[ViBiker]

Some people think of ebikes as being whimpy motorcycles. Actually, most are designed as EAbikes, (Electric Assist Bicycles), in that the electric motor is designed to supplement, not replace, pedal power.

The benefits are astounding.

1. Acceleration is wonderful, you can beat, most everyone through an intersection, from a red light, (at change to green). Take the best acceleration you can do, with a normal bike, then double it. Mainly it's nice being able to "jump" out of a sticky traffic situation!

2. Hills seem to flatten out. You can either take a hill with half the effort, or, using the same effort, twice the speed & 1/2 the time.

3. With the same effort, you can cruise at 20 mph, instead of 10 mph.

4. You can get, exactly, the amount of exercise that you wish.

The affordable "eco2" solution. (ecological-economical).

[froze]

Originally Posted by ViBiker

I had feared that my 7 year old grandchild was acting too immature.

Now, he doesn't seem so bad.

I'm so sorry your own child acts older then you, i wish I could help but I'm too far away to care, but it seems your on the right path because your starting to identify your problem.

[ViBiker]

Approximately 65% of the oil, used in the US is imported. (Not the 91% as claimed by "froze")

This costs more than 200 Billion dollars every year.

Which is a major contributor to this nations 14 Trillion dollar debt.
Which sums out to $40,000+ debt for each man, woman and child.

Combined with the cost of "Wars" to "stabilize" oil regions! ... ???

Sadly, a large portion of the Federal Budget goes directly to paying the interest on this debt. No not to paying off this debt, only enough to prevent foreclosure on this nation. The debt is increasing at a constantly accelerating rate.

It just makes me sick and disgusted that a person would demean and degrade the attempts of persons, taking steps toward, trying to remedy this untenable situation!

What type of person would that be?

Please comment.

[froze]

This reason you came up with is NOT a major contributer to our national debt, reckless spending, senseless wars, and putting troops and equipment into areas all over the world since and including Korea is the major reason for our debt, so quit trying to shove blame where it doesn't belong.

And this reckless spending and senseless wars is the blame of ALL political parties, so don't even try to tag a republican or a democrat to the problem, they both are responsible. They are also both responsible for borrowing 7 trillion dollars from OUR social security fund that WE paid directly in driving it into near collapse; but nobody cares about that because it's not directly in the public eye.

It makes me sick when some dope comes along and lies to justify his personal agenda.

[ViBiker]

Not only are oil imports a major factor in the National debt, they are the overwhelming greatest factor in the National trade deficit!

This might be even more tragic.
While, with the National Debt, much of the monies spent is recycled into the economy.
With the trade deficit the money is sent out of the country. From oil alone, more than $2000 is sucked away from each and every family, every year!
Leaving the country and, sometimes, finding it's way into the hands of unfriendlies, hostiles, terrorists etc.

"Petroleum Imports Drive the Trade Defict:
America's dependence on foreign oil drives the trade deficit. In 2009, the U.S. imported over $253 billion in petroleum-related products while only exporting $49 billion.Petroleum-related products include crude oil, natural gas, fuel oil and other petroleum-based distillates such as kerosene. This oil-related deficit of $204 billion was over half of the total 2009 trade deficit of $380.7 billion. (Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Trade, Exhibit 9)"

Oil imports for 2008 & 2009 both exceed $250 Billion, annually. That is a Trillion dollars every 4 years!

How could any reasonable person deny oil imports are a major factor?

Originally Posted by froze

... so don't even try to tag a republican or a democrat to the problem, they both are responsible. ...

I'm afraid, this link, points fairly obviously, towards the responsible parties!

The National Debt — Where Did it Come From?

[froze]

Are you really that brained washed or were you born that way? You did absolutely no research other then to find some crap about oil expenditures to spew your nonsense. I mentioned military as one of the reasons for the debt and you did no research whatsoever. If you had you would have discovered that our military spent between 880 billion and 1.03 trillion in just the year 2010. Gee, lets see that's over 4 trillion dollars every 4 years!!! And that's money spent that has nothing going back in the form of consumer purchases like fuel has. In addition your information is incorrect because the TOTAL trade deficit was $725.8 billion in 2005 of that 251 (3 billion dollar difference is no big deal) of was oil but that is only about a third of the trade deficit.

