Our problem

[gdcpony]

Our Problem.
If I had to give a list of the problems we face as this country slides from its pinnacle, the list could fill a novel. So how do we even begin to fathom how to solve any of them? Especially when any solution adds it’s own list of problems. We can do as we do now and sit and complain about these issues. We could continue to blame everyone else like we do now. We could even expect to be rescued by the same government (I really don’t care who is in charge; it is the same bureaucracy) that we are blaming.

I think we all need to take a good honest look at the real problem. That is us. We are used to easy. We are used to doing little and getting allot. We are used to not having to care. We are used to our pride, our selfish “Semper I” attitudes, and our dependence on others to solve every little problem for us. Now, we must all get down and dirty and carry our own fat butts out of the hole we’ve dug.

My family is feeling the pinch too. In the last two years our income has dropped 40%, but bills have mostly stayed the same, and expenses have gone through the roof. We can’t sell our house (the biggest bill) because property values are down so far. I get 30mpg out of our cars, but still barely afford the gas to go to work. Worst, I know what the picture looks like in the future. So how do we deal with it? I have a freezer full of game, and a pantry of canned vegetables. I have drug a motorcycle out of a barn in the hopes that I can make it run and save on gas. My wife is sweating beside me to put wood away for the winter. My kids are going through a summer where they have no more free time than during the school year as they too are slaving away in the garden, woods, and in the house. We are digging deep and trying to make it as things get harder. We aren’t asking anyone else to do it for us.

So what about everyone else? All the griping about gas prices, yet you are still buying it. Not just what you need, but enough to go on trips, to the movies, and of course you absolutely must go shopping. Yep, for all the complaining, we sure are doing allot about it. I guess you could say that we have to get to work, get the groceries, and such, but really is that all you are doing? How much could you not spend in a given month if you cut back to the bare essentials? I see boats being hauled, motorcycles and ATV’s, people just out for a spin. These same people are the reason we all pay so much.

What would happen if we all just cut back? Not just a little, but trim everything down to the absolute minimum. I remember something an oil company executive said when asked why the prices are up so high. He said it’s because that’s the only way to stop people from buying it faster than we can make it. What if we weren’t driving our refineries to their limits? Simply that alone might bring down prices. But what else could you save on? Do you truly need a new wardrobe? Is that movie really so good? Are you unable to cook your own meals? How much gas alone would you not be buying? We won’t even add the rest of the funds.

I acknowledge that I am just as guilty as anyone else for the mess this country is in. I defended our right to screw it up, and actively participated. Now we are paying for it. We will continue to pay for it until we decide to do more than gripe about it.

Some want others to carry them through. I can’t carry anymore. Regardless, they seem to think the world owes them something. For some reason they are granted some privilege of never needing to care about their effect on others. I doubt they even care how much of a burden they are to those of us who are trying. Those people need a swift kick into the real world where you help yourself if you want help from others.

If you are unable to make it, then guess who is to blame. Not me, not your parents, not the government, and not some imaginary culture barrier. Nope, it is your own fault. You have- like me- led yourself down this road. In fact, I will go so far as to say that if you are offended by this, it probably applies to you. Do not sit in your room blaming me. Face it and do something about it yourself. I am.

Bent Not Broke,
George D. Clayton

[lowflyn]

In my industry gas is just one of those costs I have to deal with. I must say though, last month was my biggest profit margin since I started with the company. I consider my work to be a necessity to most people in this area and I know I have job security no matter what the economy does.

Best of luck to you and yours, but please don't tell me how to spend my money. We just bought another V8 and I'm now slowing down anytime soon.

[wiarumas]

Honestly? I agree with you.

BUT

We live in a consumer based neoclassical economy. If you cut back, the economy will worsen. If you spend more, the economy will improve, but the more gas is used for transportation, shipping of goods, offshoring, etc. It is a bit of a catch 22. This isn't a black and white, right and left problem. There are many angles and many shades of grey that need to be figured out... if they can be. The world is like a huge organism. We can't really control it - not our government, not the oil companies. There are too many factors that are out of control and things will just evolve/adapt/configure itself to fix the situation. Hold tight, things will improve - they always do.

[bbunt302]

The problem with our country right now is that a shitload of Americans were living way outside their means. And for a while, it worked because the economy was doing well and everything was cheap. People have been paying $4/gallon for gas in other countries for years and years now.

So now these people are sitting in their $200,000 houses and driving around in their gas-guzzling $40,000 Hummers, making $60,000 a year with 3 kids and bitching about gas prices. Sucks to be them.

[lowflyn]

Quote: Originally Posted by bbunt302 The problem with our country right now is that a shitload of Americans were living way outside their means. And for a while, it worked because the economy was doing well and everything was cheap. People have been paying $4/gallon for gas in other countries for years and years now. So now these people are sitting in their $200,000 houses and driving around in their gas-guzzling $40,000 Hummers, making $60,000 a year with 3 kids and bitching about gas prices. Sucks to be them.

