Re: Exxon Mobil Corp. posted the largest annual profit...

[Guest guest]

There is more to it than that. The main driver of oil prices currently is rapidly growing demand from China and India. There economies are growing and, given their populations, demand for energy is huge. Add to that that their processes are very inefficient compared to those of the West which ramps up demand even more. Supply is not really increasing with demand because much of that supply is already tapped out as for as drawing out more at a time. That isn't just pulling it out of the ground, but also processing capacity.

Another problem is OPEC itself. This is a cartel of most oil producing countries, mainly in the Middle East, who's purpose is to control oil prices. Right now, they like the high prices more than they value the friendship of the West. This is so because they know that we are too addicted to oil and will pay any price for it. They also know that they can sell to India and China if we fuss too much. Besides, they love having all that money rolling in, so many nice new palaces and planes while the people still live in poverty.

The other problem is instability in the supply. The Middle East is unstable, moreso than usual. In addition, other supply nations like Nigeria are in serious trouble. Then there are Venezuela and Mexico. Both are oil producing countries that also have serious internal problems.

Taken together, it is little wonder oil is so high. Of course, it would also help if the government cut the gasoline and heating oil taxes since they don't spend the money on infrastructure support like they are supposed to.

this is off the cuff, and likely a wild assumption but; perhaps they prepped themselves for sale by driving prices up. In an extraordinary abuse of power and money Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

Its the same with tobacco. Cigarettes and such cost so much not because of the value of tobacco, but because of the taxes levied on them. This is why the government won't ban tobacco, it needs the tax revenue too much. There is a paradox, here, too. On the one hand, the government says it wants to do all kinds of things for the poor, but the poor represent the highest proportion of smokers. Therefore, the tobacco products tax most heavily affects those with lower income and tighter financial conditions. This is an example of bother a regressive tax and a stealth tax. It is regressive because it has its greatest affect on those with the lowest incomes. It is a stealth tax because it is unseen in the price of the cigarettes, which makes the tobacco companies get the blame for high prices and not the government for the high taxes. Gasoline also falls into both of these categories.

Um yeah, our country can't let all that pretty money go away!! without taking some. Really it is a mess This string and the alien string should be combined. . I think awareness in a reason why aspies are depressed so often. we are tired of NT's mucking up everything, and for some reason we can't get them to stop touching the stove!!Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

Its the same with tobacco. Cigarettes and such cost so much not because of the value of tobacco, but because of the taxes levied on them. This is why the government won't ban tobacco, it needs the tax revenue too much. There is a paradox, here, too. On the one hand, the government says it wants to do all kinds of things for the poor, but the poor represent the highest proportion of smokers. Therefore, the tobacco products tax most heavily affects those with lower income and tighter financial conditions. This is an example of bother a regressive tax and a stealth tax. It is regressive because it has its greatest affect on those with the lowest incomes. It is a stealth tax because it is unseen in the price of the cigarettes, which makes the tobacco companies get the blame for high prices and not the government for the high taxes. Gasoline also falls into both of these categories.

Um yeah, our country can't let all that pretty money go away!! without taking some. Really it is a mess This string and the alien string should be combined. . I think awareness in a reason why aspies are depressed so often. we are tired of NT's mucking up everything, and for some reason we can't get them to stop touching the stove!!Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

Its the same with tobacco. Cigarettes and such cost so much not because of the value of tobacco, but because of the taxes levied on them. This is why the government won't ban tobacco, it needs the tax revenue too much. There is a paradox, here, too. On the one hand, the government says it wants to do all kinds of things for the poor, but the poor represent the highest proportion of smokers. Therefore, the tobacco products tax most heavily affects those with lower income and tighter financial conditions. This is an example of bother a regressive tax and a stealth tax. It is regressive because it has its greatest affect on those with the lowest incomes. It is a stealth tax because it is unseen in the price of the cigarettes, which makes the tobacco companies get the blame for high prices and not the government for the high taxes. Gasoline also falls into both of these categories.

Um yeah, our country can't let all that pretty money go away!! without taking some. Really it is a mess This string and the alien string should be combined. . I think awareness in a reason why aspies are depressed so often. we are tired of NT's mucking up everything, and for some reason we can't get them to stop touching the stove!!Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

>

>

> Taken together, it is little wonder oil is so high. Of course, it

would also

> help if the government cut the gasoline and heating oil taxes since

they

> don't spend the money on infrastructure support like they are

supposed to.

>

>

>

Um yeah, our country can't let all that pretty money go away!! without

taking some. Really it is a mess This string and the alien string

should be combined. . I think awareness in a reason why aspies are

depressed so often. we are tired of NT's mucking up everything, and

for some reason we can't get them to stop touching the stove!!

[Guest guest]

As they say, "Truth is stranger than fiction." If people just knew half of what the government was pulling on us, there would probably be a revolution. It think it is a very modern and socialist notion to consider government theft and corruption as either invisible or somehow acceptable while the same in the private sector is singled out for derision. I remember seeing political cartoons from the 1800's in England about the "Levianthan of government gobbling up the wealth of the land while a select few battled over the crumbs falling from its lips." I suppose this is so because many of those on the left worship government like religious people do God and can't stand any criticism of their self-created deity.

I think we are going down hill. Our education standards place us near the bottom of the industrialized nations whereas in the 1960's we were near the top. I'm not sure that this is entirely and accident. The less educated people are, the less they will understand how government works or what it is doing. Therefore, politicians can get away with a lot more nonsense. They can have emotional rallies about change or returning to a previous era, Reagan, the most voters can't even remember or attach any significance to. All the voters hear is "vote for me and you get more free stuff!" Never mind that that will bankrupt the country.

