Monopolies are only possible with the collusion of governemnt - the
free market prevents monopolies because there will always be someone
clever enough to compete with them mercilessly.

In <8295f35a-4de8-496b-a540-547da72e9553@2g2000hsn.googlegroups.com>,
mrdarrett@gmail.com wrote in part:

One thing I just don't get: once gasoline gets more expensive, the
tax revenue to the government goes up. So the gov't has no real
incentive to curb gas prices (barring unpleasant things like riots).

USA's Federal gas tax is 18 cents a gallon, according to John McCain.

I seem to think it was that much back in the Clinton administration.
Back when gas was about a dollar a gallon, I saw the oil company ads in
magazines sying almost half that was taxes.

So it is not going up
automatically with gasoline prices. So I think the gubmint gets less
money if gas prices go up, at least if rising gas prices actually gets
people to use less of the stuff.

- Don Klipstein (don@misty.com)

Paul wrote:
On Apr 21, 7:06 pm, Richard The Dreaded Libertarian <n...@example.net
wrote:

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:57:51 -0700, John Larkin wrote:

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:52:47 -0600, "Jon Slaughter"

So what ya think... copper prices have quadrupled in last 5 years. Seems
like it has out performed oil by far.

We gotta do something about those damn chinese!! ;/

And tin. Gold. Concrete. Rice. Steel. Wheat. As a couple of billion
more people want to be middle-class, things get strained.

If they'd just get the government out of the way, and let the Free
Market operate naturally, everyone will get richer. The problem is
way, way, way too much government regulation, taxes, etc, etc, etc...

Government _ALWAYS_ makes things worse.

Thanks,
Rich

You and the libertarians have all the answers, eh?

So do you think Standard Oil should have been broken
up? Or do you think monopolies are good for the consumer?

Do you think gangs and mafia groups should be allowed
to fester and grow unimpeded, because of insufficient law
enforcement?

"gangs and mafia groups" = = government

(This particular event was televised live from a helicopter during a
"hot pursuit". Hot pursuits I don't agree with... just equip the cops
with small missiles... don't stop, you die ;-)

...Jim Thompson

On Apr 21, 7:06 pm, Richard The Dreaded Libertarian <n...@example.net
wrote:

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:57:51 -0700, John Larkin wrote:

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:52:47 -0600, "Jon Slaughter"

So what ya think... copper prices have quadrupled in last 5 years. Seems
like it has out performed oil by far.

We gotta do something about those damn chinese!! ;/

And tin. Gold. Concrete. Rice. Steel. Wheat. As a couple of billion
more people want to be middle-class, things get strained.

If they'd just get the government out of the way, and let the Free
Market operate naturally, everyone will get richer. The problem is
way, way, way too much government regulation, taxes, etc, etc, etc...

Government _ALWAYS_ makes things worse.

Thanks,
Rich


You and the libertarians have all the answers, eh?

So do you think Standard Oil should have been broken
up? Or do you think monopolies are good for the consumer?

Do you think gangs and mafia groups should be allowed
to fester and grow unimpeded, because of insufficient law
enforcement?

Richard The Dreaded Libertarian wrote:

If they'd just get the government out of the way,
and let the Free Market operate naturally, everyone will get richer.
The problem is way, way, way too much government regulation, taxes,
etc, etc, etc...

Government _ALWAYS_ makes things worse.


You'd have a point IF there wasn't collateral damage
due to the greed and stupidity of OTHERS.

Observe the folks whose houses are plumetting in value because of
the folks in their neighborhood who are defaulting on their loans.
A balance of laissez-faire and regulation is always required
to try to avoid the no-man-is-an-island problem.
** Also add to the equation of cities going bankrupt for the tax base loss..

Of course, there are alternatives to a social existance.
http://www.google.com/images?q=Ted-Kaczynski+cabin

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:37:59 -0700 (PDT), mrdarr...@gmail.com wrote:
Once gasoline hits about $10/gallon, it will be economical to install
solar collectors in the desert, make hydrogen from brackish
groundwater, and convert hydrogen plus CO2 to synthetic petroleum via
the Fischer-Tropsch reaction.

But it will be far more economical to make gasoline out of coal, which
is what will happen.

The political rush to be green will switch to a political rush to make
affordable fuels, and damn the CO2.

John

On Apr 22, 5:24 am, "amdx" <a...@knology.net> wrote:
"Richard The Dreaded Libertarian" <n...@example.net> wrote in
messagenews:pan.2008.04.22.03.05.14.843155@example.net...

On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:57:51 -0700, John Larkin wrote:
On Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:52:47 -0600, "Jon Slaughter"

So what ya think... copper prices have quadrupled in last 5 years.
Seems
like it has out performed oil by far.

We gotta do something about those damn chinese!! ;/

And tin. Gold. Concrete. Rice. Steel. Wheat. As a couple of billion
more people want to be middle-class, things get strained.

If they'd just get the government out of the way, and let the Free
Market operate naturally, everyone will get richer. The problem is
way, way, way too much government regulation, taxes, etc, etc, etc...

Government _ALWAYS_ makes things worse.

Thanks,
Rich

Rich, I agree with you. But, however much I'm against government
programs
I can't help but think we need a Manhattan project or Kennedy's "Man on
the
moon" program to find new sources of energy for the next decade.
Or remove capital gains tax from energy research companies and let the
free market do it.
The solution will not be one source, it will be many. Solar, wind
(Teddy,
I don't care about your view from Martha's Vineyard) oil from algae (not
corn, stupid, stupid, stupid, politicians got bought by the farmer lobby)
and conservation (ooh!) our cars will be smaller in ten years.
Mike



Oh don't you worry about it. Once gasoline gets expensive enough,
producing petroleum from Canadian oil sands becomes economical.