But, here's the shocker, the trade deficit is MEANINGLESS!!!! In an increasingly globalized world, large multinational corporations can provide clients and customers with goods and services from any number of locations. Yet the trade balance data assume that it makes a difference whether goods or services are produced by a U.S. company domestically, or in one of its foreign offices or plants. Lately, the Department of Commerce has attempted to measure U.S. trade on an ownership basis. It has recomputed U.S. trade data back to 1982, counting the net receipts on sales by U.S.-owned affiliates in foreign countries as part of U.S. exports. It also includes receipts by foreign-owned affiliates here as imports.

The data show that on an ownership basis, the U.S. trade deficit is far smaller than the official figures indicate. For example, in 1997, the latest year in the Commerce study, the U.S. had a deficit on goods and services of $104.7 billion. But adjusting for the $115.8 billion earned by U.S. companies abroad, less the $46.6 billion earned by foreign companies here, lowers that figure to just $35.5 billion.

Large trade deficit figures unfortunately stoke the fires of protectionism and encourage ill-advised policies. Otherwise, they are meaningless.

[ViBiker]

Originally Posted by froze

... our military spent between 880 billion and 1.03 trillion in just the year 2010. ...

Fortunately, most all that money is spent with US contractors, for US products, (military hardware), or paid to US citizens & soldiers. In other words it largely, stays in the country and supports the US economy. Whereas, with the trade deficit, that money is sent to another country and supports their economy.

Originally Posted by froze

... In addition your information is incorrect because the TOTAL trade deficit was $725.8 billion in 2005 of that 251 (3 billion dollar difference is no big deal) of was oil but that is only about a third of the trade deficit.

Wrong! And twisted! Your $725.8 billion was the total trade deficit from approximately 1982 through 2005, not the deficit from 2005 alone. It's one thing to, only present figures that support your premise, it is quite another to misrepresent, twist or deliberately falsify the facts.

Shame on you! (froze makes himself sick)

Originally Posted by froze

It makes me sick when some dope comes along and lies to justify his personal agenda.

The trade deficit, of oil imports alone, for the past 3 years, exceeds the 23 year deficit, you quote, for all items.

Also, I find it difficult to believe that "the trade deficit is MEANINGLESS!!!!"
Every country with a negative trade deficit forces itself towards a recession or depression. Historically, countries sometimes resort to war as a stopgap measure to postpone, help recover, or distract from, the forced economic downturn. Sound familiar?

[froze]

America see link


Regardless whatever numbers are right, you or me, I don't care. The point is one that you almost made when you stated military spending going to contractors and others. But this money is coming out of the treasury FIRST, then later some of it, but not all, in fact a small percentage, is paid back by taxes of the working person employed in one of those fields. However the same is true with petro. there are contractors and others working in the petro industry as well.

But again the deficit is meaningless, read my last post about that if you missed it. You and I are arguing over nothing while the leak that is pouring out of the dam gets bigger and bigger with no one in Washington for many years taking responsibility-how long before the dam breaks?

[ViBiker]

Originally Posted by froze

Regardless whatever numbers are right, you or me, I don't care. ...

You had better start caring! They tell a pretty tragic story!

Originally Posted by froze

But again the deficit is meaningless, ...

Any economist will strongly disagree with you.
Only the stupidest, or most dishonest politician might agree.

You do realize that the "deficit" is directly analogous to:

Wanting an item you can't afford, so you buy it with your credit card.
Only paying the minimum "interest" payments on your balance.
Buying something else you want, with credit card, ... of course.
Etc.!
Not being able to buy something you need, because your credit card payments-charges are becoming so high, so you add that to your card, or use a second card to help cover the first.
This continues till you can't afford even the most basic necessities, because all your income goes to cover the credit card minimum payments.
Creating an ever increasing spiral of debt and hardship.

The trade deficit is balanced by either inflation, (rampant inflation), (you should study what happened to Mexico, a few years ago), or ... oil rich countries buying US goods or property. Since our exports are in such low demand, foreign countries are buying US corporations, property etc. While you might argue that this is "investing in America" the "profits" from these holdings are, typically" exported, creating a further drain on the Economy.

(Mexico's debt helped US banks acquire some very nice real estate! If I remember correctly, Mexico's problems precipitated from a brief decline in oil prices. They had borrowed heavily, using their expected oil revenues as collateral, and the price drop necessitated further "emergency borrowing". Desperate payment plans caused horrific inflation, followed by a severe unemployment level and economic recession, that progressed into a decade long depression.

