Fluffybunny Posted June 5, 2004 #1 Share Posted June 5, 2004 I am so glad I could help... BAGHDAD, Iraq - One of the prewar forecasts was that by invading Iraq (news - web sites), the world would profit from stable exports of Iraq's oil. And that would translate into cheap gas for American drivers. Now, with U.S. gasoline averaging $2.05 per gallon — about 50 cents more than the pre-invasion price — that logic has been flipped on its head. Instead, Iraqis seem to be the only people getting cheap gas as a result of the invasion. They pay just five cents for a gallon — thanks to hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. taxpayer subsidies. Since Iraq has little capacity to refine its own gasoline, the U.S. government pays about $1.50 a gallon to purchase fuel in neighboring countries and deliver it to Iraqi filling stations. A three-month supply costs American taxpayers more than $500 million, not including the cost of military escorts. The arrangement keeps a fleet of 4,200 tank trucks constantly on the move, ferrying fuel to Iraq. Baghdad taxi driver Osama Hashim says he owes his livelihood to the U.S. taxpayer. "We thank the Americans. They risked their lives to liberate us and now they are improving our lives," said Hashim, 26, topping up the tank on his beat-up 1983 Volkswagen. Filling a 22-gallon tank in Baghdad with low-grade fuel costs just $1.10, plus a 50-cent tip for the attendant. A tankful of high-test costs $2.75. In Britain, by contrast, gasoline prices hit $5.79 per gallon last week — $127 for a tankful. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenris Posted June 5, 2004 #2 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Am I the only one who read the topic and automaticaly thought "Cheap gas? is it Sarin!?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted June 5, 2004 #3 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Am I the only one who read the post and thought, "So What!"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gollum Posted June 5, 2004 #4 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Joc, I think you fail to realize the amount of buisnesses that are going down the tubes because of inflated fuel prices. Oil is the world gold and it is crippling small buisness and individuals. We in Britian are paying the second highest prices for fuel in the whole of Europe next to the Dutch. America on the other hand are paying a fraction of what the rest of the world is paying. YOU may not care at the moment, but when your paying more taxes to pay the poor guy who has lost his job.....then maybe you'le care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted June 5, 2004 #5 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Oil is the world gold and it is crippling small buisness and individuals. Oil is the fuel of freedom and without it the only businesses would be blacksmiths and livery stables We in Britian are paying the second highest prices for fuel in the whole of Europe next to the Dutch. America on the other hand are paying a fraction of what the rest of the world is paying. It is not our fault ya'll chose to be Socialists. Our gas would be far cheaper if it weren't for the taxes on it. But that is beside the point. We are in a position to help the Iraqis and they need our help. I don't care that their gas is so cheap...I don't care that we are paying for a lot of it. I don't care if you are paying almost $6.00 a gallon....The fact is that in this country we are experiencing the greatest economic growth in decades. Oil isn't crippling anything or anybody. Fear is the great mind killer....not oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenris Posted June 5, 2004 #6 Share Posted June 5, 2004 *Starts laughing at the Americans complaining about the amount of tax on THEIR petrol* If you where over here you'd have reason to complain! Example...... Unleaded super.... Total price 84.9 per litre Of that the retailer gets ..... 4.2p The refinery gets ..... 17.2p Standard tax (VAT) ..... 12.64p Fuel duty ..... 50.89p Thats a base cost of 21.4p and taxation of 63.53p..... close to 300% tax! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted June 5, 2004 #7 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Thats a base cost of 21.4p and taxation of 63.53p..... close to 300% tax! Yes isn't Socialism great? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenris Posted June 5, 2004 #8 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Try borrowing a braincell before showing yourself up with ill informed comments like that, the Fuel escalator that brought about this state of afairs was brought in by the Tory party.... bastion of Capitalism and staunch opponents of anything that could be considered socialist! (Mind you, 'NEW Labour' has just as little to do with Socialism these days also!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunarmdscissor Posted June 5, 2004 #9 Share Posted June 5, 2004 well said fenris well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunarmdscissor Posted June 5, 2004 #10 Share Posted June 5, 2004 he likes to comment without actually understanding the full history of a situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffybunny Posted June 5, 2004 Author #11 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Am I the only one who read the post and thought, "So What!"? joc, you amaze me. Somehow I bet that if this situation was occuring in the US you'd be screaming about a communist/socialist/Left Wing conspiracy. Somehow it is OK when the US takes your(and mine) tax dollar(Billions actually) and gives and gives it away to others, but not to us? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted June 5, 2004 #12 Share Posted June 5, 2004 Somehow it is OK when the US takes your(and mine) tax dollar(Billions actually) and gives and gives it away to others, but not to us? Not really! I don't mind giving to others but I think they should also give us some of our money back.........oh wait...... .......they are..........the tax cuts..............YEA!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fluffybunny Posted June 5, 2004 Author #13 Share Posted June 5, 2004 What tax cuts are those? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted June 6, 2004 #14 Share Posted June 6, 2004 joc, you amaze me. Somehow I bet that if this situation was occuring in the US you'd be screaming about a communist/socialist/Left Wing conspiracy. Are we all thinking of any particular thread here And Fenris is right, the US has nothing to complain about compared to the UK As for socialist government... wha? