Opinion Talk

By Van

March 31, 2006 08:28 AM | Link to this

With all due respect to the editors of the AJC - Who cares!

In this free market society, if we can afford it, we buy it.

When we had a gasoline crises in the 70’s, what did we do? We bought cars with better gas mileage. This got the Japanese well entrenched in our auto market place.

When the price of gas went over $2.00 a gallon, what did er do? we bought cars with better gas mileage and/or hybrids.

During the early 60’s gas went up over 30 cents a gallon, what did we do? We bought the VW beetle.

The market will always drive the need and desire for better fuel efficiency, and there will always be a market for large gas guzzling vehicles.

By candide

March 31, 2006 12:04 PM | Link to this

The belief in the market and the invisible hand of capitalism is about as rational as the belief in the Christian God. Both beliefs are ridiculous and an insult to intelligence.

Van I note has both irrational beliefs. Somehow I am not surprised.

By J&J Ranch

March 31, 2006 12:17 PM | Link to this

Is this Van bashing day? Van is only expressing his observations of past events. And his statements ring true.

Since the 70’s, (I was a little young to comment on the 60’s) there has been reason to believe that the day would come for fuel shortage. The United States, being considered a leader, should have had the good sense to prepare for changing from oil to an alternative. There are other countries using alternatives such as sugar. What is wrong with the picture here?

I find it most amusing that when the earnings of the fuel companies was posted, the gas prices fell like a rock, showing that there was no reason for the price of gasoline to be so high. In many places in our area, the price dropped to as low as $1.85 a gallon. Now, it is $2.38 or more a gallon. Why?

And what does belief in God have anything to do with fuel economy? That escapes me.

By Van

March 31, 2006 12:57 PM | Link to this

J&J Ranch,

As a capitalist christian I am at complete odds with candide way of thinking.

I guess then she would be the opposite, but I can’t think of any thing but socialist.

I think candide would rather the government control everything and not let it be in our hands.

By Earl

March 31, 2006 03:17 PM | Link to this

Van, with each post, you epitomize the famous list “What you have to believe to be a Republican today.” Here are this week’s examples for you:

->Government should relax regulation of Big Business and Big Money but crack down on individuals who use marijuana to relieve the pain of illness.

->A woman can’t be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

And to take into the weekend: ->Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

Have a great weekend, Van!

By Dan

March 31, 2006 03:18 PM | Link to this

What even more amusing is that the record fuel companies record profits were from cutting marketing and admin costs and sales volume. The gross margin did not change much and only one companies went up by 1% the rest were even or went down. Just more uninformed hysteria. Why is there no outcry when hotels double the rates in the summer or companies selling bottled water for over $20 a gallon.

By Van

March 31, 2006 05:39 PM | Link to this

Earl,

Boy are you ever wrong-

Big Business creates jobs, bottom line, more jobs the better off everyone will be.

If you want to legalize pot, take it up with you congressman, your complaining will not get it done. But then again, pot smoking slackers only complain.

Abortion should be treated as a medical procedure, the government has no business being involved.

and finally butthead or are you bevis, “your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.”

I never said I hated homosexuals, i do not agree with them or their lifestyle. Hillary, I have not reason to hate her, she will never be elected and as the junior senator from New York, she does not bother me.

I take it you are another socialist that does not believe that a person can better themselves through hard work. Pitiful, just pitiful.

By candide

April 1, 2006 07:20 PM | Link to this

Van claims to be a Christian and a capitalist, proving he understand neither position very well.

By Van

April 2, 2006 11:39 AM | Link to this

candide,

How does it feel to wake up each morning and realize that you are as out of touch with mainstream America as the AJC is.

How does it feel to hold beliefs that the majority of Americans do not?

We may not agree with each other, but you have to understand, we each hold our beliefs tightly.

I may never convert you to mt way of thinking and neither will you convert me.

It would be a boring world if everyone agreed.

By Brian Curtis

April 2, 2006 02:20 PM | Link to this

How does it feel to be “out of the mainstream”? It feels freakin’ GREAT!

