OPEC accuses U.S. on oil prices

[FlickerFade]

yet another blunder by our wonderful administration. There is no way to know if the new president can do anything about this...but our current administration really let things get out of hand. This started with Katrina and Rita...and has never recovered.

Simplistic drivel.

If we'd actually begin to drill for oil in ANWAR and other US territories the signal for increasing domestic production would immediately stem commodity prices.

It's the very Al Gores' of the world and others who WANT higher energy prices to get us off of oil who are our industries enemy's. Let's not support those who want to do everything possible to increase oil prices.

This is of course one issue of many that effect global oil prices. The uncertainty in countries like Venezuela with their communist dictator is another.

 

[FlickerFade]

The only problem is that crazy dictators mismanage their oil resources so badly that they reduce the productivity of their own fields. There was an article in the Economist recently about how Chavez was doing this in Venezuela. This can cause a reduction in supply that creates upward pressure on oil prices.

Even Mexico mismanages its oil reserves.

The factor with crazy dictators is the uncertainty they bring to the market. Oil futures are at least 25% made up of volatility created by crazies in Venezuela and Iran.

 

[Poahi]

Yet I continue to fly with a bunch of tools saying how America is the best! America is the best etc...

AT WHAT???

Qualified hyperbole is not authorized on this board. Please see Majors or Flight Attendants.

 

[lowecur]

"The only reason that prescription drugs are so expensive here is because companies are at such constant risk of litigation, and therefore they protect themselves by keeping costs up to cover payouts. Why do you think you can get things so cheaply in Mexico?"

I tend to disagree with some of that, the Mexico part in particular. Mexico is more like incremental revenue, iow, the US consumer is paying the cost for research, development, marketing etc., because they US consumer has money, the Mexican consumer does not.

You can sell Celebrex, just an example, for 10 dollars a pill in the US, but probably less than a dollar in Mexico. The Mexican consumer canot afford it. So, the US consumer pays the cost.

$5 aspirin at the hospital, no, we are not getting screwed on that deal?

The US consumer is the engine that stirs the financial gains of all the major pharmaceutical multinationals around the globle. Pfizer just today won a battle against Teva to keep generic celebrex from being brought to market. All the major pharmaceutical multinationals won approval in India in 2005 to keep generics from coming to market on drugs brought to market after that time. India had been the outlaw country where patents were ignored. No more folks. India wants to sell cancer drug Tarceva to 3rd world countries that cannot afford it, but big pharma lobbyists put an end to that in 2005 when they pressured the WTO to threaten sanctions in India for not complying with patent protection on their drugs.

High medical costs in the US are a combination of greed that knows no boundries. Lobbyists patrol both houses of Congress to insure that the American Consumer continues to have the highest health care costs in the world. From Doctors, to Big Pharma, to Medical Equip Cos, Insurance Companies, Lawyers, all have a stake in making sure you pay thru the nose. I have a couple of physicians I use that have a big sign on their wall that says they don't carry Med Malpractice as it's too expensive. I then asked them why they haven't lowered their charges and all I get is a cold stare. Went to a baseball game with another over the weekend, and he told me he has no guilt in letting big pharmas take he and his wife to dinner at least 2 or 3 times per month. Do you think his patients are getting an unbiased decision on what drugs he will prescribe?

imp: ​

 

[zman]

With the way this economy is going people are smart to be saving their money instead of spending it, its amazing how people still go out and buy knowing how much debt they carry. If people like to admit it or not we are in a recession how far we goes who knows, but one thing is certain the people who are saving and putting money aside, perferably in gold or silver will be the best ones standing.

 

[Donald]

How should an oil field worker vote?

Seriously, I have a cousin that works for Exxon. He is a democrat and agrees with the favoritism W has toward big oil. It has however, provided him with a great income for 7 or so years. Now he is worried that if a democrat gets elected, it will be "party over".
Anyone want to chime in here? Especially since nobody was brave enough to answer my other question (top of page 3).

 

[~~~^~~~]

Nevermind....

