Why Gas Prices Are Falling In America

[mad_gater]

yeah well to me tyranny of the elite is tyranny of the elite....whether it be fascists, communists, or other forms of collectivism...and is is Islamo-TYRANTS that are currently calling the shots in these countries....when they bombed us they were all dancing in the streets...you know what I heard in the way of a rebuke from the so-called "moderates?" deafening SILENCE!!!!

all I'm sayin' is to stop giving them OUR money...let them fight it out amongst themselves...which they are more than capable of doing without our help

[s09119]

It was a small minority of people that celebrated following the 9/11 attacks, and the vast majority of Muslims and their governments condemned the terrorist act for what it was.

And when we killed Osama bin Laden, what was it that many Americans chose to do? Oh, right... go cheer and celebrate in the streets.

[mad_gater]

simple concept called "what goes around comes around"...if you're gonna rejoice when you kill us we're gonna rejoice when we kill you....never said I agreed with it but that our predominant mentality here...but I'd be more than happy if we stopped giving them money....and in fact put a moratorium on ALL foreign spending and use that money to benefit US and let them fend for themselves

[Goose]

and in fact put a moratorium on ALL foreign spending and use that money to benefit US and let them fend for themselves

101 In How To Kill Your Own Economy.

[s09119]

simple concept called "what goes around comes around"...if you're gonna rejoice when you kill us we're gonna rejoice when we kill you....never said I agreed with it but that our predominant mentality here...but I'd be more than happy if we stopped giving them money....and in fact put a moratorium on ALL foreign spending and use that money to benefit US and let them fend for themselves

I assume you're aware that foreign spending accounts for less than 1% of our national budget, right? And that we have certain oblgstions via treaties and international laws we've signed onto to provide some of that aid? And that, furthermore, there's a political battle for influence over other countries that's run by how much money is given to whom. Unless you want us to be in violation of our promises and a recognized breaker of international law--and worse, have to imagine more nations allying themselves with states like China that will give them the funds for development that we won't--you should really end your current demands. It's not worth the minuscule amount we'd be saving; why not end massive industrial tax breaks when corporate America's made record revenues this year instead?

And this is all ignoring the obvious economic backlash that comes with lack of any investment overseas and economic isolationism. It's a global economy now, if we pull out we're only hurting ourselves.

[mad_gater]

I assume you're aware that foreign spending accounts for less than 1% of our national budget, right? And that we have certain oblgstions via treaties and international laws we've signed onto to provide some of that aid? And that, furthermore, there's a political battle for influence over other countries that's run by how much money is given to whom. Unless you want us to be in violation of our promises and a recognized breaker of international law--and worse, have to imagine more nations allying themselves with states like China that will give them the funds for development that we won't--you should really end your current demands. It's not worth the minuscule amount we'd be saving; why not end massive industrial tax breaks when corporate America's made record revenues this year instead?

And this is all ignoring the obvious economic backlash that comes with lack of any investment overseas and economic isolationism. It's a global economy now, if we pull out we're only hurting ourselves.

we can be more than capable of supporting ourselves......apparently it hasn't stuck into your mind yet that Keynesian economics does not and will never work....the only back lash will be towards the countries that use us as nothing more than a big money trough.....and we shouldn't be signing any treaties except for perhaps mutual defense ones with out allies....all they do is allow other countries control of OUR money....I don't give a rat's tuchis is it's "only 1%" or 1000%....the point is that it's money that can be better utilized HERE.....I'm gettin' a little sick and tired of MY money going to other countries...esp. those where it just serves to prop up every third world dictator under the sun

[mad_gater]

I say it's time to end the international "free money trough"

[Goose]

Sure America can survive on its own, but you'd have to make do with an economy that is a heck of a lot weaker than it is now, because international trade is a hugely important part of modern-day economies.

[mad_gater]

oh really? then how is it we managed to become one of the most prosperous nations in the whole world years before we entered the world trade scene? it's cuz we are....or were at one time....smart enough to make sure our own house was in order before deciding whether or not to help other nations with theirs....and that's precisely what needs to happen again....we need to get our own economic house in order before we can even think about spending money on other nations.....every bit of waste we can think of......stop it....and if we need to become temporarily isolationist in order to achieve this end then so be it

[Goose]

The thing is, nowadays, a lot, if not most, of the really profitable companies rely heavily on the foreign markets. You might have gotten away with isolationism a hundred years ago, but the economy is a different beast today. You cannot be the largest economy in the world if you are isolated. Just look at China; since they opened up their doors to foreign investment, their economy has grown into one of the largest in the world.