They should really put a bunch of us Aspies in charge for a while. The right ones that understand real economics and can think beyond phase 3 could work wonders.

That is the thing bothering me everyone runs away when you say conspiracy theroy (but with all the examples oh how the government works to increase the touble for americans is ignored. You could really boil all of this down to greed why is any beauracy exempt. Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

As they say, "Truth is stranger than fiction." If people just knew half of what the government was pulling on us, there would probably be a revolution. It think it is a very modern and socialist notion to consider government theft and corruption as either invisible or somehow acceptable while the same in the private sector is singled out for derision. I remember seeing political cartoons from the 1800's in England about the "Levianthan of government gobbling up the wealth of the land while a select few battled over the crumbs falling from its lips." I suppose this is so because many of those on the left worship government like religious people do God and can't stand any criticism of their self-created deity.

I think we are going down hill. Our education standards place us near the bottom of the industrialized nations whereas in the 1960's we were near the top. I'm not sure that this is entirely and accident. The less educated people are, the less they will understand how government works or what it is doing. Therefore, politicians can get away with a lot more nonsense. They can have emotional rallies about change or returning to a previous era, Reagan, the most voters can't even remember or attach any significance to. All the voters hear is "vote for me and you get more free stuff!" Never mind that that will bankrupt the country.

They should really put a bunch of us Aspies in charge for a while. The right ones that understand real economics and can think beyond phase 3 could work wonders.

That is the thing bothering me everyone runs away when you say conspiracy theroy (but with all the examples oh how the government works to increase the touble for americans is ignored. You could really boil all of this down to greed why is any beauracy exempt. Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

As they say, "Truth is stranger than fiction." If people just knew half of what the government was pulling on us, there would probably be a revolution. It think it is a very modern and socialist notion to consider government theft and corruption as either invisible or somehow acceptable while the same in the private sector is singled out for derision. I remember seeing political cartoons from the 1800's in England about the "Levianthan of government gobbling up the wealth of the land while a select few battled over the crumbs falling from its lips." I suppose this is so because many of those on the left worship government like religious people do God and can't stand any criticism of their self-created deity.

I think we are going down hill. Our education standards place us near the bottom of the industrialized nations whereas in the 1960's we were near the top. I'm not sure that this is entirely and accident. The less educated people are, the less they will understand how government works or what it is doing. Therefore, politicians can get away with a lot more nonsense. They can have emotional rallies about change or returning to a previous era, Reagan, the most voters can't even remember or attach any significance to. All the voters hear is "vote for me and you get more free stuff!" Never mind that that will bankrupt the country.

They should really put a bunch of us Aspies in charge for a while. The right ones that understand real economics and can think beyond phase 3 could work wonders.

That is the thing bothering me everyone runs away when you say conspiracy theroy (but with all the examples oh how the government works to increase the touble for americans is ignored. You could really boil all of this down to greed why is any beauracy exempt. Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

Reagan had the right ideas, but several big hurdles in his way.

The first hurdle was an economy with double digit inflation and unemployment. That was the result partly of a mismanaged economy during the Vietnam Conflict (they never had the guts to declare war, which was one reason for the economic troubles), and largely due to the terrible policies of Jimmy .

In addition to that, had cut the military and allowed the rest to wither to a dangerous degree. Instead of confronting the Communists, he preferred the Neville Chamberlain appeasement route, which only encouraged them to expand their operations around the world.

So, we had a rotten economy, a weak military and an increasingly aggressive Communist Bloc.

Those were the main things in Reagan's way. All the same, he did get the economy going again, even though it took pretty much all of the 8 year term to begin to really see the effects because of the inherent lag time between legislation and its economic effect. It really didn't begin to be seen the 1990's.

But during this time, Reagan had to rebuild the military. That was expensive but not what ran up the deficits of the day. In order to get his priorities through a Democrat controlled Congress, he had to agree to ramp up social spending. The difference between military spending and social programs is that the military spending can be increased to buy new and replace old equipment, which is expensive, but they reduced once the process is complete. Social programs demand the same funding, or more, forever. Then there were always more programs and more spending. It never ended.

Simple economics says that lower taxes means more business, more employees and more wealth (wealth in terms of income as well as the number of goods available). Both of these also result in greater tax receipts. That's fine, as long as spending is also controlled, but it wasn't, and still isn't. That is the primary problem, not taxes being too low.

It is rather discouraging, but maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe after this next round of Presidents we'll get another real one who can actually solve the problems. Maybe people will be so fed up with all those vermin that we will turn them out wholesale, one way or the other.

Yes, the outside world intrudes. I've had to rearrange my business because of the credit crisis and I worry what my taxes will be like in another couple of years. I also worry that some foreigner is going to buy the bank where I have a couple of loans and my try to steal my property and business.

I do get a little negative sometimes, but that is because I can't abide stupidity or corruption and we have a plenty of it in our government. I'm not anti-government mind you, we do need one. I'm just anti-politics and ant-politician. The whole system should be reworked on simple logical and mathematical principles with the aim of limiting the power and destructiveness of the politicians and judges. The Constitution itself was written with that in mind. The failing was that the language was simple and direct, meant for honest and honor people who loved their country. That hasn't been the case in politics for some time and we see the results.

Anyway, I don't mean to depress anyone. Its just that I get so flaming angry over all the nonsense and stupidity out there if I don't vent a bit my head would explode.