 

[Donald]

Guys, this has been a very interesting post. I think the most accurate statements are how we must blame ourselves. We ask for the govt to step in, and inevitably it makes matters worse. Then we complain about mismanagement, which is an accurate statement too. I guarantee that when we get socialized medicine, it will be full of mismanagement. With the exception of the military, when does the Federal govt manage anything well, regardless of who the president is. Look at the Federal Reserve. Intended to ease fluctuations in the economy but over time has done more harm than good.
I agree Bush has done very little to ease oil prices. He is doing what Republicans do. Letting the market correct itself. And, I'm glad. I hate it when the feds interfere in the aviation industry, why would I want them to interfere in the oil industry. Remove those caps. Is high gas prices a hardship for me, yes. But its creating a demand for alternatives like never before, and I like that. I don't what gas prices to go back down. In fact, I hope they keep going up. Its creating a movement worldwide that no goverment could ever create and I feel OPEC and big oil are shooting themselves in the foot. I worry that if gas prices do go back down we will forget, and all progess towards alternatives will cease.
I agree with the Democrats on some issues, but unfortunately, I will probably vote for McCain. For one main reason. Liberalism scares me. It too closely resembles socialism. I can accept some forms of socialism but only state sponsored (ie police/fire protection, public schools, etc) I define socialism in three words. Protection from hardship. I don't want protection from hardship. I chose to stand on my own two feet. I feel humankind needs hardship from time to time. Its what incourages invention and (if I may us a common phrase) forces us to adapt and overcome. I've read enough history to know that a capitalistic society flourishes compared to a socialistic society. Its not very friendly to those who don't want to perform but for those who do, it offers the prospect of wealth which is enormous incentive. It's not perfect, it can create corporate greed, but I'll take that any day over gov't greed. OK, I'm done

 

[FlyFastLiveSlow]

Its not very friendly to those who don't want to perform but for those who do, it offers the prospect of wealth which is enormous incentive.

What about those who truly want to perform, but cannot.

It's not perfect, it can create corporate greed, but I'll take that any day over gov't greed.

Seems under the current administration, we have a pretty healthy dose of both. Wait, is it greed? Or corruption that we are riddled with?

 

[GogglesPisano]

If you want to control the cost of healthcare then attack the root of the high costs. Place limits on malpractice awards. The only reason that prescription drugs are so expensive here is because companies are at such constant risk of litigation, and therefore they protect themselves by keeping costs up to cover payouts. .

This is a direct line from the pharmaceutical industry lobby. Similar to the credit card companies claiming the reason for high interest rates is due to defaults.

The fact is, in a free market, companies charge as much as the market will bear. And they do.

It has nothing to due with malpractice awards.

 

[svcta]

What about those who truly want to perform, but cannot.

Those who can not are already taken care of, aren't they?


And for Goggles,
I see your point, and can't really argue it. But surely a requirement to carry coverage isn't going to lower these costs at all. It eliminates the free market and only leaves us more vulnerable to lobby groups. It's a huge golden egg for health care companies, I would think.

 

[Donald]

What about those who truly want to perform, but cannot.

I don't mind social progams to help the handicapped.

Seems under the current administration, we have a pretty healthy dose of both. Wait, is it greed? Or corruption that we are riddled with?

Both, I'm sure. Name one administration that didn't have both. That is why I choose to limit the growth of gov't. We can create laws to protect us from corporate greed and corruption to an extent (Enron ring a bell) Its almost impossible to create laws against gov't greed and corruption much less enforce them.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

svcta: Health Care Costs:

Here are two facts comparing Canada and the US:

Looking at ALL the health care money spent in the entire US in one year:
17% of the monies go to administrative costs.

Looking at ALL the health care money spent in the entire country of Canada in one year:
4% of the monies go to administrative costs.

So, if we adopted just the ADMINISTRATIVE system that Canada has, we would save 13% of our health care dollars every year

If we CHOOSE to, we could use the 13% to cover EVERY uninsured American. Everyone could pay the exact same amount of money that we pay now, and every American would be covered.

Of course, there are consequences. If we actually did the above, tens of thousands of health care workers would lose their jobs, as they wouldn't be needed using the Canadian-style administrative system.

More importantly, however, the really wealthy people that control the health insurance companies would be out millions of dollars every year. They would not like this, and they would do everything in their power to retain the current bloated health care administrative system that we have today.

cliff
GRB

 

[sat74]

Hi!

svcta: Health Care Costs:

Here are two facts comparing Canada and the US:

Looking at ALL the health care money spent in the entire US in one year:
17% of the monies go to administrative costs.

Looking at ALL the health care money spent in the entire country of Canada in one year:
4% of the monies go to administrative costs.

So, if we adopted just the ADMINISTRATIVE system that Canada has, we would save 13% of our health care dollars every year

If we CHOOSE to, we could use the 13% to cover EVERY uninsured American. Everyone could pay the exact same amount of money that we pay now, and every American would be covered.

