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In Defense of Price Gouging
American Enterprise Institute | John Lott

Posted on 09/01/2005 4:22:37 AM PDT by chronic_loser

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To: KC_Conspirator
In fact Bush, made a public statement on this. Make sure you let them both know this.

There's a big surprise. Politicians can always be counted on to do things that earn political points, even if it hurts the country. Consider the economic ignorance of LBJ's reign, or Carter's, or Hoover's and Roosevelt's. That a president does something is not good evidence that it's the sensible thing to do--quite the opposite. And sadly, George "five years, no vetoes!" Bush is no exception.

301 posted on 09/01/2005 8:13:43 AM PDT by Shalom Israel (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.)
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To: hoboken109
I'm up north, too, and I am insulating more.

As for the oil compaines, everyone wants new refineries, more drilling, pipelines, etc. but wants the products of this tremendous capital investment to be free.

It simply does not work that way.

About half of this problem comes from the ecowhackos regulating refineries out of business, restricting drilling, etc.

They even fought coalbed methane production the whole time they were demanding that power plants burn natural gas instead of coal.

Natural Gas is our main heating fuel up here (North Dakota), where heat is not optional, but the reserves have been squandered to run air conditioners in LA.

These same people will gladly blame "BIG OIL" right along with the Socialist media.

Funny how people will complain about service stations making a few (less than 10) cents a gallon on gas, but not carp aout the price of a can of wino wieners (vienna sausages) in the convenience store.

The well I am working on right now will cost the oil company about 3.5 million when it is completed. I expect it will produce about 400 bbls per day on average, for about 4 years (starts with more, but will decline). When that is done, the well will be sold to a smaller company who will wring more oil out of it, and eventually be plugged, and the site reclaimed and restored. In the end, you will not be able to tell there was an oil well here.

As the production from this well is declining, other wells must be drilled to replace the producing reserve that will be used up here. This requires a tremendous capital investment, just to keep up with declining reserves by replacing them with new discoveries and new wells.

Gaining on that curve, actually increasing the overall amount of oil available involves even more.

The money has to come from somewhere.

302 posted on 09/01/2005 8:14:13 AM PDT by Smokin' Joe (God save us from the fury of the do-gooders!)
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To: amosmoses

Ludicrous. If you steal my property, I am quantifiable worse off. If I offer to sell you my property and you decline because my price is too high, you are in EXACTLY the same position you were in before we met.</p>


303 posted on 09/01/2005 8:14:14 AM PDT by DManA
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To: KC_Conspirator

That would mean that bush has taken another step away from the conservative principles of Reagan to the pandering of his father.

Disappointing, but not unexpected.


304 posted on 09/01/2005 8:16:17 AM PDT by flashbunny (Defending the free market on FREE republic is like having to defend the flag at a VFW convention.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck
No, it has elements that are very socialistic.

Actually, you are in serious error here. Socialism is predicated on the INvoluntary sharing of resources, by centralized mandate. There is nothing remotely resembling this anywhere in the NT, neither in Jesus's statements nor in the early Xn communities in Acts. In fact, Peter argued that Ananias HAD FULL CONTROL OVER HIS PROPERTY AND WAS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO SELL IT in the scene in Acts 5.

"Compassion by proxy" is the name of the game in socialism. One can feel virtuous, not by personal sacrifice, but by forcing others to do so. This is not compassion, but evil.

305 posted on 09/01/2005 8:17:38 AM PDT by chronic_loser
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To: DManA
If you steal my property, I am quantifiable worse off. If I offer to sell you my property and you decline because my price is too high, you are in EXACTLY the same position you were in before we met.

You don't understand. If I want your property for $5, and you refuse to sell it to me, you've hurt and deprived me. I keep trying to explain this to women, but they keep refusing me what I keep asking for. They won't give me what I need for free, though several have said they would for a million dollars. I'm trying to get the governor to ban their "sex gouging", and make them give it to me for free. I'll let you know how that works out.

306 posted on 09/01/2005 8:17:52 AM PDT by Shalom Israel (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.)
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To: chronic_loser

#3 for me!


307 posted on 09/01/2005 8:20:14 AM PDT by US_MilitaryRules ("Girl drowns as Ted Kennedy visits Nantucket")
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To: hoboken109
Sir...I work for O&G...and after you calling the O&G companies "big shots" has shown me your contempt for an industry that I work for and respect.

I suspect you are one of the many people who bought a gas guzzler is upside down on the note and realize you can't afford to get rid of it or feed it...your anger is displaced...and I want to know...where were all your comments about the dessimation of the O&G comapnies dutring the 80s...when they went under or bankrupt...and laid off 10s of 1000s...where were your snide comments when the O&G struggled to stay in business with 10.00 a barrel oil?

