Stronger Dollar....

[Ced777]

Remember that this works both ways.

It could well be that the euro is falling. Many european countries, I know France and Spain for sure, are suffering from higher fuel and food prices. This is becoming quite worrying already in Spain.

In France, the "advantage" is that the gas/fuel is already heavily taxed. When the oil price rise, the price don't rise so much. The government can absorb the difference and choose to not increase the price paid by customers. Off course, there is some limit to the system and in the last years, the price has rise up. But maybe less than elsewhere.

 

[Ced777]

I don't know where you are but here in France gas/fuel prices have been rising enormously!

The government "absorbs" nothing, they make more tax!

We're paying the equivalent of about 8 USD per gallon!

You can see it here (in french, sorry):
http://www.zagaz.com/stats.php


When the barril rose from $60 to $135 (+120%, between 2006 and mid 2008), gasoline (Sp95) rose from €1,21 per liter (about $1,77) to €1,44 per liter (about $2,11 ) --> +20%

In US --> http://www.eia.doe.gov/
For the same period (janv 2006, mid 2008), the unleaded premium increased from $2,52 per gallon to $4,32 per gallon. --> +70%. To compare with the +20% above in France....

And remember a lot of cars here can do 30 to 40 mpg (and more)...

 

[retow]

You can see it here (in french, sorry):
http://www.zagaz.com/stats.php


When the barril rose from $60 to $135 (+120%, between 2006 and mid 2008), gasoline (Sp95) rose from €1,21 per liter (about $1,77) to €1,44 per liter (about $2,11 ) --> +20%

In US --> http://www.eia.doe.gov/
For the same period (janv 2006, mid 2008), the unleaded premium increased from $2,52 per gallon to $4,32 per gallon. --> +70%. To compare with the +20% above in France....

And remember a lot of cars here can do 30 to 40 mpg (and more)...

Your math is flawed. If you considered the exchange rate movements in the period concernded, the comaprisons looked quite differently. I'm not saying your basic statement being wrong, but the numbers are.

 

[retow]

Ca va, je parle francais.

Well, I can't argue with those figures.
So why do we see French and Spanish truckers and fishermen blockading the roads and ports, but nothing like this in the US?

Isn't this more a matter good old tradition, and preferrably in the summer months when all the holiday travelers get impacted🙄🙄

 

[bottley1]

so its true, only accountants can afford Leicas! 😛

 

[Ced777]

Your math is flawed. If you considered the exchange rate movements in the period concernded, the comaprisons looked quite differently. I'm not saying your basic statement being wrong, but the numbers are.

Off course you must also introduce the exchange rate but the french system (high price due to a lot of taxes) globaly slow down the price increase. French are used to buy expensive gasoline.

 

[Ced777]

Ca va, je parle francais.

Well, I can't argue with those figures.
So why do we see French and Spanish truckers and fishermen blockading the roads and ports, but nothing like this in the US?

Possibiliies:
1/ because even if the price increases slower, it increases!
2/ because they know that strikes and blocking roads sometimes works with french government
3/ because gasoline is already pricey and maybe the average salary a bit lower than US... The part of the gasoline in the budget is maybe higher.
4/ because it's a national sport! 🙂
5/ because it's not the only problem (there is a reform of ports at this moment)

 

[Ced777]

so its true, only accountants can afford Leicas! 😛

In France, a M7 costs about a month of salary for an average engineer/executive (mid career).

 

[Al Patterson]

I don't know where you are but here in France gas/fuel prices have been rising enormously!

The government "absorbs" nothing, they make more tax!

We're paying the equivalent of about 8 USD per gallon!

True enough, but the increase from $7 US to $8 US probably doesn't seem as painful as the change from $3 to $4.

I'm just waiting for the Chevy Volt.

 

[John Camp]

I doubt that the oil states are about to throw the dollar overboard in favor of the Euro...unless the European countries have made some secret deal to send their armies to Saudi Arabia to put down any possible revolt...😎

JC

 

[jbf]

Dear Olsen,

All true, but the same piece I referred to above suggested that political instability in China could easily be a major factor: there's a limit to how long you can repress an occupied country (or even your own country) with a mixrure of force and lies.

Therein lies the problem Roger. I have a couple of friends from China and almost all are completely brainwashed. Their view of China is completely distorted.

For instance, during the violence against the Tibetan protestors back in april/may... my friends (who constantly watch chinese news) was in shock that BBC, CNN and various other global news organizations were displaying the news events completely different from what Chinese state-run news was telling them.

They believed 100% that the BBC, CNN, etc were all lying about the news.

I tried to gently explain that if all the other news sources outside of China were telling you somthing different than your own government, chances are someone is lying to you, and it's highly unlikely to be all of those multiple outside news sources.



I dont want to go into all the other twisted and bizarre things that my friends would like to believe but, it is quite saddening.


However, at least one or two of them have since come to realize just how much their government has been lying to them now that they've lived outside of China for a few years now.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have a couple of friends from China and almost all are completely brainwashed. Their view of China is completely distorted. . . . I don't want to go into all the other twisted and bizarre things that my friends would like to believe but, it is quite saddening.