And as has been mentioned before, if you stop spending money abroad or supporting other countries, they're a lot more likely to go and support countries that are willing to spend money on them, like Russia or China. Completely isolating yourself from the rest of the world will mean that you lose whatever influence you have.

[aretood2]

Fact check for economics We don't buy our oil from the middle east, we get it from the Canadians, most of it. The rest comes from domestic sources, Mexico and Venezuela. Price is controlled via supply and demand, the more supply the lower the price. Bomb the middle east and oil production falls, like Iraq, and thus world price rises (That means Canada charges more for our oil). Europe is the middle east's buyer for oil, and China.

Other than that, I care not for the political considerations, just saying. Those are the facts, the choices are based on other factors like national security which you can all debate till you drop.

oh really? then how is it we managed to become one of the most prosperous nations in the whole world years before we entered the world trade scene? it's cuz we are....or were at one time....smart enough to make sure our own house was in order before deciding whether or not to help other nations with theirs....and that's precisely what needs to happen again....we need to get our own economic house in order before we can even think about spending money on other nations.....every bit of waste we can think of......stop it....and if we need to become temporarily isolationist in order to achieve this end then so be it

Before the USA entered the world trade we were....um....the US didn't exist. It was part of the world market since the Colonies started to send stuff overseas in return for stuff. Prices were based on world prices and so on. American tariffs and protectionism were at their highest in the 1820's and the Great depression. During WWII, tariff reduction, and reduction of other trade barriers, were continually reduced and continued after as a trend. American economy quickly skyrocketed and so did its standing in the world. Domestic prices also fell and more and more people moved away from unskilled labor to skilled labor as the demand for skilled labor rose and unskilled labor fell, standard of living moved up considerably. Of course this was not a painless move.

Isolating American markets will also not be painless. Demand for skilled labor will plummet as the export industries shut down. Unemployment will skyrocket, domestic banking will crash and credit will become nonexistent. Without that businesses will be unable to borrow money, interest rates will skyrocket. Depression will occur. Of course afterworld, the economy will start fixing itself, but the new country will not look the same as the old one. So this choice is also political, you can argue if it is worth it or not. But the fact remains, the math can't lie.

After all of this turmoil, if the US survives like it did the great depression, it will emerge totally different. There will be a new supply of products, but not the same ones. Since all the different resources (inputs) needed for certain products are not in the US, some products will not exist. Some jobs will also not exist anymore. Sugarcane is a good example, coffee is another example. The US cannot grow sufficient supply of coffee to meet the demand, nor can it grow enough sugar cane to match its current demand. Silk will also be a problem, not enough inputs and those are geography specific (Silkworms could be brought over to the US, but the costs will be phenomenally high for keeping them alive and plentiful). The list goes on such as many different fruits and produce will no longer be on the market, thus food industry will be different. Other inputs for produce and meat will be vastly different. The American ecosystem will be taxed to the max as all of these inputs are produced domestically. Actually, this is the most interesting idea ever. I wonder if economists are studying this at all...Mad you might just be able to start a whole new field in economics

Medicine! The US will not have access to medicinal sources like the rain forest. All chemicals would have to be produced domestically, that is if they can all be produced domestically. What about entertainment industry? Would they be allowed to produce out of the US? What would that do to them? Imagine American TV all in America...This new America would be quite alien to the one we have today. I'm actually interested in it, if I could escape all the pain involved in the transformation.

[mad_gater]

yes SOME trade will be necessary for the stuff we can't produce here for lack of natural resources...although it would be interesting to see if we could grow that stevia plant that we make that sweetener from here....but on OUR terms....not by us kowtowing to every tinpot dictator imaginable.....but I still think it's possible to produce many of the things we currently import here in the US

[Goose]

yes SOME trade will be necessary for the stuff we can't produce here for lack of natural resources...although it would be interesting to see if we could grow that stevia plant that we make that sweetener from here....but on OUR terms....not by us kowtowing to every tinpot dictator imaginable.....but I still think it's possible to produce many of the things we currently import here in the US

What if they don't want to play on your terms and bow to every demand you make?

[Ben 'Teal'c would WIN!!' Noble]

You gotta ask your self though of the Islamic countries that are opposed the west, one the most strictest, Saudi Arabia, is not one of them.

They aren't going to be critical of countries that give them $#!+ loads of cash.

It does show that it doesn't really matter how strict the Islam as these countries still will trade and not be critical with the west if it suites them.