What annoys you most about your culture?

[PUNK rock]

To quote myself seriously, here is what, right now, is causing high prices in oil, which shouldn't be happening since ONLY monopolies create high prices and no competition (which I hear alot but have yet to see a real, historical example of - including before the Sherman anti-trust act)

-taxes
-clean air regulations
-refinery regulations
-drilling regulations
-Bush diverting something like 700mil barrels to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which decreases supply and increases prices

Low prices are generally, if not always, a sign of awesome economic prosperity. Yesterday the Dow Jones hit its highest point ever, yet local gas prices have gone from a reasonable 2.00/g to 2.80/g. At the point where basic economic principles of cause/effect become unhinged and unshackled, it's just proof that there is an outside force - not an inherent force - wreaking havoc.

Me thinks an increase in oil usage by India and China also relates to rising prices. The effect of the Strategic Oil Reserve isn't as much as you think.

[Arikel]

i've never had an economics class, i'm barely out of high school

Oh! ok.
What you need to know is that the oil market structure is an oligopoly (sp) wich means that the production is owned by a handfull of companies that compete between themselfs... there are some markets with htis structure to and it must be heavilly regulated to ensure serious competition, and avoid those few companies from stipulating the prices among themselfs in order to get the better part, (more of it on Nash equilibrium but i dont feel like explaining nash equilibrium on a forum, it's a teory invented by the guy interperted by russel crowe in the movie about john nash).
About oil prices being high it was due more to political instability in the midle east, saudi arabia iraq and iran, instability in west africa, nigeria especially, and instability in south america due to the Hugo Chavez many incidents... the hurricane Katrina also contributed to it but was not the thing that started it. The fact that the market is also an oligopoly (sp) can also be one of the reasons for such high prices but that would have to involve lots of companies and the several regulation entities.

[Squeezer]

Izor.

I don't like the fact that he gives foreigners more than enough ammo to attack us Americans.

[The Hawk]

i live in New york...

-People who are cry about being fat(when they're cleary not) and other supericial things or they think their life is horrible because their mommy doesn't love them enough or their bf/gf broke up with them while there are people who are suffering and starving all over the world who have it 4232435x worse....

-The fact that the news contains complete shit about gold-digging whores and washed up shock jock bullshit stories rather than the real problems in the world. Also how Imus called a girls basketball team somthing that can be heard in 90% of mainstream rap.

-You can't beleive anything you hear

-Conformists who do it just to fit in, not because it's what they truely beleive in.

-Religion

[Jerome Scuggs]

^ not correct... at least not entirelly. Not only monopolies create such a market structure, you have been missing your micro economics classes

i've never had an economics class, i'm barely out of high school

edit: oh, you mean the way i phrased that. mb, i was being sarcastic when i said ONLY monopolies :P

[Arikel]

To quote myself seriously, here is what, right now, is causing high prices in oil, which shouldn't be happening since ONLY monopolies create high prices and no competition (which I hear alot but have yet to see a real, historical example of - including before the Sherman anti-trust act)

-taxes
-clean air regulations
-refinery regulations
-drilling regulations
-Bush diverting something like 700mil barrels to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which decreases supply and increases prices

Low prices are generally, if not always, a sign of awesome economic prosperity. Yesterday the Dow Jones hit its highest point ever, yet local gas prices have gone from a reasonable 2.00/g to 2.80/g. At the point where basic economic principles of cause/effect become unhinged and unshackled, it's just proof that there is an outside force - not an inherent force - wreaking havoc.

^ not correct... at least not entirelly. Not only monopolies create such a market structure, you have been missing your micro economics classes

[Jerome Scuggs]

I agree, because otherwise we would have gas prices nearing $3/gallon.

OH SHI-

To quote myself seriously, here is what, right now, is causing high prices in oil, which shouldn't be happening since ONLY monopolies create high prices and no competition (which I hear alot but have yet to see a real, historical example of - including before the Sherman anti-trust act)

-taxes
-clean air regulations
-refinery regulations
-drilling regulations
-Bush diverting something like 700mil barrels to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which decreases supply and increases prices

Low prices are generally, if not always, a sign of awesome economic prosperity. Yesterday the Dow Jones hit its highest point ever, yet local gas prices have gone from a reasonable 2.00/g to 2.80/g. At the point where basic economic principles of cause/effect become unhinged and unshackled, it's just proof that there is an outside force - not an inherent force - wreaking havoc.

[Noah]

Political correct labels.

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=your_stupid_ideas

Read the top rant about labels, maddox fucking rules.

[Jerome Scuggs]

Oh I'm not saying I dont have a political philosophy because I dont feel like getting involved in political debates. I definitely have one :P I guess I'm just apathetic about the idea that whatever I have to say will really mean something for the larger public. I'll do my part and vote, but I just dont feel like arguing with people over what the better system is-there's just so many opinions out there and who knows what is truly best.

I know what is truly best. LISTEN WOMAN

[Jerome Scuggs]

Yes because having one guy control the entire supply of oil within the United States is a GREAT idea.

I agree, because otherwise we would have gas prices nearing $3/gallon.

OH SHI-

[MirrorriM]

Usually "not getting involved in political debates" comes with "not getting involved in politics", which usually translates to "i don't have a political philosophy". I'm not going to slam you, hell, in this day in age you're probably the better person for not being involved in that shit, but I think that having a political philosophy really helps you find yourself.

Oh I'm not saying I dont have a political philosophy because I dont feel like getting involved in political debates. I definitely have one :P I guess I'm just apathetic about the idea that whatever I have to say will really mean something for the larger public. I'll do my part and vote, but I just dont feel like arguing with people over what the better system is-there's just so many opinions out there and who knows what is truly best.

[Arikel]

What annoys me most about my culture is the fact that everyone believes herself to be free but in fact almost 99% of the persons are not economically free and is "trapped" on a net of invisible wires that commands almost all your moves... it also annoys me that most ppl are not ideologically free as most of them feel the need to blend in with the environment that surrounds them and do not tend to question what makes them take that course of action... it also annoys me that in this culture a children must have rich parents in order to receive a quality education, if we take into account that education is one of the most influential aspects of ourselfs and that defines what we are and our way of thinking we can boldly say that "we are what our parents money could afford..." well a lot more things annoy me in this culture but meh!

[Vykromond]

You bastard.

[Facetious]

ha now that makes no sense

[Vykromond]

My problem with our culture is people with cookie-cutter political views that precisely mirror what Fox News says, yet still think they are independent thinkers. Likewise, I don't like people from the left that do the same thing, although lameass hippie ideology doesn't have a great chance at actually getting any influence in this country so I'm less threatened by it.

i ' v e r e a d t h i s p o s t b e f o r e !!