| Author |
 Topic  |
|
barefootguyinco
Forum Member
|
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 4:16:14 PM
|
I agree, government shouldnt run businesses or be involved in big business. I never suggested that, but they can HELP FUND new technologies. MANY businesses and technologies have gotten off the ground with government grants & programs. Problem with saying let them get it going themselves is our society is driven by our pocketbooks which is to say if we wait until there is sufficient demand to develop the products it will be too late, we'll already be heading for a disaster with super high priced fuel. We have to have enough foresight to see the upcoming problems and begin to do something about it now, not when we are in a crisis.
In 2008 people were all over alternative energies, but as soon as fuel prices dropped we forgot all about them. Many businesses went under from that, even though they had good ideas and technology. Part of the problem is alternative fueled vehicles cost more because of the high cost of start up & R&D which has to be passed on to the consumer. But no one wants to pay higher prices so they see few sales. But with government support the prices could be competitive and have a chance at taking off.
Why should we pay for it? Because if we don't support alternative energies we are going to leave our children & grandchildren with a planet starving for oil and paying prices they can't afford. What if 50% of the population could no longer afford gas or heating oil? T Boone picket just recently said that there are no more oil frontiers that he knows of. He sees a bleak future for our oil dependence and he's an Oil Tycoon. They are currently extracting oil from Sand in Canada and that's the last frontier for new oil at this time. Plus, we are importing 50% of our oil from unstable countries like Iraq & we are making the oil barons filthy rich, at our expense. Personally, I'd rather spend my money on developing self sufficient fuel sources we can produce here in the US. And maybe one day we can quit sending our American men & women to die fighting for oil interests.
Large companies rely on investors to do their R&D, marketing etc, and investors wont invest in something if they feel there is no current or immediate future demand for it. Sure, they'll invest when there is a demand, but by then we'll be in a crisis, unless we support the new technologies now. It doesn't matter whether or not you want to buy an electric car, we have to look at the big picture from the countries view. I never had kids of my own, but now have grand kids through my fiance, but I NEVER once resented paying for new schools or education programs because it benefits our country and citizens. Same with supporting green technologies.
Body shame, like prejuduce, is not natural. It is learned from others and benefits no one.
|
|
Country:
| Posts: 55 |
 |
|
|
FlCpl4NewdFun
Forum Member
|
Posted - 02/09/2011 : 8:44:21 PM
|
Warmskin - I understand your point about the entrepreneurial spirt, but applying your logic you do realize there would be no space exploration, no NASA scientists or engineers, no public learning institutions (bureaucrats, every last one of them). The pharmaceutical industry would be light years behind (is it not government intervention that allows patents to protect the heavy R&D expense that companies invest in?) No one would take the risk. Private industry has the ability to safely invest and take risk because of the strong system of private property and rule of law supported by the government. Plus the first engineers that developed computers and the backbone of the internet were absolutely funded by the people (government). Steve Jobs and Bill Gates used their brilliance, hard work and business savvy to capitalize on the groundwork paved before them. They created better and smarter products from what already existed. Steve Jobs didn't invent the computer in his garage in the 80's. He was a few decades behind the pack on that one.
|
|
Country:
| Posts: 219 |
|
|
|
Warmskin
Forum Member
|
 Posted - 02/12/2011 : 01:48:21 AM
|
Private enterprise certainly could have done their own space trips, as long as there were a practical use for them. Governments are not practical, only in a state of doubtful outcomes. Government is good for things like the Post Office, the military, parks, etc.
Look at it another way. The invention of the airplane that actually flew was accomplished by the Wright Brothers. They had a government backed competitor. The Wright Brothers used their own money, and possibly money that was lent to them by private parties. That part I am not aware of. I only know that the brothers had a deep passion for getting off the ground and getting back down safely. They beat the government backed competition. People do best when they follow their own interests and fund it themselves.
The US Constitution does not provide for expenditures such as trying out a new technology. It leaves that wide open for people to try themselves.
If I wanted to make a great electric car, I would get some investors, and upon showing them the plans for such a car, they could loan me money, if they see the practicality of my plans. I could do something like take a used golf cart and do a lot of experiments with it.