>> As they say, "Truth is stranger than fiction." If people just knew half of > what the government was pulling on us, there would probably be a revolution. > I think we are going down hill. Our education standards place us near the > bottom of the industrialized nations whereas in the 1960's we were near the top. > I'm not sure that this is entirely and accident. The less educated people > are, the less they will understand how government works or what it is doing. > Therefore, politicians can get away with a lot more nonsense. They can have > emotional rallies about change or returning to a previous era, Reagan, the most > voters can't even remember or attach any significance to. All the voters hear > is "vote for me and you get more free stuff!" Never mind that that will > bankrupt the country. > > They should really put a bunch of us Aspies in charge for a while. The right > ones that understand real economics and can think beyond phase 3 could work > wonders. > > > Maybe I ammisguided but I view regan as the beginning of the end. I was in college in a business class (economics) and I left because I thought to run on negative was stupid. I said this to the professor. We are falling down and it doesn't matter how long it takes to hit the ground the ground is where we are going. He maintained that it was a long way off. That was 17 years ago, so no revolution yet but that ground is pretty close. I got fed up and went into hiding then and I have stayed there until talking with you . and in the case of my son's care. You remind me that no matter how hard I try to hide, the outside world will effect me. With or without my permission. I was just thinking today that ASD children are relegated to a life of stuffing shopping carts and sweeping up outside stores and the like, regardless of what we are capable of cognitively. I hid because I was so mad. Mad that I was limited, made fun of and disreguarded. I have tried to volunteer, speak in public when asked, and generally help to get the idea of system change heard. I don't belong to the green party or the other fringe groups because their agenda is tooo far in the other direction. Pragmatic, focused attention has to be given to the issues. Infighting has to be at a minimum, keeping the issues in the forfront without any misrepresentation, transparency. Not disclosure of every pencil bought, but the ability to check in and see that problems are being addressed. (that things are actually being addressed) In any case, I was thinking today that I like to read what you have said. I am just afraid to read all I know is out there in terms of beauracratic abuses, and their ramifications, but don't stop writing about it or Tom Or Raven speaking for Canadian affairs.I want to be more useful, but I am scared of all the NT's. I really really am. It is rare to meet people I am not afraid of. Here is an exception. Kim and and and everyone that posts (even our new posters make more sense that a sea of faces at any mall, school, university campus etc. Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

Reagan had the right ideas, but several big hurdles in his way.

The first hurdle was an economy with double digit inflation and unemployment. That was the result partly of a mismanaged economy during the Vietnam Conflict (they never had the guts to declare war, which was one reason for the economic troubles), and largely due to the terrible policies of Jimmy .

In addition to that, had cut the military and allowed the rest to wither to a dangerous degree. Instead of confronting the Communists, he preferred the Neville Chamberlain appeasement route, which only encouraged them to expand their operations around the world.

So, we had a rotten economy, a weak military and an increasingly aggressive Communist Bloc.

Those were the main things in Reagan's way. All the same, he did get the economy going again, even though it took pretty much all of the 8 year term to begin to really see the effects because of the inherent lag time between legislation and its economic effect. It really didn't begin to be seen the 1990's.

But during this time, Reagan had to rebuild the military. That was expensive but not what ran up the deficits of the day. In order to get his priorities through a Democrat controlled Congress, he had to agree to ramp up social spending. The difference between military spending and social programs is that the military spending can be increased to buy new and replace old equipment, which is expensive, but they reduced once the process is complete. Social programs demand the same funding, or more, forever. Then there were always more programs and more spending. It never ended.

Simple economics says that lower taxes means more business, more employees and more wealth (wealth in terms of income as well as the number of goods available). Both of these also result in greater tax receipts. That's fine, as long as spending is also controlled, but it wasn't, and still isn't. That is the primary problem, not taxes being too low.

It is rather discouraging, but maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe after this next round of Presidents we'll get another real one who can actually solve the problems. Maybe people will be so fed up with all those vermin that we will turn them out wholesale, one way or the other.

Yes, the outside world intrudes. I've had to rearrange my business because of the credit crisis and I worry what my taxes will be like in another couple of years. I also worry that some foreigner is going to buy the bank where I have a couple of loans and my try to steal my property and business.

I do get a little negative sometimes, but that is because I can't abide stupidity or corruption and we have a plenty of it in our government. I'm not anti-government mind you, we do need one. I'm just anti-politics and ant-politician. The whole system should be reworked on simple logical and mathematical principles with the aim of limiting the power and destructiveness of the politicians and judges. The Constitution itself was written with that in mind. The failing was that the language was simple and direct, meant for honest and honor people who loved their country. That hasn't been the case in politics for some time and we see the results.

Anyway, I don't mean to depress anyone. Its just that I get so flaming angry over all the nonsense and stupidity out there if I don't vent a bit my head would explode.

