheap Dollar has been a boon for US exports and if it weren’t for oil, you’d see significant redutions in the trade deficit as many more companies are looking to manufacture here due to the weak dollar. Manufacturing of heavy capital goods has been going great guns.
Nothing is cut and dry…everything has an up side. I’m not saying people aren’t having a hard time…but relative to history…this is only a slight hiccup.
[QUOTE=NoBody;152902I’m paying $100 per month more in gas than I was last year. My ammo cost has doubled! Food is more expensive, etc. Did I mention the ammo costs!!! I have reduced my driving by half and my wife nearly as much. And we rarely eat out now (saves gas and food expense). And I know we not alone in doing this, so what else can Americans do???
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Yeah tell me about it! Try making aliving in the foodservice industry right now. TOUGH! Ingredient costs up. Packaging costs up. Cheese up 100%. Flour up 100% in only a couple of weeks. Everything that ever thought about getting close to an ear of corn up! Animal feed driving up beef, chicken, pork, eggs, milk. Corn sweeteners up. Oils up. Every week some packer/manufacturer is talking about another 5-7% increase. Business down, down, down. Margins down.
I think former president Ronald Reagan would disagree with you…as would George Bush Sr. The arms race achieved its objective. Winning a (cold) war without having to directly fight as strategy.
So, what if our economy is under attack by Russia, China, Iran, Venezuel, etc. Are we powerless? Can we continue on our current course without having to make a course change? Hmmm… (NO, THIS IS NOT A OBAMA ‘CHANGE’ ENDORSEMENT!!!)
They are free to disagree (except the dead one) though they have political reasons for doing so. The objective of the arms race was to rearm. There is no historic evidence that Reagan ever intended to spend the USSR into bankruptcy. Sorry.
So, what if our economy is under attack by Russia, China, Iran, Venezuel, etc. Are we powerless? Can we continue on our current course without having to make a course change? Hmmm…
What if? Russia, China, Iran and Venezuela together don’t even come close to the size of our economy. Of those China MAY pose a threat, but then to do so would mean economic collapse for them as we are their BIGGEST market. You may remember back in the 1980s (when we were supposedly spending the USSR into bankruptcy) the complaint was that Japan was waging economic war on the US. Far and wide went the cry of the end of the American economy…yadda yadda yadda…and look how well that turned out (hint Japan during the 1990s suffered the worst economic recession in its history outside of the Great Depression, while we enjoyed one of our greatest boons). And Japan DID have an economy that rivaled ours…it was about half as big.
Yes we can continue. Historically nothing has worked as well as free trade and open commerce to guarantee economic/strategic strength. Those nations have antithetical notions to free trade and open commerce. They place themselves at a disadvantage…especially when the price of oil collapses (as it will).
Competition is good for trade, commerce and ultimately your bottom line.
The same speculators that invested in housing have found the commodities market. It sucks for us in the short run. In the long run, they will do to it what they did to housing.
I hear that! I’ve consolidated trips and don’t drive unless I need to. We’re also car pooling at work whenever possible. I’d ride my bike to work, but I live in Fayette-nam…I don’t think I’d make it without getting hit by a young trooper in a hurry.
I’ve kicked around the idea of buying a little Honda Civic to drive instead of my 14 mpg Jeep, but my Jeep is as much of a hobby as my shooting…
I had to fill up my Xterra today since it was payday and ended up with a total expenditure of $57.00 even. I live in a semi-rural area of Oklahoma and Regular Unleaded is $3.999 per gallon.
I have restricted my driving to the drive to and from work on work days and one trip a day on my days off. During the work week if I need to get something done I make myself take care of it on the way to work, at work or coming home which makes errands difficult when I work 11pm to 7am lol.
I used to love showing up to the range in my Toyota Prius… talk about stares. People probably wondering who the hell this Berkely guy is thinking he can come out and shoot.
I sold it though for a premium to drive my 17mpg Ford F250 Diesel. Saves me on tags, interest, insurance, two vehicles depreciating, plastic & rubber aging on the truck, etc. I can’t stand paying $4.40 a gallon of diesel, but hell… it’s my truck.
You guys are a bunch of cry babies. Diesel is upwards of $4.35 a gallon. My 34 gallon tank needs a $100 fillup. I’m lucky I only have to do it every other week.
When the Fed talks about adding “liquidity” to the market, what they mean is they are printing dollars. Printing dollars with nothing to back it up but the faith that the dollar is worth something. That is why prices are rising.
The Fed doesn’t print dollars. Adding liquidity simply means taking cash out of reserves and putting it in circulation. The cash in question has already been printed. Additionally the Fed simply buys up issued U.S. bonds (debt).
Different concept altogether though you are correct that the more money in circulation, the less it costs to borrow…and the less it is worth. This equals inflation, but at under 4%, currency inflation is not the reason prices are rising.