ProfD

Alternative forms of transportation will definitely spring up from this oil money grab. Ride-sharing companies like Uber work within the economy of the area they service. The same ride/distance will cost more in NY than DC or Albuquerque. Electric Vehicles (EVs) will be more common in the US within the next 5 years or so. A few things I notice/speculate: 1) The purchase price of an EV is higher than its gasoline equivalent. 2) Oil companies are being allowed to make maximum profits on fossil fuel before EV takes off 3) EV will get the full green light when gas companies have installed charging stations at their locations and monetize it The current climate is definitely ripe for a secondary market where criminal entrepreneurs siphon and resell gas. But again, I think Americans are comfortable enough to pay $8 per gallon at the pump instead of pulling into an alley to fill up.

Great question. Considering oil companies still posted a profit during the pandemic, I think the transportation industry accounts for a greater chunk of fuel costs. So, instead of American motorists boycotting for 1 month, it would have be more like 3-4 months in order to really get their attention. Of course, I do not expect or foresee that happening at all. The American middle class has been expanded just enough to absorb inflation up to a point. Economists know the breaking point of the house of cards on which our economic system is built. They've probably forecasted that Americans can live with a national average of $8 per gallon.

Protest does not have to be that extreme. A good old fashioned boycott would send a message. If American motorists decided to stop driving and carpool and take other measures to avoid buying gas for 1 month, the oil industry would feel the pinch and reduce the price of gas immediately. As long as Americans continue to fill up gas tanks and jump in vehicles or take flights all over the place, there is no incentive to lower fuel prices.

Iran is considered a part of the axis of evil as defined by former POTUS Bush II after the 9/11 attack.

Same here. Glad to read you all too. Real life comes first. Handle your bizness.

H8ll to the naw. A teacher has zero business making a male wear a dress. Not for any reason. Not even if he begged her to let him do it. In addition to racism, I also take issue with this pussification of our society. Masculinity is under attack. Some men are allowing it. Athletes are physical specimens. Yet, these *dudes* are wearing tight pants and leggings and some are wearing dresses too. I recently saw a picture of an NBA basketball player wearing an outfit that I could only shake my head. I'm willing to bet they would not wear that same sh8t and walk into a penitentiary. As a caveman alphamale, I will never acquiesce to anything that emasculates manhood.

IMO, if fear brings in the cash from gun sales, the 2nd amendment provides the legal justification.

It's not about strolling around with a gun like it's the wild west. A home defense firearm makes a whole lot of sense if race soldiers receive the signal to carry out the purge of black folks. The bottom line is that if black folks legally have just as many firearms as white folks do and permission to carry them, it will make criminals think twice about doing harm because they won't know whether or not that person is strapped. Even white people believe *good* folks with guns neutralize the threat of *bad* people with guns. That's why they want to arm the teachers, janitor and receptionist. Again, there is a reason that white folks are stockpiling guns. I don't think black folks should continue to be be sitting ducks. In fact, if black folks start buying guns in record numbers, America will change the gun laws immediately.

Americans aren't complaining enough when the price of gas is 2.5 times higher than it was two years ago. I'm waiting for the Fossil Fuel Fleecing Matters protests. I'm a Sam's Club member myself. But, I've driven past and seen that line of vehicles at Costco so long that I thought they were giving gas away.

As the gun control debate continues, it only makes defenders of the 2nd amendment more nervous. So, the most logical thing for gun lovers to do is run out and buy more guns before the stores close. I doubt supply chain shortages will affect the gun industry. But, that won't stop folks from making sure they've got more than a couple firearms. Besides, if the government makes it harder for folks under 21 years old to buy an AR-15, those individuals are beating the legislation. Politicians will talk a good game but I do not believe gun laws will change in America. The 2nd amendment generates too much money.

Several months ago, we were told gas prices were going up as a result of the *ahem* conflict. Nevermind that the US only gets 2% of its oil from Russia. Most US oil comes from OPEC. Then, there's US oil reserves as a result of pumping a half million or more barrels per day over many years. In other words, there's no good reason for the price of gas to hit a $5 per gallon average or higher anywhere in America. Yet, the greedy oil companies and their allies will get away with it because Americans are too complacent to complain. I had a feeling that after a 2-year lockdown due to a pandemic and economic slow down and raising the minimum wage, Americans would be forced to pay up. Sure enough, we've got inflation and higher interest rates to go along with runaway gas prices. I'm just wondering if Americans will tap out before the midterm elections. To that end, I wouldn't be surprised if gas prices drop precipitously shortly after Labor Day.