>> As they say, "Truth is stranger than fiction." If people just knew half of > what the government was pulling on us, there would probably be a revolution. > I think we are going down hill. Our education standards place us near the > bottom of the industrialized nations whereas in the 1960's we were near the top. > I'm not sure that this is entirely and accident. The less educated people > are, the less they will understand how government works or what it is doing. > Therefore, politicians can get away with a lot more nonsense. They can have > emotional rallies about change or returning to a previous era, Reagan, the most > voters can't even remember or attach any significance to. All the voters hear > is "vote for me and you get more free stuff!" Never mind that that will > bankrupt the country. > > They should really put a bunch of us Aspies in charge for a while. The right > ones that understand real economics and can think beyond phase 3 could work > wonders. > > > Maybe I ammisguided but I view regan as the beginning of the end. I was in college in a business class (economics) and I left because I thought to run on negative was stupid. I said this to the professor. We are falling down and it doesn't matter how long it takes to hit the ground the ground is where we are going. He maintained that it was a long way off. That was 17 years ago, so no revolution yet but that ground is pretty close. I got fed up and went into hiding then and I have stayed there until talking with you . and in the case of my son's care. You remind me that no matter how hard I try to hide, the outside world will effect me. With or without my permission. I was just thinking today that ASD children are relegated to a life of stuffing shopping carts and sweeping up outside stores and the like, regardless of what we are capable of cognitively. I hid because I was so mad. Mad that I was limited, made fun of and disreguarded. I have tried to volunteer, speak in public when asked, and generally help to get the idea of system change heard. I don't belong to the green party or the other fringe groups because their agenda is tooo far in the other direction. Pragmatic, focused attention has to be given to the issues. Infighting has to be at a minimum, keeping the issues in the forfront without any misrepresentation, transparency. Not disclosure of every pencil bought, but the ability to check in and see that problems are being addressed. (that things are actually being addressed) In any case, I was thinking today that I like to read what you have said. I am just afraid to read all I know is out there in terms of beauracratic abuses, and their ramifications, but don't stop writing about it or Tom Or Raven speaking for Canadian affairs.I want to be more useful, but I am scared of all the NT's. I really really am. It is rare to meet people I am not afraid of. Here is an exception. Kim and and and everyone that posts (even our new posters make more sense that a sea of faces at any mall, school, university campus etc. Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

Reagan had the right ideas, but several big hurdles in his way.

The first hurdle was an economy with double digit inflation and unemployment. That was the result partly of a mismanaged economy during the Vietnam Conflict (they never had the guts to declare war, which was one reason for the economic troubles), and largely due to the terrible policies of Jimmy .

In addition to that, had cut the military and allowed the rest to wither to a dangerous degree. Instead of confronting the Communists, he preferred the Neville Chamberlain appeasement route, which only encouraged them to expand their operations around the world.

So, we had a rotten economy, a weak military and an increasingly aggressive Communist Bloc.

Those were the main things in Reagan's way. All the same, he did get the economy going again, even though it took pretty much all of the 8 year term to begin to really see the effects because of the inherent lag time between legislation and its economic effect. It really didn't begin to be seen the 1990's.

But during this time, Reagan had to rebuild the military. That was expensive but not what ran up the deficits of the day. In order to get his priorities through a Democrat controlled Congress, he had to agree to ramp up social spending. The difference between military spending and social programs is that the military spending can be increased to buy new and replace old equipment, which is expensive, but they reduced once the process is complete. Social programs demand the same funding, or more, forever. Then there were always more programs and more spending. It never ended.

Simple economics says that lower taxes means more business, more employees and more wealth (wealth in terms of income as well as the number of goods available). Both of these also result in greater tax receipts. That's fine, as long as spending is also controlled, but it wasn't, and still isn't. That is the primary problem, not taxes being too low.

It is rather discouraging, but maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe after this next round of Presidents we'll get another real one who can actually solve the problems. Maybe people will be so fed up with all those vermin that we will turn them out wholesale, one way or the other.

Yes, the outside world intrudes. I've had to rearrange my business because of the credit crisis and I worry what my taxes will be like in another couple of years. I also worry that some foreigner is going to buy the bank where I have a couple of loans and my try to steal my property and business.

I do get a little negative sometimes, but that is because I can't abide stupidity or corruption and we have a plenty of it in our government. I'm not anti-government mind you, we do need one. I'm just anti-politics and ant-politician. The whole system should be reworked on simple logical and mathematical principles with the aim of limiting the power and destructiveness of the politicians and judges. The Constitution itself was written with that in mind. The failing was that the language was simple and direct, meant for honest and honor people who loved their country. That hasn't been the case in politics for some time and we see the results.

Anyway, I don't mean to depress anyone. Its just that I get so flaming angry over all the nonsense and stupidity out there if I don't vent a bit my head would explode.

>> As they say, "Truth is stranger than fiction." If people just knew half of > what the government was pulling on us, there would probably be a revolution. > I think we are going down hill. Our education standards place us near the > bottom of the industrialized nations whereas in the 1960's we were near the top. > I'm not sure that this is entirely and accident. The less educated people > are, the less they will understand how government works or what it is doing. > Therefore, politicians can get away with a lot more nonsense. They can have > emotional rallies about change or returning to a previous era, Reagan, the most > voters can't even remember or attach any significance to. All the voters hear > is "vote for me and you get more free stuff!" Never mind that that will > bankrupt the country. > > They should really put a bunch of us Aspies in charge for a while. The right > ones that understand real economics and can think beyond phase 3 could work > wonders. > > > Maybe I ammisguided but I view regan as the beginning of the end. I was in college in a business class (economics) and I left because I thought to run on negative was stupid. I said this to the professor. We are falling down and it doesn't matter how long it takes to hit the ground the ground is where we are going. He maintained that it was a long way off. That was 17 years ago, so no revolution yet but that ground is pretty close. I got fed up and went into hiding then and I have stayed there until talking with you . and in the case of my son's care. You remind me that no matter how hard I try to hide, the outside world will effect me. With or without my permission. I was just thinking today that ASD children are relegated to a life of stuffing shopping carts and sweeping up outside stores and the like, regardless of what we are capable of cognitively. I hid because I was so mad. Mad that I was limited, made fun of and disreguarded. I have tried to volunteer, speak in public when asked, and generally help to get the idea of system change heard. I don't belong to the green party or the other fringe groups because their agenda is tooo far in the other direction. Pragmatic, focused attention has to be given to the issues. Infighting has to be at a minimum, keeping the issues in the forfront without any misrepresentation, transparency. Not disclosure of every pencil bought, but the ability to check in and see that problems are being addressed. (that things are actually being addressed) In any case, I was thinking today that I like to read what you have said. I am just afraid to read all I know is out there in terms of beauracratic abuses, and their ramifications, but don't stop writing about it or Tom Or Raven speaking for Canadian affairs.I want to be more useful, but I am scared of all the NT's. I really really am. It is rare to meet people I am not afraid of. Here is an exception. Kim and and and everyone that posts (even our new posters make more sense that a sea of faces at any mall, school, university campus etc. Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

