I’m Annoyed
Posted on Apr 06, 2008 - 8:13am by Everitt Mickey in Economy
with the truck strike crybabies.
Ok. Maybe I’m being harsh, but it gets old.
They don’t listen.
Strike. Strike. Strike. As if that’s going to do ANY good.
All the good it’ll do is make trucks, truckers and ESPECIALLY owner-operators look bad to the public. The news media will see to that. Trucks and trucking doesn’t have a very good rep. right now….thanks to the news media, CRASH, MADD and many others….a strike would only make it worse.
Do you want automatic speed-limiters, nationwide idle-reduction (like California..but worse?), Mandatory GPS or satellite tracking…”paperless logs”? Do you REALLY want big brother looking over your shoulder every minute of every hour of every day?…..any more than they are anyway? An effective strike might go a loooooong way toward making that a reality.
Buncha babies. “waaah….do what I want or I’m gonna huuuuuuurt myself”.
Ridiculous.
And you know what’s really disgusting? The whiners are so ignorant…so out of touch with reality that they’re blaming the wrong people. I know, I know…..it’s Bush’s fault. Last I’ve heard he’s been blamed for everything from premature babies to melting glaciers. What a guy…even superman couldn’t do all that. Powerful as the US Government is there are things that are MORE powerful. Like Economics.
Listen up kiddies….you children who are whining for a strike. We’re in a jam. You know at least that much…right?
The cause of the jam is multifaceted. (oops…big word..sorry) er….there are many reason for the jam.
1. The enviromental movement which has gone completely overboard. I mean who CARES if the pink bellied scum sucker is endangered. When I was a kid there was serious talk about how to eliminate such critters. Pests. Now the greenies think pests more important than people. Malaria has made a comeback because of such thinking.
This out of control, feel-good, out of touch with reality, anti-human attitude has spawned outrageous rules, redtape and multiple bottlenecks toward getting anything done. Have you any idea how long it would take to put in a new Oil Refinery? Well it’d take about ten years just to get the permits.
Then another fifteen or so….standing in line…before things “start happening”. The Oil Refinery builders are pretty much booked soild. ..for years. Guess who they’re building for? Do you speak Mandarin?
2. This brings up another problem. Process Control . Education. Where are you going to go to in the United States to learn automated process control. (can’t build an oil refinery with out it…too complicated..oil refinery won’t work so good on manual…tends to go boom.)….if I heard correctly the last course was closed just a little while ago…in Oklahoma. (I could be wrong…I sincerely hope I am…please let me be wrong) Not enough students. Not PC. Too hard. The students would MUCH rather take advanced basket weaving or some such silly stuff. The “feel-good” social stuff. Arts.
We’re getting to be somewhat short on engineering talent in certain fields. Thirty years ago an acquaintance of mine entered the field of Petro-engineering. Naturally he was one of the youngest in the field being just out of college. Guess what? He’s STILL one of the youngest in his field….and he’s fifty now. The kids in college would rather study easy stuff than stuff that matters…then whine about not getting paid. “Would you like fries with that”?
Thank the environuts and the liberals for that too….they degraded reality in the eyes of the youngsters. Rather than work for a living many (most?) think they’re “owed”. Guess again.
3. As I’ve harped on in previous posts….supply and demand. China is a competitor now….as is India. Both countries’ economies are booming and they’re dragging themselves out of the stone age….suddenly they’ll have the stuff we had fifty years ago. Think about it. We’re talking about BILLIONS of people….who suddenly want oil for THEIR cars, their powerplants, their plastics industry. They’re willing to pay for it too. That’s why ….really, really why….the cost of Oil has gone up. And it’s not going down till the supply increasea a LOT or we find a substitute.
So we up the supply. Like…..drilling in ANWAR? Nope…can’t…fragile Alaskan Tundra. So drill off the coast of California. Nope…can’t…fragile Kelp beds. Ok…put up some more wind towers. Nope…can’t…might inconvenience the horny toad…and it spoils the view. So put in some nukes….ARE YOU CRAZY??? Nukes are evil…bad….spawn of the devil.