Liberals believe people should be free and corporations should be regulated; conservatives believe the opposite.

By candide

April 2, 2006 02:27 PM | Link to this

Van: why join the American mainstream, it is superstitious, ignorant, lower-class, gullible, sex-crazed but sex-fearful, celebrity crazed, and all in all good canon fodder.

By Van

April 3, 2006 08:29 AM | Link to this

Folks, You heard it here, candide has all the answers and is part of the elite. The rest of us superstitious, ignorant, lower-class, gullible, sex-crazed but sex-fearful, celebrity crazed, and all in all good canon fodder should all bow down before our Earth Goddess. The wise woman has spoken, so shall it be written.

By candide

April 3, 2006 09:56 AM | Link to this

You christian capitalists have been very accomplished both at producing canon fodder and using it in war.

By J&J Ranch

April 3, 2006 11:48 AM | Link to this

What happened to the “fuel” conversation?

By Liberal Elite

April 5, 2006 10:44 AM | Link to this

Van,

We are better than you, but you haven’t figured that out yet.

Einstein said it best, “The majority of the stupid is invincible and guaranteed for all time. The terror of their tyranny, however, is alleviated by their lack of consistency.”

Tschusse!

By Van

April 5, 2006 11:40 AM | Link to this

Liberal Elite,

Your right, Einstein said it.

“Too many of us look upon Americans as dollar chasers. This is a cruel libel, even if it is reiterated thoughtlessly by the Americans themselves.”

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the the universe.”

The free market system here in America does work, it has worked and it will work. By the way, what is wrong with capitalism?

By Brian Curtis

April 5, 2006 04:06 PM | Link to this

Capitalism’s fine as long as we, the people, are the ones in control. A “free market” has no objective merit; a free people, however, does.

Capitalism can and does serve us well in certain areas. And in others, it doesn’t, so we step in and either regulate it or put it under public control entirely. I see no problem with this balanced approach.

The “free market” is permitted to operate only where it serves America’s best interests. And it exists to serve us, not vice-versa.

By Brian Curtis

April 5, 2006 04:11 PM | Link to this

Van: You’ll also note that Einstein defended America from that charge by claiming it was untrue—not by pretending that dollar-chasing was a good thing.

By Van

April 6, 2006 08:30 AM | Link to this

Brian Curtis, your right, greed is not a totally bad thing, but when it becomes your sole motivation it is.

By Brian Curtis

April 6, 2006 11:36 AM | Link to this

Van: And AGAIN we agree on something! Spooky.

By candide

April 6, 2006 12:08 PM | Link to this

Money makes the world go round, the world go round, the world go round. Money makes the world go round.

By Van

April 6, 2006 12:54 PM | Link to this

candide, very good Joel Grey impersonation.

Yes, capital does provide a means to create jobs to create products.

It pays the farmer when he sells his crops, it pays the factory worker for the work he/she does. It pays the college tuition so the future will have people to continue the cycle of life. Whether it is as producers or consumers, it is what has lead to the existance of a free capitalistic market place.

By Joe Roman

April 9, 2006 11:04 AM | Link to this

No! The C.A.F.E. standards aren’t anywhere close to being strong enough. Those who say otherwise and base their objections on ideological grounds are simply out of touch with reality. The American auto industry has had its collective noses rubbed in reality so many times, they hardly deserve another reminder. Japanese automakers regularly kick the Americans around because the Americas ALWAYS go for the short- term fix. The Japanese base all decisions on the long term. American consumers are the compulsive enablers here. They get suckered into a “bigger is better” mentality controlling their car buying habits against all common sense. When I see an American truck pretending to be a “luxury car”, I feel pity and contempt for the driver as if were waving around a deed to the Brooklyn Bridge. We try to keep heroin away from junkies. We should try to keep these gas guzzlers away from the gullible.

By Van

April 10, 2006 09:30 AM | Link to this

Joe Roman,

What would you propose, every car and truck must get 40 miles per gallon? Should we return to the 32 horsepower VW’s(pre 1964) - no wait that was another gas crises.