Isn't there supposed to be a whole lot of methane under the sea?
Methane hydrates?

Once gasoline hits about $10/gallon, it will be economical to install
solar collectors in the desert, make hydrogen from brackish
groundwater, and convert hydrogen plus CO2 to synthetic petroleum via
the Fischer-Tropsch reaction.

In some countries you can easily just walk to the market. Here in
most of the USA we have zoning ordinances: you have no choice but to
drive to the commercially zoned businesses (think Save Mart, Costco,
Wal Mart, etc.)

One thing I just don't get: once gasoline gets more expensive, the
tax revenue to the government goes up. So the gov't has no real
incentive to curb gas prices (barring unpleasant things like riots).

I'll add to that, since the price of corn has doubled, why do the

Once gasoline hits about $10/gallon, it will be economical to install
solar collectors in the desert, make hydrogen from brackish
groundwater, and convert hydrogen plus CO2 to synthetic petroleum via
the Fischer-Tropsch reaction.

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:15:24 GMT, Richard The Dreaded Libertarian
null@example.net> wrote:

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:29:46 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote:
On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:12:37 GMT, nico@puntnl.niks (Nico Coesel)
"amdx" <amdx@knology.net> wrote:

and conservation (ooh!) our cars will be smaller in ten years.

Like this:
http://www.chevrolet.nl/matiz/matiz-index.html

When you have a head-on collision with my Q45, do I use a bucket or a
shovel to scoop up your remains ?:-)

It's easy to avoid a head-on crash (unless somebody's actively hostile
and _intends_ to do you harm) - just look in front of the car, and if
there's something already there (or coming at you), then don't go
there.

I also know a guaranteed way to never ever have an accident - just
make absolutely sure that whatever you do, you do it on purpose. ;-)

Except you're wrong. This past year we had an innocent killed by a
DUI doing 100+ in the wrong lanes. Unless you're well-trained at high
speed driving you have no concept of the visibility/discernability
during a 170MPH closing speed, particularly in the daytime in Arizona.

(This particular event was televised live from a helicopter during a
"hot pursuit". Hot pursuits I don't agree with... just equip the cops
with small missiles... don't stop, you die

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:12:37 GMT, nico@puntnl.niks (Nico Coesel)
wrote:

"amdx" <amdx@knology.net> wrote:


and conservation (ooh!) our cars will be smaller in ten years.
Mike

Like this:
http://www.chevrolet.nl/matiz/matiz-index.html

When you have a head-on collision with my Q45, do I use a bucket or a
shovel to scoop up your remains ?

Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon@My-Web-Site.com> wrote:

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:12:37 GMT, nico@puntnl.niks (Nico Coesel)
wrote:

"amdx" <amdx@knology.net> wrote:


and conservation (ooh!) our cars will be smaller in ten years.
Mike

Like this:
http://www.chevrolet.nl/matiz/matiz-index.html

When you have a head-on collision with my Q45, do I use a bucket or a
shovel to scoop up your remains ?:-)

I don't have a Matiz (I rather die). I did drive a Matiz a few times
though as a courtesy car while my car was being repaired. It drives
like a go-kart. Probably no-one will survive any head-on collision in
a Matiz because your feet are right behind the head lights (they made
it look so much bigger on the pictures).

I don't have a Matiz (I rather die). I did drive a Matiz a few times
though as a courtesy car while my car was being repaired. It drives
like a go-kart. Probably no-one will survive any head-on collision in
a Matiz because your feet are right behind the head lights (they made
it look so much bigger on the pictures).

Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon@My-Web-Site.com> wrote:

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:12:37 GMT, nico@puntnl.niks (Nico Coesel)
wrote:

"amdx" <amdx@knology.net> wrote:


and conservation (ooh!) our cars will be smaller in ten years.
Mike

Like this:
http://www.chevrolet.nl/matiz/matiz-index.html

When you have a head-on collision with my Q45, do I use a bucket or a
shovel to scoop up your remains ?:-)

I don't have a Matiz (I rather die). I did drive a Matiz a few times
though as a courtesy car while my car was being repaired. It drives
like a go-kart. Probably no-one will survive any head-on collision in
a Matiz because your feet are right behind the head lights (they made
it look so much bigger on the pictures).

On Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:03:03 GMT, nico@puntnl.niks (Nico Coesel)
wrote:

Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon@My-Web-Site.com> wrote:

On Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:12:37 GMT, nico@puntnl.niks (Nico Coesel)
wrote:

"amdx" <amdx@knology.net> wrote:


and conservation (ooh!) our cars will be smaller in ten years.
Mike

Like this:
http://www.chevrolet.nl/matiz/matiz-index.html

When you have a head-on collision with my Q45, do I use a bucket or a
shovel to scoop up your remains ?:-)

I don't have a Matiz (I rather die). I did drive a Matiz a few times
though as a courtesy car while my car was being repaired. It drives
like a go-kart. Probably no-one will survive any head-on collision in
a Matiz because your feet are right behind the head lights (they made
it look so much bigger on the pictures).

Nope, it's slightly better than that.

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/chevrolet_matiz_2005/233.aspx

There are a links on that page to the crash test films and stills from
the front impact 64kph/40mph test and the 50kmh 30mph side impact
test.


But the tiny Matiz is rated HIGHER than the huge Chrysler Voyager
(2007 version)

Speaking as the previous poster was of Q45's , the Nissan Navara is
mildly amusing, as heavy as a brick shithouse and less crashworthy
than almost anything.

http://www.euroncap.com/tests/nissan_navara/317.aspx