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doomgirl Posted June 6, 2004 #15 Share Posted June 6, 2004 Wouldn't it be cheaper to build a big refinery in Iraq, it would save a lot in shipping costs? We are paying over $1 a litre here before the war it was about 90 cents a litre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggyelfmaiden Posted June 6, 2004 #16 Share Posted June 6, 2004 methinks joc doesn't have to drive anywhere. Those of us who have to are so ****** (Censored to be polite) Now don'tcha just love GW? I mean he cares soooooooo much about our country Let's vote him back into office.... (Note the venomously thick sarcasim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bathory Posted June 6, 2004 #17 Share Posted June 6, 2004 you people complain too much "oh we want this and this and this, but we don't want to payfor it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted June 6, 2004 #18 Share Posted June 6, 2004 What tax cuts are those? Uh, that would be the tax cuts that all the Democrats say need to be repealed. Those would be the tax cuts that every tax paying American received and will receive in the future. What's the matter Fluffy? Surely you are a tax paying American...didn't you get your tax cut check in the mail? methinks joc doesn't have to drive anywhere. You thinks wrong. I drive everywhere. I fill up my truck about every other day and it costs about $35.00. And excuse me but, I am not complaining. I just don't see the big whoop-de-doo about the price of oil in Iraq. Give the Iraqis a break. You want everyone to pay $6.00 a gallon because you do? As for socialist government... wha? Come on dude. Don't play that game with me. You mean Britain is Captalist and not Socialist? You mean that your taxes are so damn high because you don't have to pay for health care for everyone and everything else under the sun? Give me a break Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggyelfmaiden Posted June 6, 2004 #19 Share Posted June 6, 2004 you people complain too much "oh we want this and this and this, but we don't want to payfor it!" oh? You know what... Where I live in the States there aren't enough jobs I know friends who finihed collage and the only job they can find is to flip burgers *AND THEY HAVE DOCTORATES* I have no problem paying for things Bath... I just have a problem with all the inflation. It's almost as bad as in the 30's when families had to take a whole wagon load of money to the store and all tehy could buy was a loaf of bread. And does the Pres do anything about it? Yeah.. He sends our men and women of the armed forces to go fight and die so that he can milk more money out of us and stay in office. Or am the only one who thinks that? Then again Where I live, I can't breathe outside because it's too humid for me in the sunlight. So I have to drive. And the only thing to really do is go to one of the bigger towns because nothing to do here. *Wonders who's bloody idea it was to shut everything down at 6 pm around here....* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buggyelfmaiden Posted June 6, 2004 #20 Share Posted June 6, 2004 What tax cuts are those? Uh, that would be the tax cuts that all the Democrats say need to be repealed. Those would be the tax cuts that every tax paying American received and will receive in the future. What's the matter Fluffy? Surely you are a tax paying American...didn't you get your tax cut check in the mail? Oh.... You mean the whole 300 dollars extra that some families got that made it possible for them to at least have a home for another month. (Seriously, this happened to one of my friends families) She found out from snail mail that her parents were selling off their things so that they could afford to live. Both were well up there in age, and taking medications.. THe Tax cut was a joke okay. A verry bad one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenris Posted June 6, 2004 #21 Share Posted June 6, 2004 Come on dude. Don't play that game with me. You mean Britain is Captalist and not Socialist? You mean that your taxes are so damn high because you don't have to pay for health care for everyone and everything else under the sun? Give me a break When you said you have a truck, did you mean a Tonka toy? You have all the political awareness of a 7 year old! America has a welfair program too you know.... OK it sucks, but its there. Does that make America a socialist country according to you? One policy does not a political outlook make. Yes the NHS was brought in by a socialist government...... we had a shedload of nationalised industrys back then too. There hasn't been a socialist government here since before Thatcher, she took politics in this country FAR to the right of where it was and the Labour party went with it.... NEW Labour is about as socialist as smallpox.... IE not at all and as well as Blair being a glove puppet for Bush, he is also the true son of Thatcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon Posted June 6, 2004 #22 Share Posted June 6, 2004 (edited) You have all the political awareness of a 7 year old! There hasn't been a socialist government here since before Thatcher, Thatcher, she took politics in this country FAR to the right of where it was and the Labour party went with it.... Edited June 6, 2004 by Talon S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+joc Posted June 6, 2004 #23 Share Posted June 6, 2004 (edited) Yes the NHS was brought in by a socialist government...... we had a shedload of nationalised industrys back then too. There hasn't been a socialist government here since before Thatcher, she took politics in this country FAR to the right of where it was and the Labour party went with it.... NEW Labour is about as socialist as smallpox.... IE not at all and as well as Blair being a glove puppet for Bush, he is also the true son of Thatcher. Perhaps the current Government isn't socialist but your gas prices are the result of Socialism. You are reaping the Socialist reward...equal misery for everyone! THe Tax cut was a joke okay. Please send me $300.00. Send it to me twice...that is $600.00. If you think $600.00 is a joke then please forward me a check. idiocy is a sad thing Edited June 6, 2004 by joc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenris Posted June 6, 2004 #24 Share Posted June 6, 2004 Perhaps the current Government isn't socialist but your gas prices are the result of Socialism. You are reaping the Socialist reward...equal misery for everyone! You need to wear thinner trousers, those are muffling your voice... or you could simply stop talking out your fundamental orafice! You can't blame one aspect of policy for that. Over its entire history the NHS has only cost a fraction of what the American space program cost. Plus if the NHS got the level of funding that the government reaps in from fuel duty then even with the mismanagement its been subject to it would still be the best in the world by a significant margin. (Which it isn't.... a combination of mismanagement and systemic underfunding saw to that) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wunarmdscissor Posted June 7, 2004 #25 Share Posted June 7, 2004 Perhaps the current Government isn't socialist but your gas prices are the result of Socialism. You are reaping the Socialist reward...equal misery for everyone Considering the entire 80's and half the 90's we had conservative right wing governments then................well you do the math joc..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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