Hillary tax Holiday - hoax or not?

Well Steph the context was that if Iran nuked Israel what would be our response.

Do you think there is any candidate running (including ron Paul) who would not honor our commitment to Israel?

shermangeneral wrote:Well Steph the context was that if Iran nuked Israel what would be our response.

Do you think there is any candidate running (including ron Paul) who would not honor our commitment to Israel?

First of all, the interview is available online. I watched it at Raw Politics I think. The question wasn't if Iran nuked Israel. Hillary brought up a nuclear attack.

Secondly, what you're suggesting is that any Presidential candidate, including Congressman Paul, would risk WWIII to protect Israel. I don't know that to be true. I don't think it is true. I believe that Israel is more than capable of taking care of itself. They have nuclear weapons. They have missiles and warheads....they stole some of that technology from us.

Israel doesn't live up to its obligations to the US, the UN, or the rest of the world. We are not under any kind of obligation to obliterate another nation on their behalf. If that is how bloodthirsty they have become, they have the means to do that themselves.

Other than relieving us of billions of dollars in cash and military equipment, and pitting us against all of their Arab neighbors, I'd like to know just what Israel has done to warrant such preferential treatment from our government? How many more American lives, how much more of our wealth, how much or our remaining international prestige should we squander on this nation?

Let's see Israel heed the warnings of Condi Rice.....dismantle all those check points, let's see a little progress by the Israelis, some good faith effort on their part, before we go fighting for them in another nation. I really don't think that is unreasonable.

IMHO by failing to abide by their internationally recognized borders, not to mention official US policy, Israel has negated any committment they may have received in the past.

Yeah Stephanie, but it still comes down to politics. And the Israeli political lobby is still a big one in the U.S.

It's kind of like the coal lobby in West Virginia- damn few politicians have the 'nads to challenge it.

Just out of curiosity, how many of you are aware that Wolf Blitzer was formerly a lobbyist for AIPAC?

If we drop the gas tax, what is to stop the companies from rising the price and making us pay the same, or more, anyway?

It is likely because the companies know we will already pay that much.

TerryRC wrote:If we drop the gas tax, what is to stop the companies from rising the price and making us pay the same, or more, anyway?

It is likely because the companies know we will already pay that much.

You are already "a day late and a dollar short", ..... so don't worry about it.

When yesterday's "price per barrel" (see below) ....... gets refined to "price per gallon" in a month or so, ............. that "price per barrel" will have spiked again.

Oil passes $120 a barrel on supply threats, dollar
By JOHN WILEN – 20 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil futures have surpassed the once unthinkable price of $120 a barrel.

Oil reached its latest milestone on a mix of threats to overseas crude oil supplies. A threat by Kurdish rebels in Iraq to attack American interests has investors concerned. And an attack on an oil facility in Nigeria cut oil supplies.

Meanwhile, defiant comments by Iranian leaders about the country's nuclear program raised worries about broader conflict in the Middle East.

Light, sweet crude for May delivery rose to a trading record of $120.21 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The falling dollar is also sending crude prices higher.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i5TtajgUpSm7KY5jf-lCJGHBB-tAD90FICU03

And some of you are "four (4) + years late and a $1.00+ per gallon short" ....... because that's how long that I've been telling you that was what was going to happen.

And it would have happened sooner and been more devastatingly ...... iffen Bush hadn't invaded Iraq.

And the more those terrorists and rebels ....... hear your all's "cry of pain" about the high price of gasoline ....... the more they will be emboldened to "cut more of the supply off".

"DUH", and the "experts" are worried about the fact that 1/3 the parents in the US don't know a frigging thing about "parenting their children".

Those "experts" really don't have a clue how serious the "overall problem" really is.

Fer shame, fer shame.

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TerryRC wrote:If we drop the gas tax, what is to stop the companies from rising the price and making us pay the same, or more, anyway?

It is likely because the companies know we will already pay that much.

I agree. The free market is a pesky thing; my first thought about repealing the gas tax is that it would increase the oil companies' profit margins. Hillary's plan to swap the gas tax for windfall profits taxes becomes little more than a shell game for those with inadequate attention spans.

SheikBen wrote:

TerryRC wrote:If we drop the gas tax, what is to stop the companies from rising the price and making us pay the same, or more, anyway?

It is likely because the companies know we will already pay that much.

I agree. The free market is a pesky thing; my first thought about repealing the gas tax is that it would increase the oil companies' profit margins. Hillary's plan to swap the gas tax for windfall profits taxes becomes little more than a shell game for those with inadequate attention spans.

