I wish the price of gas in the US would DOUBLE overnight

[Newbie 0]

Then, instead of everyone getting their knickers in a twist over a 40 or 50 cent rise overnight, by doubling them you would be somewhat close to what we are paying here. It would also destroy less of the environment which we ALL rely on to sustain life, not place so much reliance on the role and power that major oil producing countries have in our lives, and benefit the general health of the populace by forcing them to walk or take some other mode of transportation.

Anyone not living in the US know what i mean? You guys have had it too good for too long.

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[Faber 0]

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Anyone not living in the US know what i mean? You guys have had it too good for too long.

what he said

Stay safe
Stefan Faber

[AlexCrowley 0]

you're one of them hippies, arent you.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[Gravitymaster 0]

Great idea. Then we could just reduce the gas tax and cut off all foreign aid and UN support to make up the difference. I would also support removal of all US Troops from Europe. You guys have had the benefit of the US Military for too long.

Anybody in the US know what I mean?

[mnealtx 0]

Wow...an America-bashing post from Newbie? Will wonders never cease...

*IF* the United States was built up in the same way as Europe, you might have a point. Since it wasn't, your point is moot.

If you're all that concerned about the environment, what are you doing jumping out of airplanes? Jet A isn't exactly a non polluting fuel.

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Newbie 0]

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Great idea. Then we could just reduce the gas tax and cut off all foreign aid and UN support to make up the difference. I would also support removal of all US Troops from Europe. You guys have had the benefit of the US Military for too long.

Anybody in the US know what I mean?

Actually you are right, i often get all sorts of wonderful help from the myriad of US servicemen and women stationed here . If they pulled out all of the troops tomorrow, i guarantee you would not see most Brits blink twice.

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[Newbie 0]

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Wow...an America-bashing post from Newbie? Will wonders never cease...

*IF* the United States was built up in the same way as Europe, you might have a point. Since it wasn't, your point is moot.

If you're all that concerned about the environment, what are you doing jumping out of airplanes? Jet A isn't exactly a non polluting fuel.

Since when do i post US bashing posts?! I'm married to an American, i love you guys (literally in the case of my wife). I just can't stand the fact you are all getting so uptight about a few pence rise in a GALLON of gas when we pay so much more for it here and don't go crying into our milk whenever we get price rises. Get over it people, you HAVE IT DAMN GOOD!

I do care about the environment, which is why it concerns me that the pollution produced by your guys driving for a couple of hours in a normal day out there equates to more than the entire pollution produced by all skydiving planes over here for a year, but all i hear is "oh GAWD look at the price of gas, it's now at $3.30 a gallon, it might even go to $4!). I tell you what, call me when it get's to closer to $8 - then we can talk.

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[AlexCrowley 0]

"benefits of US Military"?

Someone in the UK please give the laundry list, I"ll start:

Helped maintain burgeoning cottage industry of prostitution in the small towns around the US bases.

Increased consumption of decent beer increases local economy. Unfortunately this is greatly offset by the damage caused by drunken 19 year old Americans puking on front lawns around the town.

...........................anyone one else got some?

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[mr2mk1g 10]

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I would also support removal of all US Troops from Europe.

That's cool, the provision of free military bases is a two way street and the States benefit just as much as any host country does from the trade G.I.s generate when they spend off base. If you don't want the hospitality any more there's more than enough uses for the land. Removing your bases from Europe is a theat that will cause people to laugh at you.

[AlexCrowley 0]

The downside to your argument is the fact that you'd have to rearchitect most of the inhabited areas of the US to make a meaningful reduction in travel. Or heavily invest in public transportation which is a HUGE NO NO because that would be socialist or liberal or some bullshit about taxes increasing.

Nope Newbie, while I understand and empathize it's simply because of British blood, the American within feels an urge to insult you, your country and your ancestry....or something stupid like that.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[kallend 1,644]

Price stability is more important than the actual price. The way things are right now no one, whether the largest corporation or a private individual, can make any sensible budget.

