An Onerous Warning for The US

[EllieM]

Chill out chillun, we can all chat and make it fun and entertaining! Here's one for you to gnaw on:

The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is proud to be distributing this year the greatest amount of free Meals and Food Stamps ever to 47 million people, these are the most recent figures available in 2013.
Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks us "Please Do Not Feed the Animals". Their stated reason for the policy is because "The animals will grow dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves".

That's just way too funny. Brings to mind Monty Python's argument sketch.

[EllieM]

Prices in Canada are also inflated by the cost of logistics.

so how come my freezer costs less in Alaska? I'm two hours from Detroit in a Peterbilt...

[Hikari]

so how come my freezer costs less in Alaska? I'm two hours from Detroit in a Peterbilt...

My guess would be because Alaska has shipping traffic via the water as well. The highway that leads up to Alaska isn't great at all, and in the winter isn't something I would wish on my worst enemies. I know a Bridgeport milling machine is much more expensive in Alaska than Virginia, so it isn't like everything there has continental US prices.

As to your proximity to Detroit, that would be meaningless unless the product in question was actually made in Detroit. More than likely, the product would come in from China in a port in California, be taken to a drop off point in Detroit, and drivers who ferry goods across the border would pick it up and either deliver it, or drop it in another lot for a Canadian driver to pick up. Even if it were made in say, MO and under NAFTA that driver takes it directly to it's destination in ON, he has to pick up something to bring back (or the costs would be astronomical) but it has to be a direct trip, he can't for example pick up in ON and drop off in BC to get product to bring back to WA. When you are doing international you can go in and deliver, pickup and return, the lack of point to point trips in that other country greatly reduces the efficiency at which you can operate.

Each layer of additional logistics, all waiting at the border, all time wasted out of route for sparser fuel stops, and all time wasted in looking for a trailer that is returning to the United States, makes it more expensive to do the logistics business in Canada, and since all products not made in the town they are consumed in have some built in logistics costs they has an upward pressure on all prices.

[EllieM]

It was manufactured in Greenville, OH

[Shantel]

I hope you have not found any of this to be offensive, I'm just trying to point out that the issue is very complex, bigger than a breadbox.
Let me leave you with this: You have a fine country there, the US of A, even with its warts. Hang on to it. And by the way, I have to say, I truly adore your Second Amendment, preserve it carefully.

Not the least bit offensive, excellent comments like being on the outside of a big aquarium looking in, the whole picture is seen much clearer. I appreciate your perspective!

[EllieM]

thank you, Shan

[amZo]

http://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/2013/02/06/canadaus_price_gap_senate_report_due_today.html

[EllieM]

Thanks Nikko. That explains some of it, but still "A Toyota Rav4 made in Woodstock is cheaper in Hawaii than in Ontario, the report noted." That would be Woodstock ON, not Woodstock NB or Woodstock NY. I'll buy (if it's not more expensive here) that some of the differences are due to tariffs, but there are still questions.

[amZo]

They didn't explain this specifically, but I think the tariffs they're discussing is causing this too. This situation has to do with what the market will bear. The Chinese and European (etc.) cars sold to Hawaii and Ontario have much different tariffs, they're much higher in Ontario. It affects the price of the Woodstock Ontario products produced because the market will allow a higher price in Ontario than in Hawaii (the competing products are lower in Hawaii). People have been confused for a long time by this because it's not directly observable, it's the proverbial invisible hand of the private market at work.

[EllieM]

Ahhh yes... It's all some kind of magic.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain... These are not the droids you were looking for.

[Shantel]

The bottom line is pretty well encapsulated in this young lady's rant, it's really not just about the president, it's about how the government is not working and how people are feeling disenfranchised!

http://www.ijreview.com/2014/03/122228-sassy-gal-blowtorch-shows-everyone-exactly-shes-burning-obama-homeboy-t-shirt/

[Hikari]

Burning the presidents image is just distasteful. I was no fan of President Bush, but if someone had an argument to why they should burn an effigy of him or the like, I would just stop listening immediately. That is just plain disrespectful.

"Americans are frustrated, quick let's blame someone!" Is about all I got from that. We are the ones that elect government, it doesn't work because we elected a bunch of ultra-conservatives who care more about ideology than getting things done, and then expected those some people to work with democrats and moderates to actually move this country forward. We are the ones who elect people, and we should be smart enough to know that if we elect people who have unreasonable views on compromise, we won't get anything. If people are looking for someone to blame they need only look in the mirror.

And, What is this about her and Obama's sanctions, exactly what does she want World War 3? Haven't we had enough war? In Any case, I bet if we got a NATO land war against Russia that debt everyone likes to whine about would get very much larger.