QFT. You should see the amount of people that can't afford a 25 dollar a month pest service that live in a half million dollar house. It's getting ridiculous. Alot of those ppl can't even afford to keep their phone on anymore, I get more and more disconnected numbers everyday. It's never from the middle class section, it's the upper middle class and upper class.

[bbunt302]

Quote: Originally Posted by lowflyn QFT. You should see the amount of people that can't afford a 25 dollar a month pest service that live in a half million dollar house. It's getting ridiculous. Alot of those ppl can't even afford to keep their phone on anymore, I get more and more disconnected numbers everyday. It's never from the middle class section, it's the upper middle class and upper class.

That's because they're not upper middle class and upper class. They are lower-middle class people who try to live like they're not.

[n8r]

Quote: Originally Posted by bbunt302 The problem with our country right now is that a shitload of Americans were living way outside their means. And for a while, it worked because the economy was doing well and everything was cheap. People have been paying $4/gallon for gas in other countries for years and years now. So now these people are sitting in their $200,000 houses and driving around in their gas-guzzling $40,000 Hummers, making $60,000 a year with 3 kids and bitching about gas prices. Sucks to be them.

This man is wise... Ben... What happened to you... You are rational!

[Danger Dude]

Quote: Originally Posted by bbunt302 People have been paying $4/gallon for gas in other countries for years and years now.

But they dont drive near as much. They drive with purpose and have tiny cars. Nobody owns a full size truck in Europe nor do they have all these giant SUV's only the extremely wealthy people in Europe drive large vehicles. When you look around in Europe you notice middle class people dont even own power boats. That is a luxury that would be so heavily taxed especially anyting over 12 ft.

You can't compare most of the world to us. We have been so lucky to be able to have what most people around the world can only dream of. The problem is we as a nation are at a new crossroad. The industial revolution has come full circle in just a little over 100 years. We had a chance to be much better off it we had stuck to the directions put in place in the 70's but Industry, Politics, Greed, Materialism and what's in it for me mentallity has put us where we are at now. Can we get out of the mess we are in right now with energy, Yes, but it wont be easy and everyone will feel the effects. We will see real oil wars in the not to distant future and we will see rationing like we had during WWII. We first have to ditch the use of Alcohol. That was a bad idea that is making things worse.

Actually the brightest energy resource to use will be natural gas. It is everywhere and it can be produced from the millions of tons of garbage we as a nation throw out every day. There is a city in California that produces enough natural gas from their garbage dump to run the power turbines to produce enough power to provide service to over 300,000 homes and businesses. That is just one garbage dump

[OsirisGuy]

Not to mention a lot of European cities have narrow streets and even if they don't many Europeans ride mopeds or motorcycles.

As for energy, the problems with natural gas is that it still produces carbon emissions. Solar power is not adequate, wind and certain hydroelectric that use waves or tides is only intermittent, and dams are regional. I feel the best solution is Nuclear energy, it is a lot cleaner and better understood than even ten years ago. It will be cheap and plentiful and a single factory can provide much excess energy. A few of these we can export plenty of energy and increase GDP. I'm sure the waste produced can be done away safely, but it will take some time. Even the co-founder of green peace believes in Nuclear energy.

Unfortunately NIMBY's presence is way to strong. Recently there have been propositions to build wind farms off the south shore which would help ease power demand in the metropolitan area, but there were some residents that didn't want to see the propellers at Jones Beach way in the distance. There was also a proposition for an offshore natural gas terminal in the Long Island Sound but NIMBY came out again in fear that if there was a fire it would devastate the gold coast even though the plant was much more then a safe distance out, but these are the same people who stopped a small highway which would of eased traffic between Long Island and Connecticut instead of a Ferry or a trip through Manhattan or the Bronx.

I think the biggest problem is people want change without actually changing (which is why Obama seems so popular right now; hehe). "Let's buy a truck. Gas is too expensive. Bush is fighting for oil. Don't drill in the U.S. Open up America's fuel reserves, reserved for national crisis." This is how many people, at least here, it seems to think. So they buy a Prius and think they are solving the problem but are really just prolonging it. People's current idea of change is just rerouting the problem to avoid it instead of actually solving it. It's like taking cough medicine, it suppresses the cough but doesn't stop the cold.

Oh and $200,000 homes? I wish. Those areas get a white boy like me shot.

[bbunt302]

Quote: Originally Posted by OsirisGuy Oh and $200,000 homes? I wish. Those areas get a white boy like me shot.

You should move then.

[OsirisGuy]

Quote: Originally Posted by bbunt302 You should move then.

Well I still live at home, still going to school and my whole family lives here. Most likely when my career starts though.

My best friend moved down to I believe Virginia and is stationed in North Carolina or vice versa, but his family bought a beautiful house and land for like the amount of taxes they paid here.

As for being shot, I'm in a well white populated area a few towns over, so that's all good.