See what I mean….blocked at every turn. Then whine about the high cost of energy.
Bah….there’s other reasons. …the National Teachers Association and what they profess for one. The Democratic party for another. If the Democrats get elected this time it’s going to be Baaaaaad. The only reason we survived Clinton was that we were surfing the wave of prosperity that Reagan created. Since then that wave has had to fight thru a whole LOT of breakwaters….there ain’t a whole lot left of it. It’s getting precious little help at regenerating too.
What can you…as an individual do about it? First off Educate yourself. Don’t be ignorant. Ignorance is a curable situation…unlike stupidity. Ignorance is skin deep they say but stupidity goes all the way to the bone. Know what the situation is….not just what some loudmouth says on a CB. Check the facts.
When you do that…then make a few phone calls. A good start might be your elected Representatives…like your senator. Talk about the Fuel SurCharge a little. You’d be surprised that many of them have no clue…about the fuel surcharge…what it’s ment to do and how it’s being hijacked. I’m from Texas and my senators (or the gal who answered their phone and talked to me in their place) didn’t…they do now. I told them …and wrote a follow up letter.
Next…this is an election year. Big Clue here guys. What got us into this mess? Helllloooo?
Research and find out what REALLY happened….(Google is your friend…CBS , NBC, ABC, CNN, et. al. are your enemy)
Then come election time ……..vote. Throw the rascals out if need be. Politicians are very similar to diapers in that they often get dirty and need to be changed.
This next little while is going to be tough. Depending on what we do it’ll be tough or REALLY Tough or a complete disaster. I don’t expect the latter… cause this is America. There enough of us boneheads who don’t really give a flip about what other’s say or think and we’ll just keep on keeping on. Regardless. We’ll prevail or die trying.
As for the rest of you clowns…..we’ll I guess we’ll carry you along for the ride.
Just don’t rock the boat so much ….OK?
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Great points Mick. Fuel prices are in the headlines. Fuel prices is what the majority of the o/o’s understand.
I was talking to an o/o yesterday and he’s talking about parking his truck and driving a company truck. Yet, his truck is paid for, he’s getting good rates and he’s staying mostly busy. He’s doing good, but he wants to park his truck because of fuel prices. He parked his truck when fuel hit $2.50, but he’s back driving. But fuel prices didn’t go down.
What sense does that make?
I think most o/o’s understand this problem, but you wouldn’t know it from all the press and talk about these other idiots. We’re to busy working to waste our time with the stupidity.
Great post as always…
really liked the part about Superman lol
made my morning!!
Well I’m off to help the rest of the family get the truck cleaned back up since it’s nice outside
Could not agree more. I, too, am sick to death of the “sound-bite” mentality of a great big segment of this country. CNN tells them the economy is bad and they start wetting their pants. Senator Obama tells them it’s time for “change” and they take to the streets and swoon when he passes by. Never mind the obvious agenda CNN and Obama share, that would require a little deep thought.
The dollar is down, the money is out of the usual markets and into oil. Oil is a commodity just like pork bellies and the price has been bid up. It’s called capitalism. Solution: Put one drilling rig in ANWAR and see what happens to the price of oil per barrel. I’ll bet my bottom dollar it goes down faster than the gas gauge on a Hummer in a head wind.
Truckers take heart, the economy of capitalism will straighten this problem out if we can keep the brain dead politicians out of our business.
This is an issue effecting all of us and we MUST take a stand NOW. Our government IS a major contributing factor in the outrageous price of fuel, and the struggle American citizens are experiencing making ends meet. We must take action to get their attention. All other avenues has only fallen on deaf ears – our government is ignoring the will, and needs, of the American people.
