Confabulat: Oil drilled in America isn't "our" oil. It's ExxonMobil or ChevronTexaco's oil, and they'll sell it to us the same way they sell it to everyone.

It's like Americans have this novel idea that there is a "USA" brand of oil, and if not for those pesky treehuggers, we'd have all we want from them!

Not how it works, kids. You don't get a discount on price just because it came from your backyard.

A lot of the conservatives seem to believe in the benevolence of large corporations. I keep trying to explain to them that Johnson & Johnson doesn't make Band Aids because they give a fark about you. Honestly, if you hurt yourself more it would be better for their revenue.

2wolves: Gato Negro:


Liberals also insist that we need slavery (i.e. ongoing, illegal immigration) to keep food prices reasonable.


/liberals HATE freedom

Darn all those liberal business owners/capitalists! Darn them to heck!!!!

Your all caps "HATE" is very convincing.

Leave the guy alone.

Why not get used to the fact that conservatives are all about fairness, faith, patriotism, promoting liberty and freedom, making America the best damned country in the world, creating a beacon for the world and rampaging gay cock gobbling in airport bathrooms.

/OK, the last one isn't stated, but it's strongly implied.

Nocens: The worst products by far though, is stuff made from Chinese steel. I don't see how it can be legally called steel.

There are grades of steel. They invented a new bottom class for the stuff coming out of China. It's fine is you factor in its reduced mechanical properties and don't use it for anything critical.

EyeballKid
CNBC: The most trusted name in business news, if you disregard that whole economic collapse that nobody saw coming, or Jim Cramer's boneheaded picks for Goldman Sachs.

DO NOT SELL BEAR STEARNS! THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH BEAR STEARNS!

/Bear Stearns completely collapses
//oops

canyoneer: YixilTesiphon: Well, the dictatorship certainly hasn't made them educated, modern, or disciplined. Maybe disciplined, if political prisons are the sort of discipline you're referring to, but IIRC we usually agree on economics so I doubt it.

I'm convinced these situations are caused much more by culture than by political structure. Why are some societies more corrupt than others? Why do some societies have traditions of hard work, cooperation, and discipline, while others do not?

Ironically military competition. Democratic regimes can field crazy militaries in comparison to dictatorships. Democracies tolerate less corruption. Democracies can carry on more debt because when push comes to shove those loans will get paid, spending cuts here tax increases there. The system starts to break down though when people figure out they can vote themselves benefits and get someone else to pay for them after 150-200 years though.

System was invented by the Dutch who then used it to kick the crap out of Hapsburg Dynasty aka Spain. Then it was exported to the UK under William of Orange, then the US. When the Dutch won its independence from Spain they could raise the same amount of Money as Spain for half the interest rate and in 3 days at auction, while Spain had to haggle with bankers for months.

GSC: tjfly: Didn't obama meet with the head of the egyptian military last week *just* before this shiat storm?

What a coincidence!

Well spotted. Obama gave the green light for the black flag op to commence, so Milo Minderbinder (the Shah of Oran, Caliph of Baghdadcan) can have the entire crop of Egytpian cotton destroyed, to save the Syndicate from financial ruin. Obama couldn't refuse since "the business of government is business".

Yossarian lives!

What's that about chickens coming home?

CNBC anchors agree that Democracy would be a disaster in the Middle East? Wow, much smarter than the CNN anchors I've heard who sit there and interview previous Sec. of States and smirk while they wonder aloud why the US isn't full on behind the rioters. Total idiots. The previous Sec of State pointed out that while Democracy is our goal, it's not the goal of some of the players out there, you know, like the Islamists? Smirking CNN anchor boy almost clued in on that. Damn Journalist majors with no common sense and a naive world view.

Donald Trump, this morning - "these riots could spell the end of OPEC and that will mean lower and more realistic prices for oil"

Genius, or idiot?

LasssiterBeRight: Donald Trump, this morning - "these riots could spell the end of OPEC and that will mean lower and more realistic prices for oil"

Genius, or idiot?