Personally, I blame traffic lights - the biggest source of engineered traffic congestion and fuel waste.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Newbie 0]

I know my hypothetical dramatic gas price rise dream is flawed. It would at best probably lead to a severe and widely damaging economic downturn in the world economy, which i wouldn't wish on anyone. Although, at the time, it would be fun to see, almost like staring in awe at a bull going berserck in a china shop and standing there filming the whole mess for posterity.

It doesn't mean i can't dream everytime i read a post on here about how much gas costs now over there now, and how bad it is when, frankly, it's still ridiculously cheap.

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[AlexCrowley 0]

As someone above mentioned, it's the ratio of the raise that has people talking. In the last 12 months the price has almost doubled, so your dream came true. In addition there are major worries with the cost of heating oil (especially in the North East and other areas where it's below freezing a lot of the winter time), electricity etc.

Gas prices are the first and most visible sign of the problem, it's the larger ramifications that give real pause for thought.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[Newbie 0]

Yeah. I wonder how many Americans would welcome an increase in government taxation on petrol pump gas, in order to make household fuel supply cheaper though. That just won't happen. The rich get richer the poor get poorer, it's the American dream dude, don't you get it?

"Skydiving is a door"
Happythoughts

[Gravitymaster 0]

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Personally, I blame traffic lights - the biggest source of engineered traffic congestion and fuel waste.

Agreed..

[AlexCrowley 0]

I dunno, I really dont find it that bad, the only time I run into that sort of BS is online. Most people simply dont know because they've never considered it, and if some politician said something they'd get attacked by a small but vocal minority who'd come up with some reason it was totally anti-american.

Which is pretty damn funny if you consider the principles the country was founded on (but not as funny as those apologists who claim that it's foundations are not based on liberal philosophies).

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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I dunno, I really dont find it that bad, the only time I run into that sort of BS is online. Most people simply dont know because they've never considered it, and if some politician said something they'd get attacked by a small but vocal minority who'd come up with some reason it was totally anti-american.

Which is pretty damn funny if you consider the principles the country was founded on (but not as funny as those apologists who claim that it's foundations are not based on liberal philosophies).

You are right if your definition of Liberal is the classic definition. What most of us oppose is the socialistic policies.

[windcatcher 0]

yes, we in America have it so good. Unfortunately it takes a natural disaster for some of us to count our blessings and see how good we really have it in the US

Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

[lawrocket 3]

Then, instead of everyone getting their knickers in a twist about merely being "better off financially, with decent, well-paid jobs" (David Cameron, 1 Sep 2005) or stuck with "public services that work." (Id.) Or British desire of "want Britain to be a place which lifts the spirits, where streets and public spaces arent filthy, where getting around isn't such a hassle, where the environment isn't just an afterthought." (Id.)

Source - http://uk.news.yahoo.com/01092005/143/cameron-calls-radical-devolution-power.html

By a radical lowering of your quality of life, i.e., British experiencing loss of jobs and money and loss of public services, and living in crowded, filthy streets where a focus on the environment is secondary, tertiary or quaternary to mere daily survival, "you would be somewhat close to what" 90 percent of what the rest of the fucking world - and around 1 or 2 million in the Southern US - are facing.

At that time, you'd be a little less focused on the environment.

Anyone living in Africa or Asia know what I mean. You Brits have had it too good for too long. I'd like to see you take the first step towards living in squalor. Why not start now, and start with you. Sell off all of your shit (including the computer you posted on - they don't have this ready web availability in much of the world) and pack up some meager belongings and relocate somewhere. I'd recommend Bangladesh. Or, you can live in other places that will give you a better idea of the fucking that is life for a lareg portion of this planet.

Look in a mirror at who has it "too good." I'll bet last week there were plenty of folks in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of the US who bitched about fuel prices and ozone depletion over Antarctica.