In The Last Year
(88,000 Jobs Lost)
(2 Million American Citizens Lost Their Homes)
(28 Million American Citizens Projected To Be On Food Stamp Programs)
Our government officials are eating good dinners, are living in beautiful homes, are driving brand new vehicles and are collecting large salaries…on the American Citizen’s dollar. It’s time to take our country back.
STAND UP, SPEAK OUT OR ACCEPT WHAT COMES!!!
http://www.theamericandriver.com/files/TruckersAndCitizensUnited.html
Good debating technique.
I see how well you addressed all my points. With such a powerful argument and such a firm grasp on the facts………well. It’s obvious really…..
……….Why you’re having such a hard time.
My Condolences.
Why is it that no one can post where they are getting these facts from??
Still not supporting a strike because a strike doesn’t support my family.
Donna….you might check out the following
(88,000 Jobs Lost)
http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20070905_marketwoes.htm
(2 Million American Citizens Lost Their Homes)
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/IndustryInfo/story?id=3270561
(28 Million American Citizens Projected To Be On Food Stamp Programs)
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/02/0031.xml
where it is noted that:
…….Average monthly Food Stamp participation in this budget is projected to increase from 27.8 million to over 28 million recipients going forward…..
which figures to be something like a nine tenths of one percent increase.
Question….how many illegal aliens applied for foodstamps in that same time frame?
Thank you for providing me with that info
at least I know someone has the facts 
And I do agree with you about the illegal aliens. I took a neighbor to our local welfare office so they could sign up for job training (local company laid of 75% of their workers because they took their business overseas) and I swear there was a “foreign” (I’m not going to say of which ethnicity just because) FAMILY (not just one person but like 7 adults) that were in the office getting food stamps, housing help, and welfare. None of them could speak a lick of English. Then while I was waiting – there was a man that came in madder than a hornet trying to explain to the lady at the desk why he was mad (apparently they revoked the MediCaid for his family) but he could NOT tell her in English and even told her point blank “I don’t know how to say it in English.”
I was very upset.
I believe in people who are citizens getting what they deserve – but non-English speaking illegal immigrants? What exactly did they do to get these benefits?
I better stop before I start to rant
But thank you Mr. Mickey for being so kind to point me to those sites I do appreciate it!!
What a great post. Each of your posts regarding the so-called trucker’s strike has been filled with truth and logic whereas I’ve yet to read a pro-strike post by anyone, anywhere, that includes either; let alone both. I’ve also yet to read a pro-strike post that indicates the writer has even an inkling of a plan or, for that matter, goal. What, exactly, is the strike supposed to achieve? How, exactly, is a strike supposed to bring about lower fuel prices? How’s a strike supposed to bring about higher freight rates?
Once again, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The strike is little more than a temper tantrum thrown out of a frustration with the driver’s/striker’s inability to clearly communicate needs, wants, problems and solutions or understand the circumstances in which they find themselves; as well as the causes and consequences of those circumstances. It’s the reason two year old children throw tantrums and, it seems to me, it’s the reason some drivers are resorting to what amounts to a tantrum now.
No thought, no goal, no plan; just noise. To paraphrase “The Scottish Play”:
The strike’s “but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”
(Macbeth Act 5, Scene 5)
I appreciate the kind words Phil, from you and others.
I try.
I LOVE Google….for obvious reasons. Facts, facts and more facts are, literally, at my fingertips. I can check ANYTHING in a matter of seconds. Love it.
Phil…you’re more technical than I am. I’m just a Texan who uses the “keep pushing until something hollers “calfrope” technique”. I’m sure there’s more subtle methods. In your copious spare time you might consider giving some thought to thinking about writing a post on the more subtle aspects of constructing search strings for Google.
Enquiring minds would like to know.
you people who think like this idiot about the trucker strike, need to get a life! Get out there in the real world, instead of sitting on your backsides making stupid remarks. That is all I have to say. I refuse to have a battle of wits with unarmed people. You will get yours soon! Wait till it happens to you! United we stand and divided we fall. Do you know where that quote comes from?