C. ignorant blowhard with a keen business acumen.

Oh God, he stated the obvious truth, hes farked.

we could just steal their oil and leave the newly free people their freedom and their sand.

FubarBDilligaf: Grass Hopper: Occam's Chainsaw: tankjr: Democracy would be a disaster in SA because as we all know 90% of muslims are terrorists and they would vote for Obsamathe next-biggest power bloc to the House of Saud are ultra-radical fundie clerics.

Fix'd.

So the people's right to choose is sacrosanct only as long as they choose the right people?

Radical fundies in the White House for eight years didn't seem to bother anybody. Well, it did, but only reasonable people. And how many of those do you meet?

Meeting you wouldn't raise the total. I've noticed that people who biatch the most about a lack of 'reasonable' people invariably define reasonable as 'people who agree with me!' and fail to grasp the distinction between the two contradicting concepts. Your use of 'radical fundies' proves the point.

I may not be reasonable (never claimed to be) but I didn't invade another country because God told me to.

You don't have to be brown to be a radical fundie.

Link (new window)

Article title should be "Rawstory idiots infer" instead of "CNBC achor implies".

The anchor pointed out a very real effect of a regime change, they didn't say the US had to keep dictators in power.

Sometimes there is a very big disconnect what people say and what people want to hear.

Morans.

gad: CNBC anchors agree that Democracy would be a disaster in the Middle East? Wow, much smarter than the CNN anchors I've heard who sit there and interview previous Sec. of States and smirk while they wonder aloud why the US isn't full on behind the rioters. Total idiots. The previous Sec of State pointed out that while Democracy is our goal, it's not the goal of some of the players out there, you know, like the Islamists? Smirking CNN anchor boy almost clued in on that. Damn Journalist majors with no common sense and a naive world view.

Democracy is a system not an ideology or utopia. Its only as good as the people running it. Ironically the more cynical, gridlocked with checks and balances the better.

Hitler was elected (godwin)

Democracy begets capitalism begets price-gouging.

Anybody that believes that a "democracy" would take place in any of these countries is a moron.

This text is now purple: Nocens: The worst products by far though, is stuff made from Chinese steel. I don't see how it can be legally called steel.

There are grades of steel. They invented a new bottom class for the stuff coming out of China. It's fine is you factor in its reduced mechanical properties and don't use it for anything critical.


No, this is different. I'm not talking about a commercial lawn mower deck. I'm talking about heavy steel on Caterpillar industrial equipment like knuckle booms and such. It's complete and total shiat. If they're building their military equipment out of this stuff they're going to get raped.

cynicalbastard: Meh. They tighten up on oil flowing out, we tighten up on wheat going in. Last I checked, most of these places don't have massive reserves of arable land that only the environmentalists are keeping them from using.

Yes, America is to food what the middle east is to oil. Let's start by doubling the price of wheat. Don't like it? Eat sand.
Of course, those in power would reap the benefits, while us peons would still get screwed.

Every American should read this book.
You'll never look at your country the same way again.

limboslam: Anybody that believes that a "democracy" would take place in any of these countries is a moron.

I know, America will probably just put another puppet in there instead of letting the people decide.

justaguy516:

GeneralJim: enderthexenocide: why do i get the feeling that when wonderful democracy finally does spring up in the middle east, as so many people are hoping and waiting for, all it's going to is eventually lead to world war 3?

Can you think of a war that started between two countries with representative government?

Yes. This one.

Good eye. All right, but most people look at it as a conflict, rather than as an actual WAR. But, okay. A single country being split into two will cause unnatural frictions. The point is that representative governments REALLY don't like to get in wars, and it's (at least almost) always a conflict that involves at least one government that is not representative.

So, for example, if Iraq had been split into three representative governments, for Kurds, Sunni Muslims, and Shi'ite Muslims, having conflicts BETWEEN the pieces would have been reasonable, but a war with any other representative government would have been much less likely.