You are hopelessly clueless about an industry that is heavily regulated and has been crippled by liberal pinko commies. THE O&G has to contend with MMS while offshore and have air requirements...they can't even build a refinery without the pinko commies giving persmission every step of the way...even the gasoline mixes are different for different areas of the US...THANKS to the pinko commie enviro wackos...AND finally the PINKO commies that have BRAINWASHED people like you who name call the OIL companies "big shots" and imply that they are EVIL...

I'll bet you think HOSPITALS are evil too...

You have misplaced YOUR anger...you need to save your nastiness for the PINKO COMMIES that have crippled the industry that YOU and I have to be dependent upon...NOT the O&G company that struggles to find new sources of oil, hire competent people, prevent spills, prevent the killing of personnel...keep wells running even when we have horrible weather...sir you no nothing about this industry.

308 posted on 09/01/2005 8:20:24 AM PDT by antivenom (GW will get blamed for New Orleans mess since he went after Saddam and not G-d)
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To: chronic_loser

The Bible also says that "everyone" shared with those who had need.


309 posted on 09/01/2005 8:20:50 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (No wonder the Southern Baptist Church threw Greer out: Only one god per church! [Ann Coulter])
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To: Shalom Israel

I am not quite sure now what the hell you are talking about?


310 posted on 09/01/2005 8:21:28 AM PDT by KC_Conspirator (This space outsourced to India)
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To: Shalom Israel

I didn't read the thread before posting. I see you're carrying the banner of reason. ;^)


311 posted on 09/01/2005 8:21:55 AM PDT by headsonpikes (The Liberal Party of Canada are not b*stards - b*stards have mothers!)
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To: Smokin' Joe

Where you located I work in O&G servicing...coiled tubing, wireline, fracing, stimulation and well control...Houston Texas...


312 posted on 09/01/2005 8:24:08 AM PDT by antivenom (GW will get blamed for New Orleans mess since he went after Saddam and not G-d)
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To: Shalom Israel
You miss the context of the call by the Holy Spirit, the ultimate Government. God (gasp) WANTS Christians to have communal values. A & S were claiming that they had fulfilled the call that was upon them, when in fact they hadn't. The responsibility for what they had done with their property had been theirs; they could not pin the responsibility on anybody else. They didn't do with the property what God had wanted and yet (which was worse than the actual shortfall) claimed that they had. Go to a more literal translation for the facts.
313 posted on 09/01/2005 8:28:13 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (No wonder the Southern Baptist Church threw Greer out: Only one god per church! [Ann Coulter])
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To: HiTech RedNeck

There is a difference between charity and socialism. Show me where Jesus advocated socialism.


314 posted on 09/01/2005 8:28:26 AM PDT by Reaganghost (Democrats are living proof that you can fool some of the people all of the time.)
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To: HiTech RedNeck

We are talking about government policy here. Here’s the deal. As a society, we have erected a giant wall between God and governance. You are talking about Christian charity. That is not allowed in our civil society. The BEST you can hope for from your government is efficiency. If you want Christian Charity you need to look to individuals. And you can’t expect to coerce it from them.


315 posted on 09/01/2005 8:29:17 AM PDT by DManA
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To: HiTech RedNeck
The Bible also says that "everyone" shared with those who had need.

Yes, but it does not say they were compelled by the authorities to do so. It does not say the disciples told them to. It does not say the disciples took from them to force the sharing. Do you really fail to comprehend the difference or are you simply being obtuse?

316 posted on 09/01/2005 8:29:32 AM PDT by VRWCmember
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To: KC_Conspirator
I am not quite sure now what the hell you are talking about?

What's so hard to understand? "X is illegal" is a stupid argument: many legitimate things are illegal, and many immoral things are perfectly legal. Self-defense is illegal in many locations, and abortion is perfectly legal. What does its legality have to do with the subject at hand, which is its morality?

317 posted on 09/01/2005 8:30:50 AM PDT by Shalom Israel (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.)
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To: Shalom Israel
That is the whole purpose of free market prices -- to convey realities to you in a form that you cannot ignore.

Unfortunately, one of the main purposes of contemporary politics is to shield you from these same realities.

None other than that smart guy again- Thomas Sowell.

318 posted on 09/01/2005 8:31:25 AM PDT by George Smiley (This tagline deliberately targeted journalists.)
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Comment #319 Removed by Moderator

To: Shalom Israel
Politicians can always be counted on to do things that earn political points, even if it hurts the country.

The insinuation is that this mud sticks to President Bush. This President has been the epitome of another George -- George ("I cannot tell a lie") Washington.

320 posted on 09/01/2005 8:33:20 AM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (No wonder the Southern Baptist Church threw Greer out: Only one god per church! [Ann Coulter])
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