>

>On the one hand, the government says it wants to do all

> kinds of things for the poor, but the poor represent the highest

proportion of

> smokers. Therefore, the tobacco products tax most heavily affects

those with

> lower income and tighter financial conditions. This is an example

of bother a

> regressive tax and a stealth tax. It is regressive because it has

its

> greatest affect on those with the lowest incomes. It is a stealth

tax because it is

> unseen in the price of the cigarettes, which makes the tobacco

companies get

> the blame for high prices and not the government for the high

taxes.

> Gasoline also falls into both of these categories.

>

>

That is the thing bothering me everyone runs away when you say

conspiracy theroy (but with all the examples oh how the government

works to increase the touble for americans is ignored. You could

really boil all of this down to greed why is any beauracy exempt.

why do we believe physicians on the one hand and they stab us in the

back on so many others. We have to take the helm and say we won't be

lied to any longer for convience or money. We keep trying to talk

about resolving issues but we keep using the same rotten base. There

is no motivation for change because it upsets revenue streams, but we

have so many advances in technology, information, research and

science and own system won't incorperate them. Instead they foster

infighting to keep the light off the issues. Tocacco, gasoline,

health, mental and physical, all deferred and deflected, while we

fight over campgain promises and higher taxes.

We are cutting off our chances for future advancements. the Us will

not make it that much longer as a super power, and because we have

been bloated wind bags our people will suffer the wrath of other

nations, while our IQ's drop and we die from industrial mismanagement.

I think as I said before aspies see everything and we know we can't

change people and that depresses us. I don't drink, smoke,

gamble,curse,steal, gather around the water cooler, when i had a job

it was my duty to work, I gave extratime to help a customer if it

meant satisfaction and/or a sale (and I didn't put it on my time

sheet) and that was all because I cared. (if the business did well,

so would I) I wated to be part of a better tomorrow, and I know many

if not all share my sentiment

So it bugs me to no end to see people working just as hard to do

nothing and complain about it

[Guest guest]

>

>On the one hand, the government says it wants to do all

> kinds of things for the poor, but the poor represent the highest

proportion of

> smokers. Therefore, the tobacco products tax most heavily affects

those with

> lower income and tighter financial conditions. This is an example

of bother a

> regressive tax and a stealth tax. It is regressive because it has

its

> greatest affect on those with the lowest incomes. It is a stealth

tax because it is

> unseen in the price of the cigarettes, which makes the tobacco

companies get

> the blame for high prices and not the government for the high

taxes.

> Gasoline also falls into both of these categories.

>

>

That is the thing bothering me everyone runs away when you say

conspiracy theroy (but with all the examples oh how the government

works to increase the touble for americans is ignored. You could

really boil all of this down to greed why is any beauracy exempt.

why do we believe physicians on the one hand and they stab us in the

back on so many others. We have to take the helm and say we won't be

lied to any longer for convience or money. We keep trying to talk

about resolving issues but we keep using the same rotten base. There

is no motivation for change because it upsets revenue streams, but we

have so many advances in technology, information, research and

science and own system won't incorperate them. Instead they foster

infighting to keep the light off the issues. Tocacco, gasoline,

health, mental and physical, all deferred and deflected, while we

fight over campgain promises and higher taxes.

We are cutting off our chances for future advancements. the Us will

not make it that much longer as a super power, and because we have

been bloated wind bags our people will suffer the wrath of other

nations, while our IQ's drop and we die from industrial mismanagement.

I think as I said before aspies see everything and we know we can't

change people and that depresses us. I don't drink, smoke,

gamble,curse,steal, gather around the water cooler, when i had a job

it was my duty to work, I gave extratime to help a customer if it

meant satisfaction and/or a sale (and I didn't put it on my time

sheet) and that was all because I cared. (if the business did well,

so would I) I wated to be part of a better tomorrow, and I know many

if not all share my sentiment

So it bugs me to no end to see people working just as hard to do

nothing and complain about it

[Guest guest]

>

>On the one hand, the government says it wants to do all

> kinds of things for the poor, but the poor represent the highest

proportion of

> smokers. Therefore, the tobacco products tax most heavily affects

those with

> lower income and tighter financial conditions. This is an example

of bother a

> regressive tax and a stealth tax. It is regressive because it has

its

> greatest affect on those with the lowest incomes. It is a stealth

tax because it is

> unseen in the price of the cigarettes, which makes the tobacco

companies get

> the blame for high prices and not the government for the high

taxes.

> Gasoline also falls into both of these categories.

>

>

That is the thing bothering me everyone runs away when you say

conspiracy theroy (but with all the examples oh how the government

works to increase the touble for americans is ignored. You could

really boil all of this down to greed why is any beauracy exempt.

why do we believe physicians on the one hand and they stab us in the

back on so many others. We have to take the helm and say we won't be

lied to any longer for convience or money. We keep trying to talk

about resolving issues but we keep using the same rotten base. There

is no motivation for change because it upsets revenue streams, but we

have so many advances in technology, information, research and

science and own system won't incorperate them. Instead they foster

infighting to keep the light off the issues. Tocacco, gasoline,

health, mental and physical, all deferred and deflected, while we

fight over campgain promises and higher taxes.

