DC Area Voters

[chaz]

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
 

I can assure you, the Iraq War, as terrible and unjust as it is, hasn't affected my day-to-day life.  [/b]

Believe me....the countless billions we are borrowing from China and god knows where else to stay in this war do have an effect on your life and will for many years to come.

[manimtired]

Originally posted by chaz:
   

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
 

I can assure you, the Iraq War, as terrible and unjust as it is, hasn't affected my day-to-day life.  [/b]

Believe me....the countless billions we are borrowing from China and god knows where else to stay in this war do have an effect on your life and will for many years to come. [/b]

i can say it has not effected my day to day life as well.  explain how it has effected you? minus just bitching about it..

[chaz]

Originally posted by manimtired:
   

Originally posted by chaz:
   

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
 

I can assure you, the Iraq War, as terrible and unjust as it is, hasn't affected my day-to-day life.  [/b]

Believe me....the countless billions we are borrowing from China and god knows where else to stay in this war do have an effect on your life and will for many years to come. [/b]

i can say it has not effected my day to day life as well.  explain how it has effected you? minus just bitching about it.. [/b]

The money spent on this war has contributed to what is maybe the largest deficit in history (don't know for sure check the facts if you like).  In any case, any deficit devalues the dollar, causes inflation.  Obviously this effects you, unless you live your life inside the song "Imagine" by John Lennon.
 
 Not to mention the fact that this conflict or war or whatever has destabilized the region where we get most of our oil....no doubt this hasn't helped oil prices, which everyone knows trickle down to everything we buy.

[manimtired]

Originally posted by chaz:
   

Originally posted by manimtired:
     

Originally posted by chaz:
     

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
 

I can assure you, the Iraq War, as terrible and unjust as it is, hasn't affected my day-to-day life.  [/b]

Believe me....the countless billions we are borrowing from China and god knows where else to stay in this war do have an effect on your life and will for many years to come. [/b]

i can say it has not effected my day to day life as well.  explain how it has effected you? minus just bitching about it.. [/b]

The money spent on this war has contributed to what is maybe the largest deficit in history (don't know for sure check the facts if you like).  In any case, any deficit devalues the dollar, causes inflation.  Obviously this effects you, unless you live your life inside the song "Imagine" by John Lennon.
 
 Not to mention the fact that this conflict or war or whatever has destabilized the region where we get most of our oil....no doubt this hasn't helped oil prices, which everyone knows trickle down to everything we buy. [/b]

you can borrow some money from me if you need it in these tough times...

[chaz]

Originally posted by manimtired:
   

Originally posted by chaz:
     

Originally posted by manimtired:
     

Originally posted by chaz:
       

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
 

I can assure you, the Iraq War, as terrible and unjust as it is, hasn't affected my day-to-day life.  [/b]

Believe me....the countless billions we are borrowing from China and god knows where else to stay in this war do have an effect on your life and will for many years to come. [/b]

i can say it has not effected my day to day life as well.  explain how it has effected you? minus just bitching about it.. [/b]

The money spent on this war has contributed to what is maybe the largest deficit in history (don't know for sure check the facts if you like).  In any case, any deficit devalues the dollar, causes inflation.  Obviously this effects you, unless you live your life inside the song "Imagine" by John Lennon.
 
 Not to mention the fact that this conflict or war or whatever has destabilized the region where we get most of our oil....no doubt this hasn't helped oil prices, which everyone knows trickle down to everything we buy. [/b]

you can borrow some money from me if you need it in these tough times... [/b]

Wow impressive response.

[ggw]

Originally posted by chaz:
   

Originally posted by manimtired:
   

Originally posted by chaz:
     

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
 

I can assure you, the Iraq War, as terrible and unjust as it is, hasn't affected my day-to-day life.  [/b]

Believe me....the countless billions we are borrowing from China and god knows where else to stay in this war do have an effect on your life and will for many years to come. [/b]

i can say it has not effected my day to day life as well.  explain how it has effected you? minus just bitching about it.. [/b]

The money spent on this war has contributed to what is maybe the largest deficit in history (don't know for sure check the facts if you like).  In any case, any deficit devalues the dollar, causes inflation.  Obviously this effects you, unless you live your life inside the song "Imagine" by John Lennon.
 
 Not to mention the fact that this conflict or war or whatever has destabilized the region where we get most of our oil....no doubt this hasn't helped oil prices, which everyone knows trickle down to everything we buy. [/b]

Not that the war has not had an effect, but by most accounts the U.S. needs to import ~$800bn in foreign investment each year to maintain our economy.  The $100bn/year war bill is just a small part of that.  The bigger part is the debt-fueled lifestyle to which most Americans believe they are entitled.
 
 As for oil prices, the war's effect is negligible. This isn't a supply driven price spike, it is a demand driven one.  US oil consumption has remained relatively steady for a number of years, the increase in demand is coming from the rest of the world, primarily Asia.  China alone accounts for something like 60% of the increase in marginal oil demand.
 
 Additionally, most oil producing nations have recently gotten wise to the fact that they have a limited supply of oil, which is a big driver in their efforts to diversify by purchasing substantial amounts of investment assets such as U.S. debt.