Perhaps it might be a team of private individuals with expertise in that area, in a fashion of the Wright Brothers. We need to quit running to the federal government every time we need a free handout. It has not worked well, and has left us with a huge debt.
The marketplace is highly effective in deciding when an electric car will be of good use. Until it says yes, the electric car will not be wanted. The main motivator to get people to buy cars will be gas prices. Gas prices did make us choose smaller cars. The manufacturers did not lose on that revelation. The diversity of the car industry was ready to shift to fuel efficient cars as prices rose. Before then, there was little demand for small cars.
Goverment is extraordinarily wasteful, because it has no built-in discipline. Money that is lost is no big deal. They can always tax more, or print more. Private enterprise has to account for what they do. It's employees are paid far less than federal employees.
Free enterprise is product and profit-oriented, while government is power-oriented.
Babbage was one of the early computer engineers, and he lived quite a long time ago.
When we think of all the wonderful things we take for granted, we forget that it was the idea and production of the free enterprise system, and not a bunch of overpaid federal employees. I used to work with the latter, and believe me, most of them are not of adventurous type when it comes to inventing. Nor could they regulate anything without hindering it.
Government bailed out the big corporations, got banks to loan out money to people who could not afford to pay the banks back, and have financed a lot of follies, too numerous to mention. The main reason for that is that the government is in numb to market forces. It achieves its end by force; the stuff of tyrants.
"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
James Madison
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 1964 |
|
|
|
balataf
Forum Member
|
Posted - 02/16/2011 : 7:18:51 PM
|
Three cheers for Florida Governor Scott! He is opposing the rail boondoggles after studies showed that it would hook the state into paying out unending subsidies for comparatively few riders.
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 661 |
|
|
|
FlCpl4NewdFun
Forum Member
|
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 6:09:06 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by balataf
Three cheers for Florida Governor Scott! He is opposing the rail boondoggles after studies showed that it would hook the state into paying out unending subsidies for comparatively few riders.
Agreed, Cheer Cheer Cheer!. Finally, a politician doing what he said he would do (for now at least!)
Remind me again what that has to do with this topic 
|
|
Country:
| Posts: 219 |
|
|
|
balataf
Forum Member
|
Posted - 02/17/2011 : 11:26:59 PM
|
Obama is claiming that HSR would save fuel when up and running. Fat chance!
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 661 |
|
|
|
sailawaybob
Forum Member
|
Posted - 02/19/2011 : 01:23:11 AM
|
have you ever noticed all the people promoting these electric cars, green energy, global warming drive around in big ole limos, suv's and fly around in private jets and big 747 with usa on the side. but they want us little guys in flintstone mobiles.
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 1268 |
|
|
|
Warmskin
Forum Member
|
Posted - 02/19/2011 : 03:30:00 AM
|
You noticed that, too, Bob? Al Gore, with his private 747, going back and forth to places like Japan, and using limousines that very low gas mileage, not to mention Al Gore's enermous utility bills that dwarf that of the average person's. He is one big hypocrite. He is as green as a car that is burning oil.
I would agree that they would want us, if they could force us, to use vehicles that had a very limited driving range.
Nothing could be more clear than that our leaders, such as they are, want pure privileges for themselves, like private jets, limos, and who knows what other ones they get behind our backs.
They also want no part of ObamaCare, but think for us cattle, it is good. Even AARP says being treated like cattle is good for us.
Time to get government out of our life, unless someone can, with sound reasoning show us where a state or national consitution gives them the authority.
You want to kill of the electric car? Just let Congress take over that business.
"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
James Madison
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 1964 |
|
|
|
bqdude1
Forum Member
|
Posted - 02/23/2011 : 11:49:18 AM
|
I sure hope that the chargers for the electric cars are smart enough to NOT charge the cars during peak usage hours. I can see it now. I come home from work about 6 PM and plug in my electric car so that it will be charged for the next day and then I go into my house and turn the air conditioner down (I might have a set back termometor that already has my house cool). We have just passed the peak temperature of the day around 4-5 o'clock. Turn on the spa so that I can relax from my day at work. Turn on the big screen TV to watch the news and think how wise I am that I have and electric car so that my carbon footprint is small. All of this happens at one of the peak electric power usage time of the day.