We are cutting off our chances for future advancements. the Us will

not make it that much longer as a super power, and because we have

been bloated wind bags our people will suffer the wrath of other

nations, while our IQ's drop and we die from industrial mismanagement.

I think as I said before aspies see everything and we know we can't

change people and that depresses us. I don't drink, smoke,

gamble,curse,steal, gather around the water cooler, when i had a job

it was my duty to work, I gave extratime to help a customer if it

meant satisfaction and/or a sale (and I didn't put it on my time

sheet) and that was all because I cared. (if the business did well,

so would I) I wated to be part of a better tomorrow, and I know many

if not all share my sentiment

So it bugs me to no end to see people working just as hard to do

nothing and complain about it

[Guest guest]

>

> As they say, " Truth is stranger than fiction. " If people just knew

half of

> what the government was pulling on us, there would probably be a

revolution.

> I think we are going down hill. Our education standards place us

near the

> bottom of the industrialized nations whereas in the 1960's we were

near the top.

> I'm not sure that this is entirely and accident. The less educated

people

> are, the less they will understand how government works or what it

is doing.

> Therefore, politicians can get away with a lot more nonsense. They

can have

> emotional rallies about change or returning to a previous era,

Reagan, the most

> voters can't even remember or attach any significance to. All the

voters hear

> is " vote for me and you get more free stuff! " Never mind that that

will

> bankrupt the country.

>

> They should really put a bunch of us Aspies in charge for a while.

The right

> ones that understand real economics and can think beyond phase 3

could work

> wonders.

>

>

>

Maybe I ammisguided but I view regan as the beginning of the end. I

was in college in a business class (economics) and I left because I

thought to run on negative was stupid. I said this to the

professor. We are falling down and it doesn't matter how long it

takes to hit the ground the ground is where we are going. He

maintained that it was a long way off. That was 17 years ago, so no

revolution yet but that ground is pretty close. I got fed up and

went into hiding then and I have stayed there until talking with you

. and in the case of my son's care. You remind me that no

matter how hard I try to hide, the outside world will effect me.

With or without my permission.

I was just thinking today that ASD children are relegated to a life

of stuffing shopping carts and sweeping up outside stores and the

like, regardless of what we are capable of cognitively. I hid

because I was so mad. Mad that I was limited, made fun of and

disreguarded. I have tried to volunteer, speak in public when asked,

and generally help to get the idea of system change heard. I don't

belong to the green party or the other fringe groups because their

agenda is tooo far in the other direction. Pragmatic, focused

attention has to be given to the issues. Infighting has to be at a

minimum, keeping the issues in the forfront without any

misrepresentation, transparency. Not disclosure of every pencil

bought, but the ability to check in and see that problems are being

addressed. (that things are actually being addressed)

In any case, I was thinking today that I like to read what you have

said. I am just afraid to read all I know is out there in terms of

beauracratic abuses, and their ramifications, but don't stop writing

about it or Tom Or Raven speaking for Canadian affairs.

I want to be more useful, but I am scared of all the NT's. I really

really am. It is rare to meet people I am not afraid of. Here is an

exception. Kim and and and everyone that posts (even our

new posters make more sense that a sea of faces at any mall, school,

university campus etc.

[Guest guest]

>

I do get a little negative sometimes, but that is because I can't

abide stupidity or corruption and we have a plenty of it in our

government. I'm not anti-government mind you, we do need one. I'm

just anti-politics and ant-politician. The whole system should be

reworked on simple logical and mathematical principles with the aim

of limiting the power and destructiveness of the politicians and

judges. The Constitution itself was written with that in mind. The

failing was that the language was simple and direct, meant for honest

and honor people who loved their country. That hasn't been the case

in politics for some time and we see the results.

Anyway, I don't mean to depress anyone. Its just that I get so

flaming angry over all the nonsense and stupidity out there if I

don't vent a bit my head would explode.

The problem for me is that I agree with you and I want to see your

ideas implemented and that whole honor and love your country thing.

I want that to work too. It's the how the heck do we get anyone else

that has clout to buy in. And we can't, is what usually happens. As

has been said before aspies aren't a bane on humanity I think we are

a boon, but no one seems to want to listen. You and tom and raven

and kim and henrick and julie, and jason, and and and all have soo

much to offer and we fight not to come to blows with our neighbors.

And they are the ones attacking us? It makes no sense. It's like we

are worth our weight in gold and people think plastic is the nuvo

gold. I think we are the real deal. Bright able problem solvers

that get kicked in the head for making a statement that cuts through

all the bull and points to the actual solution. for some reason it's

like cursing in a church (you can't say that here)

As a child I was the only teen that refused to curse on church

property (I was the Jew of course) and all the good christians would

walk by there on the way to school and curse. that is the real issue

NT's just want to say they are something they don't want to actually

be it. That is true non-conformity. I really hate the two-faced

nature of people. they just want you to belive they are good while

they sneak over to their neighbor's and have a quick affair. steal

from a store or some other not considered bad thing to do. oh well

people fun

[Guest guest]

>

I do get a little negative sometimes, but that is because I can't

abide stupidity or corruption and we have a plenty of it in our

government. I'm not anti-government mind you, we do need one. I'm

just anti-politics and ant-politician. The whole system should be

reworked on simple logical and mathematical principles with the aim

of limiting the power and destructiveness of the politicians and

judges. The Constitution itself was written with that in mind. The

failing was that the language was simple and direct, meant for honest

and honor people who loved their country. That hasn't been the case

in politics for some time and we see the results.