[Shantel]

Burning the presidents image is just distasteful. I was no fan of President Bush, but if someone had an argument to why they should burn an effigy of him or the like, I would just stop listening immediately. That is just plain disrespectful.

"Americans are frustrated, quick let's blame someone!" Is about all I got from that. We are the ones that elect government, it doesn't work because we elected a bunch of ultra-conservatives who care more about ideology than getting things done, and then expected those some people to work with democrats and moderates to actually move this country forward. We are the ones who elect people, and we should be smart enough to know that if we elect people who have unreasonable views on compromise, we won't get anything. If people are looking for someone to blame they need only look in the mirror.

And yet we see Mexican illegals burning the US flag in Arizona and it's ok? Truth is we are stuck with a totally self aggrandizing feckless leadership throughout the Executive, judicial, and Legislative branches, there's plenty of blame to go around. Unfortunately once some breath of fresh air gets elected to congress they immediately join hands with the usual suspects and become part of the problem and the will of the people be damned because we are your elite representatives and know what's best for you!

And, What is this about her and Obama's sanctions, exactly what does she want World War 3? Haven't we had enough war? In Any case, I bet if we got a NATO land war against Russia that debt everyone likes to whine about would get very much larger.

It won't happen because everyone knows it would escalate quickly and the crows would be picking the burnt meat off of our carcasses.

[EllieM]

Truth is we are stuck with a totally self aggrandizing feckless leadership throughout the Executive, judicial, and Legislative branches, there's plenty of blame to go around. Unfortunately once some breath of fresh air gets elected to congress they immediately join hands with the usual suspects and become part of the problem and the will of the people be damned because we are your elite representatives and know what's best for you!

That seems to be the case, regardless of which flag you are standing under. One of my friends refers to that elite mob as the LoA, the League of ->-bleeped-<-s. Kind of catchy, no? I'm betting on the internet to save us. It's  rather democratizing, it's a conduit of information and soon, with the imposition of IPv6, it will become easier to evade the LoA's long reach. There will be no further need to take up residence in the Moscow airport.

[Hikari]

And yet we see Mexican illegals burning the US flag in Arizona and it's ok? Truth is we are stuck with a totally self aggrandizing feckless leadership throughout the Executive, judicial, and Legislative branches, there's plenty of blame to go around. Unfortunately once some breath of fresh air gets elected to congress they immediately join hands with the usual suspects and become part of the problem and the will of the people be damned because we are your elite representatives and know what's best for you!

It won't happen because everyone knows it would escalate quickly and the crows would be picking the burnt meat off of our carcasses.

Of course it is disrespectful for people to burn the American flag, at no point did I say it was okay and it in no way justifies the woman in the link being disrespectful herself. Two wrongs do not make a right, some people get away with murder but it doesn't justify me killing anyone.

And that new blood doesn't join the old at all that is the problem, in the old congress lobbyists and pork projects could grease the wheels to make things work, it is precisely the newer politicans that are the problem. Bush and his friends at Haliburton might have been in the pockets of corporations and special interests but they could certainly govern better than those who would say no to everything, that isn't a way to govern anything. 

And if war with Russia is so bad, which I believe it is, someone needs to send that memo to Mitt Romney and John McCain who have been beating those war drums something fierce in the media.

[Shantel]

Of course it is disrespectful for people to burn the American flag, at no point did I say it was okay and it in no way justifies the woman in the link being disrespectful herself. Two wrongs do not make a right, some people get away with murder but it doesn't justify me killing anyone.

And that new blood doesn't join the old at all that is the problem, in the old congress lobbyists and pork projects could grease the wheels to make things work, it is precisely the newer politicans that are the problem. Bush and his friends at Haliburton might have been in the pockets of corporations and special interests but they could certainly govern better than those who would say no to everything, that isn't a way to govern anything. 

And if war with Russia is so bad, which I believe it is, someone needs to send that memo to Mitt Romney and John McCain who have been beating those war drums something fierce in the media.

Yup, yup and yup! I don't like the Neo-Cons and the religious right that hijacked the country awhile back, also I don't know what Romney is thinking, neither he or his five sons have never served in the military and I think he's a bit delusional banging the drums, McCain ought to know better having had both shoulders dislocated at the Hanoi Hilton, he's probably senile.

[Shantel]

The author makes it clear that Obama is not the problem, a cog in the machine but not THE problem.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=626431014085686

[Shantel]

Government gone wild is clearly THE problem clarified!

http://www.staged.com/video?v=Klmb