Name three people in New Orleans right now who is worried too much about ozone depletion as an environmental threat while they are busy slogging through a goddamned wasteland of putrid water up to 20 feet high filled with sewage, petroleum, chemicals, alligators and poisonous snakes, trash and decomposing remains of people and animals.

"Oh, boo hoo. Americans have it too good." On behalf of people on the Gulf Coast on Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, I say, "FUCK YOU!"

Your statement is indicative of my problem with so many of those left-thinking, self-annointed "progressives." Your idea of progress is "equal misery throughout the world."

Well, you got your wish. Americans who sent billions in aid to Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka to help with the tsunami now have an up close and personal idea of the suffering "over there" around the joyous yuletide holiday of 2004.

Why don't we bring every place in America to the standards of the rest of the world. Let's encourage the resurgence of cholera and other such forms of disease. After all, we've had it "too good." However, I'd like to request "you first."

Let's see you personally get to know the effects of the tseste fly or get some nice malaria.

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"It would be fun to see, almost like staring in awe at a bull going berseck in a china shop and standing there filming the whole mess for posterity."

Yeah, you'd like that, unless it was your china shop. The very fact that you would appreciate the misery of someone else like that strikes me as misanthrope at its finest. You'd descibe it as "fun to see." I find it striking that you find the thought of arbitrary distruction "fun." It's also indicative of your desire to laugh at everybody's misery but your own. No offense, you can think what you want. But I find that despicable.

Take some time to smell what you're shoveling. If you really want to, I'm sure you can see a lot of it floating in a certain city that's been in the news.

Until you decide that your country ought to live in the same misery as the rest of the world, maybe you and your government officials (It'd be amazing to read the vision of the Tories, since Cameron is a Conservative) oughtta quit talking about a government vision to be great and wonderful.

Excuse me while I saw away at the world's smallest violin to the tune of, "My Heart Bleeds for You." Compared to the rest of the world, you've got it soft, buddy.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[mr2mk1g 10]

hehe, nice rant.

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Sell off all of your shit (including the computer you posted on

come on now... those bloody Nigerians have got more computers and e-mail accounts than I have!

[AlexCrowley 0]

Yeah that would be the attack I was talking about, Newbie.

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[AlexCrowley 0]

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hehe, nice rant.

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Sell off all of your shit (including the computer you posted on

come on now... those bloody Nigerians have got more computers and e-mail accounts than I have!

Thats because of the charity group "AOL CDs To Nigeria" that was set up by Michael Moore, Keanu Reeves and Yanni.

And dont you be picking on hard working enterprising Nigerians who have the backbone and courage to spread capitalism to a backward country. That people are greedy and stupid deserves no protection whatsoever, if someones stupid enough to send money to these hardworking Nigerians they have no one to blame but themselves. This is capitalism at its best!

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[mr2mk1g 10]

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if someones stupid enough to send money to these hardworking Nigerians they have no one to blame but themselves.

Oh I agree, you've got to be a fucking retard if you fell for a 419 scam... but then the scammers are hoping to hit the mail box of some nice little old lady who might just fall for their sob story and think they're actually helping.

There's a reason what the scammers are doing is highly illegal and I have equally no sympathy for them either should the local authorities track them down and sling them in jail for what they're doing.

[AlexCrowley 0]

Rubbish. Illegal simply means 'cant be taxed'. It's enterprising telesales.

Where's the difference between being promised a cut of $25M if you send $13,000 and paying an HMO several hundred dollars per month for medical insurance only to be denied coverage when you need expensive surgery to live?

But you can tax HMOs and the money stays in the country and is taxed.

This is a thread hijack, nobody move!

TV's got them images, TV's got them all, nothing's shocking.

[Gravitymaster 0]

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Yeah that would be the attack I was talking about, Newbie.

And what a good and appropriate one it was. Square, on the jaw, and much deserved.