Anyway, I don't mean to depress anyone. Its just that I get so

flaming angry over all the nonsense and stupidity out there if I

don't vent a bit my head would explode.

The problem for me is that I agree with you and I want to see your

ideas implemented and that whole honor and love your country thing.

I want that to work too. It's the how the heck do we get anyone else

that has clout to buy in. And we can't, is what usually happens. As

has been said before aspies aren't a bane on humanity I think we are

a boon, but no one seems to want to listen. You and tom and raven

and kim and henrick and julie, and jason, and and and all have soo

much to offer and we fight not to come to blows with our neighbors.

And they are the ones attacking us? It makes no sense. It's like we

are worth our weight in gold and people think plastic is the nuvo

gold. I think we are the real deal. Bright able problem solvers

that get kicked in the head for making a statement that cuts through

all the bull and points to the actual solution. for some reason it's

like cursing in a church (you can't say that here)

As a child I was the only teen that refused to curse on church

property (I was the Jew of course) and all the good christians would

walk by there on the way to school and curse. that is the real issue

NT's just want to say they are something they don't want to actually

be it. That is true non-conformity. I really hate the two-faced

nature of people. they just want you to belive they are good while

they sneak over to their neighbor's and have a quick affair. steal

from a store or some other not considered bad thing to do. oh well

people fun

[Guest guest]

There's one major and very important difference in the situations here: oil and

various

forms of fuel are something needed by everyone, and smoking/chewing tobacco are

needed by no one, and in fact, there's absolutely no financial or health value

(other than

collecting taxes, which are counteracted effectively by all that's lost

long-term in health

care costs and lost time/lives) gained by the usage of chewing or smoking

tobacco. By

contrast, fuels, when used in a sane way, can be very beneficial, though it's

true that fossil

fuels aren't as environmentally-friendly as desired.

Note carefully that I'm not saying tobacco doesn't have some valid uses: it's a

great thing

for sick animals and also for a poultice for nasty cuts/bruises. Sadly, only a

small fraction

of a percent of tobacco is used for that in any market where tobacco is sold for

recreational uses.

A far better thing (yeah, right, like people will actually do this: it'd be too

simple, logical,

and too much hard work) would be all those that smoke and chew replace that bad

unhealthy habit with a healthy one, like exercise while playing some sort of

game, and

there's no viable excuse from the money point of view: anyone that's

sufficiently able-

bodied can at least play hide-and-seek, or Sardines (another curious variation

of hide-

and-seek) or many other games, if they really have nothing else to do. That

would

improve health in so many ways, but it seems too many people don't know how to

have

fun if it doesn't involve substance abuse, and have these crazy notions that

they have their

dignity to maintain, and that to do so, they need to engage in " adult

recreation " that's

socially-acceptable (in their eyes) for someone in their station in life. Ah,

such silliness in

society, it's killing everyone, because they can't be silly...

>

> Its the same with tobacco. Cigarettes and such cost so much not because of

> the value of tobacco, but because of the taxes levied on them. This is why the

> government won't ban tobacco, it needs the tax revenue too much. There is a

> paradox, here, too. On the one hand, the government says it wants to do all

> kinds of things for the poor, but the poor represent the highest proportion of

> smokers. Therefore, the tobacco products tax most heavily affects those with

> lower income and tighter financial conditions. This is an example of bother a

> regressive tax and a stealth tax. It is regressive because it has its

> greatest affect on those with the lowest incomes. It is a stealth tax because

it is

> unseen in the price of the cigarettes, which makes the tobacco companies get

> the blame for high prices and not the government for the high taxes.

> Gasoline also falls into both of these categories.

>

>

>

>

> In a message dated 2/7/2008 12:32:04 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

> mnmimi@... writes:

>

> Um yeah, our country can't let all that pretty money go away!! without

> taking some. Really it is a mess This string and the alien string

> should be combined. . I think awareness in a reason why aspies are

> depressed so often. we are tired of NT's mucking up everything, and

> for some reason we can't get them to stop touching the stove!!

[Guest guest]

There's one major and very important difference in the situations here: oil and

various

forms of fuel are something needed by everyone, and smoking/chewing tobacco are

needed by no one, and in fact, there's absolutely no financial or health value

(other than

collecting taxes, which are counteracted effectively by all that's lost

long-term in health

care costs and lost time/lives) gained by the usage of chewing or smoking

tobacco. By

contrast, fuels, when used in a sane way, can be very beneficial, though it's

true that fossil

fuels aren't as environmentally-friendly as desired.

Note carefully that I'm not saying tobacco doesn't have some valid uses: it's a

great thing

for sick animals and also for a poultice for nasty cuts/bruises. Sadly, only a

small fraction

of a percent of tobacco is used for that in any market where tobacco is sold for

recreational uses.

A far better thing (yeah, right, like people will actually do this: it'd be too

simple, logical,

and too much hard work) would be all those that smoke and chew replace that bad

unhealthy habit with a healthy one, like exercise while playing some sort of

game, and

there's no viable excuse from the money point of view: anyone that's

sufficiently able-

bodied can at least play hide-and-seek, or Sardines (another curious variation

of hide-

and-seek) or many other games, if they really have nothing else to do. That

would

improve health in so many ways, but it seems too many people don't know how to

have

fun if it doesn't involve substance abuse, and have these crazy notions that

they have their

dignity to maintain, and that to do so, they need to engage in " adult

recreation " that's

socially-acceptable (in their eyes) for someone in their station in life. Ah,

such silliness in

society, it's killing everyone, because they can't be silly...

