What are your thoughts?

[tiger_rascal]

What are your thoughts on the current world events?

[Java]

Too much, too fast... looks like we're in for long but fast ride - time to buckle up.

(trying to condense a gazillion words and thoughts into one short sentence here)

[tiger_rascal]

My co-workers were trying to scare me today. We were on a business trip and I was driving home tonight in the pouring rain. My thoughts were on the road and the bad weather, several vehicles had already hydroplaned and crashed. It was very scary. My co-workers then started talking about world news and the stuff going on in Egypt. Then one said that if some bill was not passed the US Government would shut down next month. Others were saying they were stocking up on canned foods and stuff. Everything is rising in price and its getting harder and harder to live comfortably these days.

Anyways, just wondering what others thought.

If it gets really, really bad, I have an old cellar house on my property that could be used as a bunker.

[db44]

I'm unsure what you're refering to Chad, moreso after your second post. You seem to be lumping all sorts of things together, and considering the forum you chose to post this in, I can only presume you're making a connection that everything bad and scary that you mention is rooted in Egypt, and therefore associated with Islam?

[tiger_rascal]

lol, no, not Islam, the World. Everything is connected and what hurts one part of the world will hurt other parts of the world. The US depends highly on other countries goods, even for food.

[Down_SDway]

I just hope the nano sized attention span of the American people does not get bored with these Revolutions.

It's an exciting time has oppressed people stand up for them selves, they want dignity, a future and a voice in their government. On the other hand it is scary too, but a few bumps in the road for a more free world is worth it. The American revolution was a bloody ugly battle but again worth it.

[tiger_rascal]

Gas skyrocketed today! It jumped 55 cents, it went from $3.04 to $3.59!!! That is a huge jump. Usually it goes up a dime at a time and then drops 5 cents and then raises another dime.

[db44]

I didn't think gas could jump so high in one day... I thought there were federal regulations that gas could only increase once per day, and only to a certain maximum. I could be wrong about that.

Thinks are connected although they shouldn't always be. The gas price situation is one of those cases. We depend on oil in general much more than we have to... With hybrid technology and so many ways to produce renewable electricity, we could cut down on our oil needs tremendously. Keeping our need of oil only helps make a small percentage rich, while giving the anti-Muslim crowd ammunition to go after its targets because of the prices. While of course ignoring the people who are gouging us with the gas prices.

Besides, with the incredible changes happening in the Middle East, you see the duplicity of many anti-Muslim people in our own government: You know the ones who nine years ago said democracy and freedom came at a price? Well, the situation in the Middle East is a rice of democracy... But all of a sudden, because it's not our freedom or democracy, the price of five bucks more or whatever in gas prices is suddenly not acceptable.

The current events in the Middle East could be very beneficial to the U.S. (bringing said democracy to new states, allowing educated people to take a stronger lead in the region... I even saw a story how the changes could be very harmful to al Qaeda's survival). However, because it could allow certain Muslim groups, who aren't even extremists, to come to power, the Palins of this country are up in arms.

If you can't tell, I'm very optimistic about what's happening. This is the change I hoped for when I voted in the last presidential election.

[Java]

The thing that bothers me most even though this change appears to be for the good of the people, without a monarchy it's going to be extremely challenging down the road to keep all the different ethnic groups at peace with one-another. All we can do is pray.

[tiger_rascal]

Im just in shock at the dramatic spike in gas prices. There should be some kind of regulation that alerts people the day before prices are to rise more than a quarter.

Also, someone told me that yesterday the price per barrel spiked really high, but the thing is that oil is not in the ground at local gas stations yet. How can they possibly legally raise prices based on that?

[db44]

I'm not as nervous about it all Java... I think there are many more people in these countries who will work for peace than we've ever been led to believe, and we're seeing in some cases now where those people want to be heard. I think in many of these cases, we'll see people who have been to university taking the reigns from religious leaders, and those new leaders have learned along side people their previous leaders have tried to teach them to hate.

Gas distributors are corrupt Chad. They are supposed to change prices according to what they pay. However, when they can gouge, they will base their prices on futures, but when the prices go down, that's when they'll use the actual cost for setting their prices.

[D'Avi]

Oh Hai Cougar Rascal!

[tiger_rascal]

Oh Hai Cougar Rascal!

Hey! You know whats funny? I actually have a cougar now! Im 32 and she is 55! In my defense, neither of us look our age.

[tiger_rascal]

Update! In Nitro WV gas just jumped from $3.59 to $4!!! In a matter of 36 hours gas jumped 96 cents in WV!!!!!!!!!!!

[Java]

I'm not as nervous about it all Java... I think there are many more people in these countries who will work for peace than we've ever been led to believe, and we're seeing in some cases now where those people want to be heard. I think in many of these cases, we'll see people who have been to university taking the reigns from religious leaders, and those new leaders have learned along side people their previous leaders have tried to teach them to hate.

That is true and by far most people are peaceful law abiding citizens who have families to care for, etc but just like in our country it only takes a handful or even just one lunatic to wreck havoc for everyone, and I'm not so sure how the equivalent of our USA Patriot Act enacted in their countries by their newly chosen leaders to protect their own countries from within would go over with the general populations as it may be interpreted as being another authoritarian rule. That's just one of the many very difficult decisions that any newly elected leader will need to face besides where to draw the line between freedom and the allowing of free-fall in moral standards from one generation to the next.