Of course, there are consequences. If we actually did the above, tens of thousands of health care workers would lose their jobs, as they wouldn't be needed using the Canadian-style administrative system.

More importantly, however, the really wealthy people that control the health insurance companies would be out millions of dollars every year. They would not like this, and they would do everything in their power to retain the current bloated health care administrative system that we have today.

cliff
GRB

Just like there will never be a system like the Fair Tax because it would put the IRS and all the tax accountants out of business! This country is so corrupt and in bed with each other its shocking!

 

[jetflyer]

Sicko was an eye opener to me. The depths of the corruption go really far in America.

Money rules Washington.

 

[FlickerFade]

Money rules Washington.

Money rules this country, thank God! We are capitalist. If we weren't we wouldn't be the envy of the world in so many areas. Aviation for one! Health care for two. We have the best health care in the world, infinitely better than Canada or the UK. Innovation is where our country is so dominant because of the profit motive.

Now to say that the health care issue is a one-issue problem is too simplistic. It's government regulation (costs hundreds of millions of dollars to bring a drug to market), it's lawyers (who don't produce anything, and just look for the next pot of money to go after), it's Chicken ess politicians who want to demagogue for votes vs. find balances solutions, it's people who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions (and pay for a new car before they pay for health insurance), it's insurance companies (who live too much for share price vs. their service), etc, etc, etc.

Any of the problems discussed here are infinitely complex.

 

[sat74]

If we weren't we wouldn't be the envy of the world in so many areas. Aviation for one! Health care for two. We have the best health care in the world, infinitely better than Canada or the UK. Innovation is where our country is so dominant because of the profit motive.

I hope you dont really think this way! This is just another ignorant "America is the best" statement that does not work anymore. We might have been #1 at many things, but not anymore!!! Not even close!!!

The World Health Organization's ranking of the world's health systems.
Source: WHO World Health Report
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rank Country
1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica
37 United States of America
38 Slovenia
39 Cuba
40 Brunei
41 New Zealand
42 Bahrain
43 Croatia
44 Qatar
45 Kuwait
46 Barbados
47 Thailand
48 Czech Republic
49 Malaysia
50 Poland
51 Dominican Republic
52 Tunisia
53 Jamaica
54 Venezuela
55 Albania
56 Seychelles
57 Paraguay
58 South Korea
59 Senegal
60 Philippines
61 Mexico
62 Slovakia
63 Egypt
64 Kazakhstan
65 Uruguay
66 Hungary
67 Trinidad and Tobago
68 Saint Lucia
69 Belize
70 Turkey
71 Nicaragua
72 Belarus
73 Lithuania
74 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
75 Argentina
76 Sri Lanka
77 Estonia
78 Guatemala
79 Ukraine
80 Solomon Islands
81 Algeria
82 Palau
83 Jordan
84 Mauritius
85 Grenada
86 Antigua and Barbuda
87 Libya
88 Bangladesh
89 Macedonia
90 Bosnia-Herzegovina
91 Lebanon
92 Indonesia
93 Iran
94 Bahamas
95 Panama
96 Fiji
97 Benin
98 Nauru
99 Romania
100 Saint Kitts and Nevis

 

[414Flyer]

If you actually believe that quality and accessablility of health care here is 37th in the world, I would like to sell you a Palm tree grove outside of Minot.

 

[FlyFastLiveSlow]

If you actually believe that quality and accessablility of health care here is 37th in the world, I would like to sell you a Palm tree grove outside of Minot.

That was quicker than I thought. OF COURSE the WHO has NO CLUE. Whatever....

 

[Dizel8]

If you actually believe that quality and accessablility of health care here is 37th in the world, I would like to sell you a Palm tree grove outside of Minot.

Qaulity, perhaps, but probably. Accesibility, not even close.

When I was overseas, more specifically northern europe, I was never worried about access or cost. Over there, good medical care was considered a basic right, not just for those who happened to have the right insurance card, but for all. It sounds crazy, but I cannot tell you how liberating that was, that your health was more important than money.

The quality in the US is very good, you get more xrays, MRI, CT scans than you can shake a stick at, but cost wise is it getting out of hand. The cost of medical care in the US is outpacing inflation by a large margin.

To protect my heart, I had a couple of glasses of red wine, otherwise, I would continue standing on my "soapbox" .

However, I should say no, I don't want to live anywhere else, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see us getting a handle on this, because status quo and watching insurance/cost of care skyroccketing, is not a solution I prefer.