Well said, Mike.

SheikBen wrote:...... my first thought about repealing the gas tax is that it would increase the oil companies' profit margins.

And how would it do that, Mike?

Are you implying that the oil companies would be "losing money" ..... if they could not collect a little "short term intere$t" on that "tax money" they collect ....... before they hafta turn it over to the Feds?

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To blame the price of gas on American oil companies is astonishingly simplistic, and ignores the worldwide factors contributing to the rapid increse. Two billion Indians and Chinese are trading in their bicycles for automobiles. Inefficient, state-run oil companies in places like Venezuela and Mexico are stifling production growth. The value of the dollar is plummeting as the world economy grows and other currencies, such as the euro, become popular investments for sovereign wealth funds. Political instability racks many oil-producing regions, such as Nigeria and Iraq. The United States, the world's third largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia and Russia, could do more exploration and drilling in unpopulated regions of Alaska, but is unable to due to the environmental lobby. Rampant speculation, the bane of capitalism, contributes to drive the price of oil ever higher.

But let's just slap a windfall profits tax on Exxon--which has a lower profit margin than Microsoft--and everything will be better.

Well said Randall.

Thank you, Aaron. Another point: Even after the increases in fuel costs, gas prices in the US are still among the lowest in the developed world. Does that mean we should be thanking Exxon for keeping prices down?

Randall wrote:Thank you, Aaron. Another point: Even after the increases in fuel costs, gas prices in the US are still among the lowest in the developed world. Does that mean we should be thanking Exxon for keeping prices down?

I don't think so Randall, if you analyze the cost I think you will see the reason for the lower cost here has nothing to do with frugality by the oil companies.

Then why do we have some of the lowest cost in the world Sherm? When I was in Germany in 86-87, I paid more for a gallon of gas then I do now.

I spoke to my friend Dave in Oz today. They're paying $1.55 a liter. I'm not sure what that = in US$ but I'm sure it's no bargain.

They have more tax than we do.

You'll have that when socialism reigns supreme.

Well Steph then do you agree with me that it is not due to the magnanimous attitude of the oil companies like Aaron suggests?

I'm not suggesting anything Sherm. I ask you a question. Is there some reason you can't answer it or is it that you have no answer?

Surely Sirus Left had to have discussed this at some point. Or is all the talk about going after big Oil's 'windfall profits'?

Stephanie wrote:I spoke to my friend Dave in Oz today. They're paying $1.55 a liter. I'm not sure what that = in US$ but I'm sure it's no bargain.

Thats easy, just go to Google and enter

convert 1 gallon to liters

and it will reply with:

1 US gallon = 3.78541178 liters

then ya load your calculator and multiply that by $1.55

and ya get $5.86675 per gallon.

I like both that "convert" and "define" feature of Google.

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Aaron if you read the post above you will find my answer. (Europeans pay more tax on fuel.)

But they all have national health insurance and live longer.

They have to live longer Sherm because they have to pay more taxes because of their socialist policies.

Now imagine if they, or Canada for that matter, had to actually pay for a national defense.



I've been to Europe, I'll take the United States 78 years over their 79 thank you very much.

Well Aaron I am not in favor of us having troops in Europe let them defend themselves.

But that is outside the scope of your question.

You asked why it is higher there and implied we should be grateful to the oil companies for cheaper gas here.

I merely pointed out it was not due to the oil companies.

The European countries tax it more .

I didn't imply anything Sherm. I don't know why oil companies have kept prices low here but my gut instinct would tell me that it has something to do with supply and demand and the capitalist nature of our country. Overall, I'd say they've raised prices as much as the market will allow them and that is what has set prices in our country.

Imagine that, capitalism actually works.

SamCogar wrote:

Stephanie wrote:I spoke to my friend Dave in Oz today. They're paying $1.55 a liter. I'm not sure what that = in US$ but I'm sure it's no bargain.

Thats easy, just go to Google and enter

convert 1 gallon to liters

and it will reply with:

1 US gallon = 3.78541178 liters

then ya load your calculator and multiply that by $1.55

and ya get $5.86675 per gallon.

I like both that "convert" and "define" feature of Google.

.

Aw, Sam......give me a wee bit more credit than that. Of course I know the rough equation between liters & gallons. Not that I couldn't Google this too, but my Aussie friend speaks in Aussie dollars. Get me now?