Cpl.D:

Their freedom trumps my convenience. So I pay more for oil. Pfft.

/Cheering on Egypt as we speak

Yes; you have it right. In the long run, it's better to deal with representative governments. Dictator deals always at least seem dirty.

/ I hope the Egyptians have better luck than the Iranians. They probably will.

EyeballKid:

CNBC: The most trusted name in business news, if you disregard that whole economic collapse that nobody saw coming, or Jim Cramer's boneheaded picks for Goldman Sachs.

Well, yeah, other than THOSE...

/ Thanks. I needed the laugh.

patrick767:

EyeballKid
CNBC: The most trusted name in business news, if you disregard that whole economic collapse that nobody saw coming, or Jim Cramer's boneheaded picks for Goldman Sachs.

DO NOT SELL BEAR STEARNS! THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH BEAR STEARNS!

/Bear Stearns completely collapses
//oops

Yeah... Let's look at this. Liberal media touts Sachs and Stearns. Conservative media touts gold. People who follow liberal advice get skull-farked. People who follow conservative media turn every ~$250 into ~$1,400. The scary thing is, liberal wankers STILL make fun of Fox for having commercials for gold. People LISTEN to those meatheads? IDFGI.

Like THAT'S going to happen. The people taking over in the Middle East right now are all extremists, meaning yes, our oil prices could very well rise - but because the new regimes will refuse to sell us oil, not because of democratic pressures. Radical Islam is about the least democratic thing out there, given that it involves killing anyone that doesn't have the "correct" point of view.

That having been said, the House of Saud is massively corrupt, the US is essentially propping them up so they'll keep selling us their cheap oil. From an apolitical and amoral point of view, it makes a lot of sense.

LasssiterBeRight:

Donald Trump, this morning - "these riots could spell the end of OPEC and that will mean lower and more realistic prices for oil"

Genius, or idiot?

I've got $20 that says "idiot." I'll give 2-1 odds prices are higher six months after fall of Mubarek. Takers?

everyone deserves freedom. even people who don't like you.

JimmyFartpants: Every American should read this book.
You'll never look at your country the same way again.

Second. Great book, makes you feel slimy afterward.

tankjr: Democracy would be a disaster in SA because as we all know 90% of muslims are terrorists and they would vote for Obsama

Not quite.

The Royal House of Saud is quietly behind most of the troublemaking that goes on in the world, but you are not likely to hear of that in the press; they own the media ($1 billion worth of Fox alone).

Of the 19 highjackers on 9/11, 15 were Saudi; Osama is Saudi. Trace the money and you will always find plenty of stooges in between, they never get any actual blood on their own hands.

The reason is pretty simple: They claim to be exporting 7 million barrels a day, but experts say it is closer to million; they claim 210 billion barrels reserve, but 146 billion barrels is more likely. Both numbers are top secret, they will not reveal them.

Taking the medium between the two extremes, it works out to 2 billion barrels a year; a $10 boost in prices works out to a $20 billion windfall---but a drop to $40 a barrel (their production cost is around 50 cents) would destroy them.

That is why the late and little lamented Yassir Arafat always moaned, he could get plenty of money out of them for weapons, but never anything for highways, hospitals, or schools.

All the guys in terrorist units say, they always had plenty of money for cars, expenses, anything they needed.

Ever wonder where it comes from?

CORRECTION: Should have said: "---closer to five million; sorry 'bout that.

X-boxershorts: We subsidize oil.
Not openly.
But we spend a LOT of money to keep it cheap here.

Yup, the US Budget shows some $7 Billion in tax credits/deferments to energy companies in 2008. I'd certainly call that a subsidy.

X-boxershorts: Gasoline is subsidized here in the states too.

Oh yes, for certain. I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't. I was only saying that gas isn't 25 cents a gallon (or whatever it is) in SA because they're the ones producing it, it is that cheap because they heavily subsidize it. Oil producer or not, you have to pay for what you use.