Will Krispy Kreme not be economically harmed if people can't get gasoline to put in their non-luxury cars with cloth interiors so that they can drive to their stores to buy donuts? Investing in solar is obviously in Krispy Kreme's best interest. A private sector company has every right to determine on its own what is 'for its own good'. The government does not have that right. Unfortunately, Exxon can't determine how the government spends the billions of dollars that Exxon sends it each year...
Without some political influence on market prices, no one will invest in alternative energies while they cost more than oil. We would use oil until it simply runs out and be caught without any energy supplies for the inevitable transition period. Some prudent stewardship today can ease the burden in our future. But you're right, oil companies don't have any vested interest beyond growing the bonuses during the term of the current board. A very good argument for nationalizing them TJ It's about National Security!
No one gives a crap about private companies and their own good except for the private companies. They are beholden to shareholders and no one else. This is one of the key facets of market capitalism and one of it's weakest points. The gouvernment happens to have a vested interest in EVERYONE'S good, if only so they can keep on gouging everyone in perpetuity. If it were up to private companies and their stated goals, we would be stuck forever with oil and gas until they ran out, with the maximum profitability established. This is why I am happy with increased gouvernment intervention in the field, since it is leading to some breakthroughs and a recasting of what would otherwise be an obsolete industry. Now, I'm no expert in the field, but that's my honest opinion. Though, happily, the way things are progressing, alternatives like wind and solar may be catching up in terms of cost efficiency, thereby negating the last argument there is for oil and gas. http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009478.html
How the **** do you measure happiness?? knock knock hi, are you happy capitalism makes sure that happiness revolves around well, capital
Regardless of what T_J says, I know plenty of people in the energy industry that aren't hardcore republicans. In fact, the VP of land for the last client I worked for explained the fact that he has fared much better under democratic presidents. This is a guy with 40 years of experience. I will admit that the majority of older guys in the industry to tend to be extraordinarily conservative, but they are also old oil with strong conservative roots. When it comes down to it, people will take hard work and skill over political orientation.
I rest my case. There simply aren't any hard working, skilled people who can identify with the Democratic party of 'gimme somthin for nothin' and 'I'm poor so give me your hard earned money'.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312628,00.html (lol) http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2008/11/exit-polls-by-issue-income-age-race-gender/ I'm not particularly comfortable with the Democrats becoming the party of the rich. It is what it is though. eh.
Actually, what Northside's post shows is that Obama generated his winning margin from very poor voters. People were voting against the party Bush in 2008, not for the unqualified fraud. Well, that's not entirely true, some people were voting for the person that they thought would give them free stuff. Buffett (whose quote is being misinterpreted btw -- he's referring to this candidate, this year, not anything broader) is the brain-dead one-word answer to all things finance with the libs... Well Buffett liked Obama! Weak argument. In fact, Buffett has been very critical of the financial policies of Obama. Oops. Buffett's endorsement of Obama was used to mask/camouflage the overwhelmingly anti-Obama stance of the financial sector. Ever watch CNBC? Probably not. Everything is so made-for-tv superficial for the libs. It's enough to sway gullible people.
I think TJ needs to start a separate energy industry thread -- but only if the other posters stay on topic and don't let it devolve into red vs. blue cliche. Having said that, my day job is in the diamond industry, as in diamond trading mostly. The diamond industry is heavily Likud, and the head of the IDI (Israeli Diamond Industry) was on the Likud list in the last election (but too low to win a seat). People here tend to assume that everyone is either a right-winger, an ultra-right winger, a religious right winger, or a moron. On the other hand, I'm also a working musician, and most working musicians live in the same neighborhood bordering Jaffa (Florentin). In the last election, people we're overwhelmingly Hadash, which is the communist party. A few others voted for the socialist party. The election results certainly made it clear I lived in a bubble...