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 98 |
|
|
|
PABiker
Forum Member
|
Posted - 02/24/2011 : 7:54:40 PM
|
Where I live full size trucks are tools, not fashion statements. How am I going to haul firewood, stone, mulch, or other materials with a smart car or electric car? I need the truck and trailer. It's not my daily driver, but I can't function without it. My daily driver is a 2003 Ford Taurus, full size car with a V6. I recently went on vacation and averaged 32.6 mpg. Why would I buy some beer can on wheels? I've been toying with the idea of building a pure alcohol fueled V8 for my F150. Then I can distill my own non-consumable alcoholic fuel while tending to my other chores after work each day. While the rest of the world rides in death traps I'll keep my truck. And if it should come to reality and really work I'll be building them for sale. You heard it first, be ready to order. 
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 41 |
|
|
|
bqdude1
Forum Member
|
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 11:09:48 AM
|
I agree with PABiker that when you need the big truck or car you just can not get by without it. I can not see a long haul trucker using a Smart car to make his runs, but then there is the soccer mom that is driving the Suburban to take a couple of children around when a mid size car would have done just as well. Granted the car would not have the individual DVD players for each child and they would have to share a portable player between themselves. What happened to reading a book while going down the road (passengers only not the driver)? Now that gas prices are headed for the $4/gal level again there will be a fire sale for the big gas guzzlers car and trucks for people that do not need the extra towing or hauling.
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 98 |
|
|
|
balataf
Forum Member
|
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 8:16:05 PM
|
bgdude1,
Spying the Soccer Mom roling along with one kid in the large vehicle sometimes does not give you a clue that, maybe, the whole family has four kids and a grandparent for a team of seven. It can also mask a vehicle used for business deliveries or other purposes. One such is a family that I know, where the father cannot walk and they must carry a motor scooter for him. I guess I'm saying that such a glimpse does not tell you what the general family situation really is.
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 661 |
|
|
|
Warmskin
Forum Member
|
Posted - 03/05/2011 : 10:41:17 PM
|
I agree with you, Balataf. There are many reasons for a family having one kind of vehicle as opposed to another. It's up to the family to decided and should never be up to nosy neighbors, pressure groups, or governments as to what we should buy for ourselves.
When we think about it, would a family buy a vehicle they didn't want? The people are intelligent to decide what they want, and the car companies will respond to what we want.
As for me, I don't need to call Al Gore's hotline to hear his latest recommendation for what to buy, and I'm sure the rest of us here don't need to either. Hmm, I wonder what kind of clothes he would recommend. (trying to tie this into nudism).
When it comes to what kind of vehicles a person needs to buy, we should give them a break, and trust that they know what they are doing.
"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
James Madison
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 1964 |
|
|
|
rooftopwilly
Forum Member
|
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 10:49:08 AM
|
I have a big gas guzzling Ford Expedition, and I only have one child. For me, it's about comfort. I'm 6'3", 240 pounds and I have a bad back, two herniated discs and an inverted curvature of my lumbar (thanks to my days as a paratrooper), not to mention bad knees and many other body parts that hurt. So it's just much easier to slide in and out of that truck, and all the more room makes it a lot more comfortable for me to drive for long distances. My wife's car is a little Ford Focus, and any more than a half an hour in there and I am in so much pain.
I make up for it in the summer though, since I take my harley most of the time.
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 1240 |
|
|
|
Warmskin
Forum Member
|
Posted - 03/06/2011 : 6:11:34 PM
|
Sorry to hear about your injuries, RT Willy. I was toying with the idea of asking you if the Army handed out parachutes to your group, but decided to not ask that question.
I should talk, the USAF gave me a substantial hearing loss due to lack of hearing protection along runways where I did a lot of my work. Didn't know about the problem until it was too late.
Go for whatever makes you feel comfy in a vehicle. It's your life and well-being, and not that of some group out there who is trying to prevent you from accomodating your injuries in service to your country.
"If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
James Madison
|
|
Country: USA
| Posts: 1964 |
|
|
|
Topic |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Nudist-Resorts.Org Discussion Forum Bulletin Board Nudism Clothing Optional Resort Naturism Nude Beaches |
© 2002-2020 SUN |
|
|
|
"Green" projects