However, at least one or two of them have since come to realize just how
much their government has been lying to them now that they've lived outside of China for a few years now.

Exactly. On my one trip to China I found it hard to believe just how brainwashed most people are. The sheer dishonesty of the Chinese regime is breathtaking. Truly free media would (and one day, will) blow the Chinese Empire apart in a few years.

Cheers,

R.

 

[sherm]

jbf,

You could easily re-write that, changing China for America and Chinese for Americans

You could but why do you feel the need to go there.... this is a discussion about the dollar vs. the euro. you could probably say this about a lot of different nations......

not that i'm thrilled with our president, but for some reason the amount or people from all over the globe that want to immigrate to the us. continues to be staggering..... I wonder why maybe they believe all the lies too.....

 

[sherm]

"shame on you pitxu who thinks so evil of the usa". 🙄

 

[sherm]

I don't think it's a lack of, or misunderstanding as much as it a focus on what's important ie. capitlaism and consumerism. One can sit in a cafe and idle the hours away discussing geography and world affairs of which they have no control over or they can go out with an idea and turn it into something capitalist. This fundamental disconnect between ideals is what has made one so dangerous and the other so petulant.

The question that should be asked is, has your understanding of world affairs, geography and alternative economies helped or benefitted you more so than if you hadn't?

BTW, I also love the people from EMEA despite their lack of knowledge on capitalism and a general misunderstanding of things american 😉

 

[sherm]

You're right back on topic... I hope the dollar continues to rise as well so Europe will be a bit more affordable for travel

Cheers!

Scott

 

[Roger Hicks]

... the amount or people from all over the globe that want to immigrate to the us. continues to be staggering..... I wonder why maybe they believe all the lies too.....

One in three immigrants returns home, and has done throughout history. These are INS figures. My own suspicion is that a further one in three, or at least one in six, stays out of inertia, pride (refusal to admit they were wrong), political and economic conditions at home (think of German Jews), etc.

There is also a big difference in the world-picture (and reasons for emigration) of someone from a third world country, and someone from (let us say) the EU.

Pointless and mindless America-bashing is no easier (and no more difficult) than a pointless and mindless conviction that the USA is the best country in the world. ANY criticism of the USA invariably evokes the latter from some people; ANY suggestion that the USA might have got some things right invariably evokes the former from their counterparts.

Finally, in support of Richard, try reading Winston Churchill's The Gathering Storm for an illustration of the damage that can be wrought by well-meaning but ignorant and parochial politicians elected by a public that has little knowledge of, nor concern for, the world outside their national borders.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[sherm]

Dear Roger,

I wondered what was taking you so long as I knew this was just the sort of hornet's nest you like to poke around in! In fairness to Richard he doesn't need support from anybody, he made his point perfectly clear. I'll be the first to admit that the current administration has failed on many fronts with respect to our global neighbors . One of the best things to happen in my family was the marriage of my brother to a woman from Italy. Gio has helped my family see things from the EU point of view and keep the ego in check. This is definitely a full time job and one that I suspect Frances Eugenia has to deal with on an ongoing basis as well. The US and it's citizens need to grow a "thicker skin" if they're to continue with the "superiority" complex. There isn't any nation that is beyond reproach the USA included.

Regarding "The Gathering Storm", this is a bit of a stretch as far as the US is concerned, however spot on in my opinion with regards to Jihadism. I feel a better comparison would be that of the US trying to expand it's reach like that of England back in the old days.

What we really should do is get back on topic like Richard and I did, but like your old friend Winnie you just can't help yourself and are always in need of the last word 😉

I look forward to hearing from you Roger.... you can't help it!!!!

Cheers,

Scott

 

[Olsen]

Exactly. On my one trip to China I found it hard to believe just how brainwashed most people are. The sheer dishonesty of the Chinese regime is breathtaking. Truly free media would (and one day, will) blow the Chinese Empire apart in a few years.

Cheers,

R.

Well. CNN does not have a patent on 'the truth' either. I think that we all should read our main stream media with a lot of sceptisism. The Chinese are in no way more brainwashed than ordinary Americans - or Norwegians, for that matter. That's my view.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Regarding "The Gathering Storm", this is a bit of a stretch as far as the US is concerned, however spot on in my opinion with regards to Jihadism. I feel a better comparison would be that of the US trying to expand it's reach like that of England back in the old days.

Dear Scott,

Who mentioned the United States?

If you think it applies, I wouldn't dream of trying to dissuade you, but I'd say that better candidates in the 1920s and 30s were France, the UK, Germany, Italy... The US was reverting to its customary isolationism, at least if it thought the country was big enough to fight back.

No country has a monopoly on arrogance, short-sightedness, stupidity, jimgoism and lack of political education. It's just that at any given time, some are more arrogant, short-sighted, stupid, jingoistic and ill-informed than others. Or at least their nominal leaders are.

Right now I'd back China and Russia ahead of the United States, at least among major powers, though among minor nations, Georgia took the Russian bait hook, line and sinker. Include nominal leaders of minor nations, and Mugabe is probably the current winner.

Jihadism, on the other hand, is not related to a single country; has no monolithic army, central command or general staff; and no realistic strategy, so it's probably completely irrelevant.

Cheers,

R.