Part of the resolution was that, much of, the newly, oil financed, resort cities, designed as a long term money attracting investment, fell into the receivership of foreigners, with the majority of the profits leaving the country, in perpetuity.)

80's Latin America Collapse

Scroll down to long term chart. Inflation exceed 130%
Mexico Inflation

A Short Macroeconomic History of Mexico

[ViBiker]

Originally Posted by froze

But again the deficit is meaningless, ...

Does the widening US trade deficit pose a threat to the economy?

Foreign Ownership of U.S. Infrastructure

The "Great American Sell Off" ticker

Foreign Ownership of U.S. Infrastructure

Foreign ownership of U.S. companies jumps

Foreign Ownership of US Domestic Industries

"Foreign Ownership of US Domestic Industries

This data comes from IRS (Internal Revenue Service) – Current as of 2002 (latest data available).

Foreign ownership refers to ownership of assets of a particular industry by foreign controlled domestic U.S. Corporations (FDC) 50% or more owned by a foreign entity.
FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF SELECTED U.S. INDUSTRIES

Industry Percentage Foreign Owned
Sound recording industries 97%
Commodity contracts dealing and brokerage 79%
Motion picture and sound recording industries 75%
Metal ore mining 65%
Motion picture and video industries 64%


Wineries and distilleries 64%
Database, directory, and other publishers 63%
Book publishers 63%
Cement, concrete, lime, and gypsum product 62%
Engine, turbine and power transmission equipment 57%


Rubber product 53%
Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing 53%
Plastics and rubber products manufacturing 52%
Plastics product 51%
Other insurance related activities 51%


Boiler, tank, and shipping container 50%
Glass and glass product 48%
Coal mining 48%
Sugar and confectionery product 48%
Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying 47%


Advertising and related services 41%
Pharmaceutical and medicine 40%
Clay, refractory, and other nonmetallic mineral products 40%
Securities brokerage 38%
Other general purpose machinery 37%


Audio and video equipment mfg and reproducing magnetic and optical media 36%
Support activities for mining 36%
Soap, cleaning compound, and toilet preparation 32%
Chemical manufacturing 30%
Industrial machinery 30%


Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investments and related activities 30%
Other food 29%
Motor vehicles and parts 29%
Machinery manufacturing 28%
Other electrical equipment and component 28%


Securities and commodity exchanges and other financial investment activities 27%
Architectural, engineering, and related services 26%
Credit card issuing and other consumer credit 26%
Petroleum refineries (including integrated) 25%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments 25%


Petroleum and coal products manufacturing 25%
Transportation equipment manufacturing 25%
Commercial and service industry machinery 25%
Basic chemical 24%
Investment banking and securities dealing 24%


Semiconductor and other electronic component 23%
Paint, coating, and adhesive. 22%
Printing and related support activities 21%
Chemical product and preparation 20%
Iron, steel mills, and steel products 20%


Agriculture, construction, and mining machinery 20%
Publishing industries 20%
Medical equipment and supplies 20%


FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF MAJOR U.S. INDUSTRIES

Industry Percentage Foreign Owned
Mining 27%
Information 24%
Manufacturing 20%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 20%
Finance and insurance 11%

The IRS no longer publishes this data.

Possibly because it is so frightening?
Almost certainly the "sell out" has progressed much further!

I am not trying to scare anyone "senseless"!
I am ... trying to scare everyone "sensible"!

This country is actually helping finance its own sale! And oil imports are the major factor! We are trading our most profitable businesses and properties for consumable fuel. (Quite literally, "going up in smoke".)

Anything that helps slow this trend must be tried. After enough steps, hopefully, we might have some hope of reversing it.

The greatest danger with a trade imbalance is that, the Dollar should devalue, causing inflation and "recession". It has not declined as far as warranted, indicating that it is being artificially supported. Some might think this to be a good thing, unfortunately, instead, it is primed for a catastrophic collapse.

Sadly, the bright side is that the foreign investors, can't risk the collapse of their US investments, and are probably the ones artificially supporting the US Dollar!

They must keep their US businesses functioning and profitable, sending more money to the owner countries. Bleeding the US dry, as long as there is any life in it.

To promote gas powered scooters & motorcycles (powered by, mostly, imported oil ) and criticize the use of electric, (domestic-renewable energy), ... I would have to call anti-American, if not bordering on "criminal"?

Trade Deficit - by year