[Sage 703]

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
  As for oil prices, the war's effect is negligible. This isn't a supply driven price spike, it is a demand driven one.  US oil consumption has remained relatively steady for a number of years, the increase in demand is coming from the rest of the world, primarily Asia.  China alone accounts for something like 60% of the increase in marginal oil demand.
 
 Additionally, most oil producing nations have recently gotten wise to the fact that they have a limited supply of oil, which is a big driver in their efforts to diversify by purchasing substantial amounts of investment assets such as U.S. debt.

Additionally, many speculators are now investing in oil as a commodity, since the housing market collapsed.  Some of the largest purchasers of oil at this point are large investment funds representing pension plans and the like, which is also inflating the price of oil.

[manimtired]

Originally posted by chaz:
   

Originally posted by manimtired:
   

Originally posted by chaz:
     

Originally posted by manimtired:
       

Originally posted by chaz:
       

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
 

I can assure you, the Iraq War, as terrible and unjust as it is, hasn't affected my day-to-day life.  [/b]

Believe me....the countless billions we are borrowing from China and god knows where else to stay in this war do have an effect on your life and will for many years to come. [/b]

i can say it has not effected my day to day life as well.  explain how it has effected you? minus just bitching about it.. [/b]

The money spent on this war has contributed to what is maybe the largest deficit in history (don't know for sure check the facts if you like).  In any case, any deficit devalues the dollar, causes inflation.  Obviously this effects you, unless you live your life inside the song "Imagine" by John Lennon.
 
 Not to mention the fact that this conflict or war or whatever has destabilized the region where we get most of our oil....no doubt this hasn't helped oil prices, which everyone knows trickle down to everything we buy. [/b]

you can borrow some money from me if you need it in these tough times... [/b]

Wow impressive response. [/b]

what i meant was what i said originally...the war has had zero effect with how i lead my life day to day.  got it?  maybe it has for you..but not me.

[chaz]

Originally posted by chaz:
   

Originally posted by manimtired:
   

Originally posted by chaz:
     

Originally posted by manimtired:
       

Originally posted by chaz:
       

Originally posted by Julian, certified WEBLEBRITY:
 

I can assure you, the Iraq War, as terrible and unjust as it is, hasn't affected my day-to-day life.  [/b]

Believe me....the countless billions we are borrowing from China and god knows where else to stay in this war do have an effect on your life and will for many years to come. [/b]

i can say it has not effected my day to day life as well.  explain how it has effected you? minus just bitching about it.. [/b]

The money spent on this war has contributed to what is maybe the largest deficit in history (don't know for sure check the facts if you like).  In any case, any deficit devalues the dollar, causes inflation.  Obviously this effects you, unless you live your life inside the song "Imagine" by John Lennon.
 
 Not to mention the fact that this conflict or war or whatever has destabilized the region where we get most of our oil....no doubt this hasn't helped oil prices, which everyone knows trickle down to everything we buy. [/b]

you can borrow some money from me if you need it in these tough times... [/b]

Wow impressive response. [/b]

Jeez I should have known GGW would show up with all his facts and proceed to blow up every thing I say.  
 
 I see what you're saying, and that's cool and fine.  My only point is that this whole thing is having a negative effect on the economy here - I don't think that can be argued.  That effects most of us I would think in one way or another, unless your wealthly, which maybe some of us here are.  I'm not.

[vansmack]

In Cartoons there is often a moment when a hapless character, having galloped over a cliff, is still unaware of the fact and hangs suspended in the air, legs pumping wildly, until realisation dawns, gravity intervenes and downfall ensues. Hillary Clinton's campaign looks a bit like that this week.
 
  <img src="http://www.economist.com/images/20080510/20080510issuecovUS400.jpg" alt=" - " />

[vansmack]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Lstkiexhc

[vansmack]

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
  This isn't a supply driven price spike, it is a demand driven one.  

While I agree with most of what you said, I think you may underscore the effect of the supply side just a bit:
 
 Iran rumor pushes oil to new record, gas jumps above $3.73

[ggw]

I won't dispute that supply constraints have an effect, but they tend to be shorter term drivers.  Next week Brazil will confirm their estimates of the reserves of the newly-discovered third largest oil field in the world and the price of a barrel will drop a few dollars.  But as an avid reader of the Economist, I'm sure you are well versed on the huge demand influence of the Asian boom.
 
  <img src="http://media.economist.com/images/20080315/CSR786.gif" alt=" - " />

[ggw]

Hillary needs to stay in the race in order to re-pay herself the $11 million she loaned her campaign.
 
 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=as5a58KS7ky8
 
  <img src="http://www.luckypennyproductions.net/vondada/images/bitch.jpg" alt=" - " />

[vansmack]

Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
  But as an avid reader of the Economist, I'm sure you are well versed on the huge demand influence of the Asian boom.
 

Don't get me wrong, increase in the demand side between India and China alone are easily 75% (if not more) of the driving force behind the rising cost of fuel, but the way you laid out your argument made it seem as though the supply side was insubstantial, and I don't believe it is.
 
 There's a good debate to be had as to whether or not it should be, but I think there's a hinkering of old time thinkers out there who still think that OPEC is out to get us and jump on these rumors like flies on stink.  They shouldn't, but they do, and all I was saying is that is has a substantial effect on the market price.  Not the driving force, but a good deal of effect.