Obama generated his winning margin from EVERYONE, although a 53-45 swing in the $200000+ category certainly helped. Anyways, hate to stay off topic buuuuuuuuuuuuuut, cause I'm a persistent b*stard. http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmE4NWY3Yjc4YmJmMDJmOGU0ZmQwNGE0MjNlMDJiZTY= Sorry for getting this all off topic, but I simply have to hammer Jorge with the evidence until he cries Uncle. And seriously, I don't even like the Democrats that much (though Obamatron/Maobama/Comrade Obama holds a special place in my heart)
you are such a despicable person. so repubs MAKE EVERYTHING. and dems are only hollywood stars and baby-prevention (baby killers) I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IF YOU REALLY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU SAY SOMETIMES THEN YOU TRULY DO NOT HAVE A GRIP ON REALITY. i have two sets of grandparents. dad's side is baptist repubs, other side catholic dems. dads side never drinks ever, mom's side my grandpa would have one beer a day and my grandma would have a few sips out of it. both of my grandpas have/had gardens my whole life. both sides only went out to eat once or twice a month and always had home cooked meals. dads side were both teachers, one a professor at blinn college in brenham and the other a 2nd grade teacher in public school. (OMG MF WTF there goes your whole theory) on my mom's side my grandpa was a manager of a factory that produced furniture and my grandmother was a manager at a place that produced caskets. both sides were hardworking nice people and not much different between each other. and then there comes along people like you that make everything so black and white. one side is just so evil right WAKE UP. i know you probably never will i have read your posts for years now and you seem to just be here not to be informed but to make a point. i just could never/cant understand if you think the crap you say is true or if your just here for other reasons. but its wrong either putting up stuff here that makes no sense is false, OR if you truly think the crap is true and all the stuff you read about doesnt effect you and you learn nothing and your just a little crazy or a whole lotta stupid. good luck in your *****ed up reality if so.
Excuse me, but can you please provide greater detail into what types of gardens your grandparents had? This is vital information that must be shared, prior to this discussion progressing any further.
what i meant with random things about my grandparents is they are all normal hardworking americans. people like you that corner all dems, or people that do it to conservatives are kidding themselves. in your case your too screwed up in your head to have any rationale that maybe just maybe that there are millions of democrats in this country that have made this a great place. you care soooo much about politics but live on such an extreme fringe that to my maybe wrong/mis-informed opinion is a joke. a joke i sometimes find humor in but also sometimes it pisses me off because you spend all this time on here to what i think i said in the last post spread mis-information. democrats do it to, but it doesnt make it right what you do and other people like you. so you can make fun of what i said about my grandfather's garden or the other stuff i was just trying to make a point that there are many types of people out there and that are good people. and that there has to be a balance in things so wack jobs like your self wouldnt bring this country to its knees. for example if you and pelosi had a baby maybe that poor soul would end up being normal. i know its not really normal for you to respond with anything that symbolizes or is related to debate, and its extra extra hard when it involves honest comments and insults towards you but i tried. *** green beans, grapes, watermelon, sun flowers, cucumbers, some special edition dan quayle potatoes, yellow AND white squash, black eye peas, tomatos ***
I agree with Trader_Jorge on this subject. The free market should dictate what is going to become the next energy fuel in this country and not some government bureaucracy. Solar, wind and the rest of the alternatives still aren't feasible economically. Carbon emissions aside, there is no incentive to mass production of such energy sources. People all over the world want simply cheap and easily accessible energy that will improve their living standard. From a macro point of view many of these alternatives are just not adding value to the consumer. For example, Ethanol which only a couple of years ago was heralded as the next great biofuel, has failed to really take off. For one thing, increase in ethanol production means shifting entire agriculture system and thus there is no benefit when the price of crops and food goes up at the same time. Obama understands that these alternatives will never become popular with the masses not unless there is just no choice but to change. The incoming carbon cap and trade will destroy all practical forms of energy in this country such as fossil fuels and coal.
Getting back to the point at hand, certain industries do tend to lean toward one party or the other. Bankers tend to vote Republican. Personal injury attorneys tend to vote Democrat. Oil execs tend to vote Republican. Debtor's attorneys tend to vote Democrat. Creditor attorneys tend to vote Republican. You can even break it down to interest groups (union workers, Catholics, etc). The fact of the matter is that it is not about ideology. It is about personal interests. Unless people start to vote less according to industry interests (real or perceived) and more based on running the country as a whole, we are screwed.
