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| | | Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/8/2005 7:57:04 PM
Posts: 1, Visits: 2 |
| Last summer we were in Germany, and when we converted (at the going rate), Euros to Dollars and liters to gallons, the Germans were paying $7.20 a gal for regular. The vast majority of that was taxes to support the social welfare system. Autobahn was 1/2 the volume of the early 80's and early 90s when I was stationed there. Hotels and local resturants were almost empty. Places where we were hard-pressed to get into in our two tours, we walk-in and sit-down situations. Their economy is in the drink and going south fast. Same with France, and the rest of "old europe."
So...next time you complain, remember we have it pretty good, compared to the rest of the industrialized world.
But...I said it here two years ago, one year ago (go look it up), and I'll say it again...we are producing less and consuming more. The prices will only go up. And as 1.1 Billion Chineese and 1.0 billion Indians (and about another 1.0 billion other third world country citizens), are all moving from agrarian to industrialized economies. Consumption is going up, the Chineese are locking in vast futures (with the dollars they earn from us dumb Americans who buy Chineese products). We are now sucking hind tit. It will only get worse, and we have no one to blame except ourselves and our politicians. But...because we keep electing these stupid short-sighted politicians, and we keep buying big SUVs for commuting to work, we deserve $3/gal, and even $4/gal gas.
I now have a 16 yr old son, and we just purchased an American made Toyota which gets 31 mpg (@70 mph) for our third car. Have decided to purchase a hybrid for our next vehicle. I'll have to keep the F-250 diesel to pull the boat, but it will not see much use except when pulling the boat or going camping/hunting.
Times are a changing, and my family is changing. The high cost of fuel will cause us to buy more fuel-efficient cars, and build a much smaller, more efficient house for retirement.
I hate to think about all those people who have purchased those 5,000 sq ft "McMansions" who will have to heat and cool them when crude reaches $100 a gal. I can convert to more fuel-efficient cars and drive my truck less, but those people in the McMansions will have trouble moving out of them sometime in the future. I have friends with one, and they already close off and don't heat two bathrooms and three bedrooms/dens. The writing is on the wall.
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| | | Forum Newbie
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 8/9/2005 2:36:19 PM
Posts: 1, Visits: 2 |
| Skopje,- 3rd car; another low mileage truck with profits going back to Japan.- Ford F250 truck.Looks like you are one of us who deserve the $4 gas...It appears your only now changning your ways as everyone else will when you can no longer afford your current lifestyle. When folks in the McMansions hit the same wall they will do the same. We are all necessitarians and you are ahead of the curve. Suggest you find a way to profit from it and laugh at the rest going to the bank.....
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