I remember going to Scotland last year. Their currency is the pound. The exchange at the time was about 2 US : 1 pound. What sucks is the numerical price is the same. So you go to McDonalds and pay the equivalent of $8 US dollars for one of our $4 fried grease burgers. Would be very tempting to move to the US if for someone coming from the pound currency. Essentially double your net value.

Ill be in Paris over spring break. Hopefully the exchange with the Euro will be better by then although its not as bad as one would suspect right now.

 

which is exactly what i did

 

[QUOTE=soundzero,Nov 19 2004, 01:26 PM] Weakening Dollar exchange rate is to blame.
Between Euro and JPY that is about what you expect to pay in Europe.
When I was in Greece this summer,

 

That sounds great to the car buyer, but not to the auto worker (or workers in any industry that is kept afloat by tariffs).

Fact is, if we dropped all tariffs things would be much cheaper. But then many of us wouldn't have jobs so we couldn't afford them anyway. What would you rather, paying extra for your garage queen, or living in a cardboard box?

 

The tariff is collected by your government. But what do they do with the tariff? Is it forwarded to the the domestic automakers to offset manufacturing costs and pay their employees? Or is it just added to the government coffers general fund?

 

What is this, an audit? I don't know how much the government collects in tariffs, nor how much they subsidise the Aus auto industry. Suffice to say both are very big numbers and I'm sure any lobbyist can pick and choose from the figures to support whatever barrow they want to push.

The fact is, without these artificial measures, in a purely capitalistic world, Australia would be another third world country being raped by corporate multinationals for it's primary resources with a vast percentage of population living below the poverty line, probably with some elite families living high on the hog on kick backs.

If I have to be raped, I'd rather it be by a government I had a say in electing than by corporate multinationals and militant dictators.

 

Not an audit. Just curious if you knew how, why, etc.

Plus I will always question and try to understand why anyone would either justify or go along with being raped by anyone (government or individual). Everyone is free to surrender if they want. I guess I might just sleep better knowing they are freely surrendering oppose to being taken hostage.

Actually, that still wouldn't help me sleep better. FREEDOM!

 

The difference is your relationship with the government seems to be adversarial whereas I consider mine to be working for me. Hence I'm happy to fund it.

You fought the War of Independance because you refused taxation without representation under British rule. And you won. At what point did your government (the one that you fund with your taxes) stop being 'of the people, for the people'?

 

Since your not familar with our constitution your missing the point being 'of the people "by the people" for the people'. I am the government. Always, continuous, forever responsible to be on guard against those who would attempt to enslave me or my fellow citizens. That's everyone's job.

It's NOT to just vote every couple years and hope for the best from some selected ruler. We do not elect rulers. We select representative. We ARE a republic. NOT a democracy. Our rights are not granted by men. They are endowed by our creator. Therefore, they cannot be revoked or surrendered by men. They are intrinsic to every citizens very being. It is every citizens job to know, use and protect them.

inalienable: incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred.

 

Since you're not familiar with the english language I'll not take offense. Fact is when you start talking about your 'creator' you lose me completely. People all over the world are using the old 'creator' argument as an excuse for whatever they want. I feel it's one of our primary problems.

America was founded by puritans and it appears they still run the place. But keep in mind that whilst you're celebrating 'Thanksgiving' native Americans are mourning 'What the heck were we thinking' day.