>

> Its the same with tobacco. Cigarettes and such cost so much not because of

> the value of tobacco, but because of the taxes levied on them. This is why the

> government won't ban tobacco, it needs the tax revenue too much. There is a

> paradox, here, too. On the one hand, the government says it wants to do all

> kinds of things for the poor, but the poor represent the highest proportion of

> smokers. Therefore, the tobacco products tax most heavily affects those with

> lower income and tighter financial conditions. This is an example of bother a

> regressive tax and a stealth tax. It is regressive because it has its

> greatest affect on those with the lowest incomes. It is a stealth tax because

it is

> unseen in the price of the cigarettes, which makes the tobacco companies get

> the blame for high prices and not the government for the high taxes.

> Gasoline also falls into both of these categories.

>

>

>

>

> In a message dated 2/7/2008 12:32:04 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,

> mnmimi@... writes:

>

> Um yeah, our country can't let all that pretty money go away!! without

> taking some. Really it is a mess This string and the alien string

> should be combined. . I think awareness in a reason why aspies are

> depressed so often. we are tired of NT's mucking up everything, and

> for some reason we can't get them to stop touching the stove!!

[Guest guest]

This is true in many ways. I have watched a lot of science programs and this happens there too. Almost always when a new theory comes along, the other scientists pile on them to tear apart the theory. Some scientists have even committed suicide under the ferocity of the attacks. Sadly, their theories were often later proven correct.

In a message dated 2/8/2008 2:17:15 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

What I find scary is all the abuse and justifications that go on out there because of social motivations, and the protective herd mentality that results if a person challenges it. Thing is, if you go your own route and try to succeed...and do succeed, the results is everyone gets jealous and will try any way they can to take your down and keep you there rather than learn from you and advance.TomAdministratorWho's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

This is true in many ways. I have watched a lot of science programs and this happens there too. Almost always when a new theory comes along, the other scientists pile on them to tear apart the theory. Some scientists have even committed suicide under the ferocity of the attacks. Sadly, their theories were often later proven correct.

In a message dated 2/8/2008 2:17:15 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, no_reply writes:

What I find scary is all the abuse and justifications that go on out there because of social motivations, and the protective herd mentality that results if a person challenges it. Thing is, if you go your own route and try to succeed...and do succeed, the results is everyone gets jealous and will try any way they can to take your down and keep you there rather than learn from you and advance.TomAdministratorWho's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

[Guest guest]

" I want to be more useful, but I am scared of all the NT's. I really

really am. It is rare to meet people I am not afraid of. Here is an

exception. Kim and and and everyone that posts (even our

new posters make more sense that a sea of faces at any mall, school,

university campus etc. "

What I find scary is all the abuse and justifications that go on out

there because of social motivations, and the protective herd mentality

that results if a person challenges it. Thing is, if you go your own

route and try to succeed...and do succeed, the results is everyone gets

jealous and will try any way they can to take your down and keep you

there rather than learn from you and advance.

Tom

Administrator

[Guest guest]

" I want to be more useful, but I am scared of all the NT's. I really

really am. It is rare to meet people I am not afraid of. Here is an

exception. Kim and and and everyone that posts (even our

new posters make more sense that a sea of faces at any mall, school,

university campus etc. "

What I find scary is all the abuse and justifications that go on out

there because of social motivations, and the protective herd mentality

that results if a person challenges it. Thing is, if you go your own

route and try to succeed...and do succeed, the results is everyone gets

jealous and will try any way they can to take your down and keep you

there rather than learn from you and advance.

Tom

Administrator

[Guest guest]

" There's one major and very important difference in the situations

here: oil and various forms of fuel are something needed by everyone,

and smoking/chewing tobacco are needed by no one, and in fact,

there's absolutely no financial or health value (other than

collecting taxes, which are counteracted effectively by all that's

lost long-term in health care costs and lost time/lives) gained by

the usage of chewing or smoking tobacco. "

I agree. And this is why I think the government should stop messing

around. If they TRULY believe that tobacco is bad, they ought to end

subsidies to tobacco farmers, make tobacco illegal except for any few

medicinal and religious uses it may have, and simply be done with it.

Yep, you will have people growing it illegally, or sneaking it over

the border, but you know what, I would rather have that then have my

insurance rates jacked up because too many people cannot control

their cigarette, cigar, and chewing habits.

I think hard liquor ought to be abolished as well, but of course

there are so many people who use it that there will never be a

measure that will pass into law.

Tom

Administrator

[Guest guest]

" There's one major and very important difference in the situations

here: oil and various forms of fuel are something needed by everyone,

and smoking/chewing tobacco are needed by no one, and in fact,

there's absolutely no financial or health value (other than

collecting taxes, which are counteracted effectively by all that's

lost long-term in health care costs and lost time/lives) gained by

the usage of chewing or smoking tobacco. "

I agree. And this is why I think the government should stop messing

around. If they TRULY believe that tobacco is bad, they ought to end

subsidies to tobacco farmers, make tobacco illegal except for any few

medicinal and religious uses it may have, and simply be done with it.

Yep, you will have people growing it illegally, or sneaking it over

the border, but you know what, I would rather have that then have my

insurance rates jacked up because too many people cannot control

their cigarette, cigar, and chewing habits.

I think hard liquor ought to be abolished as well, but of course

there are so many people who use it that there will never be a

measure that will pass into law.

Tom

Administrator