Food and oil prices are going through the roof and very few people have ideas as to what we should do to bring them back down. What’s fascinating is how virtually no one is calling into question the patriotism of American oil companies and American businesses that outsource good paying jobs to emerging nations and/or hire illegal immigrants in the United States for cheap labor.
In an earlier entry, http://thecapt.blog-city.com/questions_and_solutions_regarding_the_cost_of_gas.htm showing how oil producers around the world (including OPEC nations) charge a domestic oil price much lower than the global price. The one country where this isn’t happening is in the United States. WHY? Our President has been so conscientious to say that we are a nation at war calling on everyone’s patriotism. However, we haven’t asked American businesses, the rich and American oil companies, in particular, to show their patriotism (especially with record oil profits the last 3 years).The calls, for drilling for more oil here in the United States as a means to decreasing the price of oil, don’t address the fact that oil produced on our soil goes on the market at the global price that U.S. citizens must pay. We don’t get a domestic oil price. WHY? Where is their patriotism of the American oil companies?
In an article in the New York Times, entitled HOARDING NATIONS DRIVE FOOD COSTS EVER HIGHER written by Keith Bradsher and Andrew Martin, states that nations (about 29) have cut back sharply in food exports in recent months, to ensure their own people have enough to eat, at affordable prices. For example, when it comes to rice, India, Vietnam, China and 11 other nations have curbed exports or banned them totally. This behavior is causing shortages that raise the price of rice and other food product to those who rely on relief agencies.
Self preservation is a normal reaction to emergencies. If you don’t first help yourself, you won’t be in a position to extend help to others. This is the reason why our effort in Iraq is facetious – attempting to bring democracy to a nation as we diminish our Constitution Rights at home. Where is the patriotism of American businesses?
Why are we not doing the same for oil and food here at home? Why are we importing more and more of our food from around the world instead of growing it here at home. We sell fertilizer to the rest of the world at a global price and charge our citizens the same price. WHY? Oil fields in Alaska are producing oil that goes to Japan, while Alaskans are paying the highest gas prices in the country.
Giving billions of dollars in tax money to do research and development for more oil, and we don’t get a penny break on the cost of gas to the rest of the world. Why has greed become more important than being patriotic. Why is it developing nations understand protecting their citizens and the United States has stayed out of the way of doing so.
It’s a government’s job to protect it citizens over those around the world. Globalization appears to have been done knowing that our middle class would suffer considerably. The attitude of our government and American companies has been, IT’S NOT PERSONAL – IT’S JUST BUSINESS! I say, NO! YOU’RE UNPATRIOTIC.
Food, shelter, clothing, safety and energy are national security issues that need to be addressed by our current presumptive presidential nominees – clearly. The banking system currently works against life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Big business has sold their souls to the devil for profit.
There is this thinking among the powers that be, they can make hey while the majority of people suffer. The economic challenges faced by this nation is affecting everything happening economically in the world today and show that no one is immune to what’s going on. Even those who aren’t feeling the pressure immediately (oil producers) will eventually find themselves on the outs due to their greed.
THE BEHAVIOR OF AMERICAN COMPANIES IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY IS UNPATRIOTIC. IT’S TIME TO PUT LEGISLATION INTO PLACE TO CHANGE THIS. IT’S TIME TO USE THE TAX SYSTEM AS A WAY TO IMPROVE OUR ECONOMY AND NOT INDIVIDUAL INDUSTRIES. IT’S TIME TO PUT MORE REGULATION ON COMPANIES INSTEAD OF ALLOWING THEM GIVE AWAYS. WE MUST HOLD BUSINESS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE ACTIONS THEY TAKE THAT HURT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATORS REGARDING WHAT YOU WANT!
TAXES DON’T STUNT PROGRESS, THEY MAKE BIG BUSINESS RESPONSIBLE – IT FORCES THEM TO BE PATRIOTIC!
QUESTION EVERYTHING! THAT'S WHERE THE TRUTH RESIDES.
Capt., if I am not mistaken in countires like China,India and Venezuela the
oil companies have been nationalized or in other words these are democratic
socialist nations. The government subidizes the oil companies to provide
cheap gas or domestic priced gas. In the American Republic, the Founding
Fathers wanted a free market with little government interference. Consumers
control business in a supply and demand economic system with the government
protecting the consumer from business fraud. Consumer activism can bring
the price of oil down quicker and more effectively than socialistic
government policies, in my opinion.
I'm curious. What constitutes as Consumer Activism?
Mo, I think you're caught up too much in ideology and not enough into what
works well for people during this time. What's happened to America the
last 58 years has been a division through labeling: communist, socialist,
liberal, democrat, etc. are all labels used to denigrate an idea without
checking it's validity. I'm surprised to see you take up this mantra.
What you call something isn't what's important - it's how it affects
people.
Mel, consumer activism is action taken by those who purchase goods to get
better and affordable products.
Yeah yeah..I know the definition...but like specifically..what? I know it's
activism and I get it but to what degree are we talking here? Cause I mean
like...remember the transit strike? But more importantly, remember how many
millions we lost during those few days because of those strikes? Boycotting
and such is good patriotically, but I don't know if it's economically well,
especially since we are in a "recession". Or you couldve meant something
simple like...Haggling which is what.....a lot of us enjoy doing
:D....*coughs*....anyways....but im just curious as to what type of
consumer activism we're talking here and to what degree.
The type of consumer activism that gets respect from those who wish to sell
their products to us. Activist look for safety, affordability, and
quality. If you're getting all three, there's no need to take action to
bring it about. The energy then goes into maintaining those standards.
The Food and Drug Administration is failing at that horribly. So it's our
job to insure the safety and quality of the food and goods we get.
Boycotts, demonstrations, emails, phone calls, faxes, letters, etc. are
means of changing behavior. Companies are often receptive to what's
happening with their bottom line.