These truckers are the very people who bring everything you need to you. Trains can’t get it all. The attitude you sort of people have, is total ignorance. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!
Ok, so first off I’m a little confused are you FOR or AGAINST the strike? Because you are talking about an “idiot” and from what I see most of the posts on this particular thread are anti-strike (quit talking about it already!).
And if you ARE supporting the strike – then where is YOUR name?
From what I saw earlier this week while on the East Coast – USA Today had a shot of the “trucker rally” and I counted a whopping THREE bobtails in their picture. While at rest areas in Maryland, DC, and Virginia – not a one trucker was talking about striking. Instead, they were talking about how tired they were of hearing about the supposed strike.
After hearing that there were going to be thousands of people involved – I was looking forward to seeing all these trucks in convoys. Funny thing is – I NEVER saw one convoy the whole time we were there.
So I still stick to what I say: I don’t support a strike because the strike does NOT support my family.
When you say”These truckers”, means you’re not one, maybe you should stick with stuff you know, because it’s obvious you know nothing about this situation.
I agree on most points. Great post that took some thought, which can be rare when the words “truckers strike” are involved.
I hadn’t thought much about the big brother aspect, but they are dying to sell us all those gizmos on a legally
needed basis. Shut down vital services and watch them go into a frenzy over it. Combine shut down vitals from a minority of disgruntled folks along with the terrorist threat of a commercial vehicle, now you’ve got all the reason they need. Washington folks from both sides of the aisle drool over the chance to get in early on stock options for companies to service millions of vehicles. They might even give a million dollar speech at a company dinner for some lucky company that gets a contract.
However, I disagree with blaming the political parties. I don’t disagree that the politicians have played a part in the problem, but we elected them and we knew how they will act based on their parties and their affiliations.
For example, you mentioned the colleges and their lame classes. You are very correct that they are a problem, but the politicians act on the will of the people who give them money. Colleges, their alumni, and the companies depending on the graduates to fill positions give that money to them and largely dictate what is taught. The same goes for virtually everything government does. The aggression should be directed to the supporters of those politicians and very poor educational practices.
I’ve watched political changes quite a bit and it’s a game of whack-a-mole. Get rid of one and another is happy to do the same deeds. It’s been this way for a long time. Different parties are partial to different companies and groups, but the deeds are the same. The bickering between the parties seems to just be diversion from what’s really happening.
So when basket weaving gets the grants go after the basket makers. By the way, Longaberger, a large basket maker, is a very profitable business in my hometown. They actually want basket weavering classes funded by the government and they get grants for highways to their factory and other government support, believe it or not. It is insane that an ornamental basket company should receive any help at all from the government, but when they don’t get it, they start talking huge layoffs, so the politicians bend. When oil companies get grants, then misuse the money, we need to write them and expose them too. The politician could care less, unless you’ll send a donation to his campaign.
It’s suppose to be a free market and companies have learned that you knock out the competition with government grants to your favor and legislation against your competition. Look at everything the ATA does for examples of this in action. Write ATA companies and post what they are doing anywhere you can. Expose them. Follow suit with other companies receiving government welfare and begging for legislation.
You watch who the winners are in these “truckers strikes”. Look at who the winners support both directly and indirectly. Campaign contributions are a drop in the bucket. You have to look at who is having these politicians speak for big money, who these politicians families are doing business with, and any other financial connects. Yes, Google is your friend.
When you have drivers that care so little about their own business that they will enter lease contracts without even reading them, it’s just a matter of playing to their whims to get them to do whatever you want. I believe now that you can even talk them into committing business suicide to get out of your way. How many drivers have been looking for a smarter way to run, and I don’t mean fuel boosters pills or oil additives? How many have thought that they may need reserves for a day like this, and if they weren’t earning enough to get them, get out before things get worse?