It definitely looks like America is on a collision course to implode under its largesse of racism, greed, ignorance, stupidity, etc. As I mentioned in the asteroid thread, maybe it will take a catastrophic event to force a reset of humanity. Especially if *good* people are indifferent, afraid or unwilling to quarantine the *bad* people. Most human beings want the same basic things in life. A relative handful of folks are keeping the multitude from fully enjoying paradise.

Very few people seem to know or care avvut what that slogan "Make America Great Again" really means. The thought of a pre-1950s America does not seem like the most idyllic place for ANY minorities. No offense to those who grew up during the 1950s or prior and thought it was great.

South Africa has a total population of 60 million people. White folks make up 7.9% of the population or 4.7 million people. Even as minorities, white folks believe they are supposed to run a whole a country. Unbelievable.

The latest news is that Abbott Industries has resumed manufacturing baby formula. No clear timetable on when it will be readily available to feed the babies who really need it the most.

@Pioneer1, *no contact* is the best way to avoid an argument. If you must engage in non-constructive conversations, stick to asking questions and *wait* for the answers without interruption.

@Pioneer1, while some believe it is turning purple, beyond Atlanta, Georgia is still a very white state. Voter Suppression is their power play. IMO, Stacey Abrams is putting up a helluva fight considering the strength of her opponent. It's going to take a lot more resources and effort to correct the ills of her home state. NF Jr. provided the best commentary on POTUS Barack Obama. The Democrats *selected* him and used his intelligence and charisma to further the party agenda. There was no way those white folks were going to allow him to use their money to champion a pro-Black agenda. That's not how politics work. I have heard of brotha Gregg Marcel Dixon. He's running to unseat James Clyburn who happens to be one of the key folks in galvanizing the black vote to secure the POTUS nomination for Joe Biden. Brotha Dixon has the right amount of passion and energy to put up a fight. If he's able to beat Clyburn which is an uphill battle, I think he'll end up in a position similar to Rep. Cori Bush (MO). Folks like Abrams, Dixon and Bush have their hearts and minds in the right place politically. But, black folks need to provide them with a solid agenda from which to work.

It's no secret that the system of racism uses EVERYTHING to undermine AfroAmericans which includes immigration. Immigration has impacted AfroAmericans for several decades now. Look no further than the labor force from the blue collar on down. That's why I have two (2) constants, 1) tear down the system of racism white supremacy and 2) build your own house. I told @Cynique that I would refrain from what blacks needs to do but.... AfroAmericans need to utilize their knowledge, skills, abilities, talent and resources to build its own wealth through vertical integration. AfroAmericans need to create jobs and opportunities for ourselves instead of being child-like dependents on a system that doesn't give a f8ck about us. When AfroAmericans have their own proverbial house in order and become self-sufficient, that gives us the power to build a nation within our country. An excellent point was made in the video about black folks leaving their home countries and coming to America. Rhetorically, I wonder why black folks leave a whole country of their own instead of building it.

Yep. Forcing people back into the workplace is about 1) control and 2) money. Some management folks believe they have to "see" people on order to believe they are working. It's also harder for some *managers* to justify their jobs when they're not looking over someone else's shoulder and/or taking credit for their work. Nevermind that an employee can show up to the building and spin around in their chair for 6 hours and take 2 hours between lunch and smoke breaks and talking to other coworkers. IOW, productivity cannot be measured solely by folks showing up to punch a clock. Office buildings cost money to operate (lease and utilities). But, they also feed into other businesses too. When folks show up for work they also have to spend money on transportation, gas, food, child care, etc. Controlling people and feeding the economy is driving employers to bring folks back to work.

Amazing that it has taken 100 years for folks to literally dig into from an archeological perspective what happened in Tulsa, OK. That's just one of several places black folks were thriving only to be massacred. The saddest thing is that black folks are not any more safe from race soldiers today than they were back in those days.

Absolutely. Since you're hip to NF Jr., you understand my approach to the forum. Mostly constructive dialog with a side of humor. No arguments though.

Agreed. We need raise and groom more folks like a Stacey Abrams and back them. It takes a LOT of money to toss a hat into the political ring.

The pandemic forced employers to allow folks to work frim home (telework). Productivity didn't seem to suffer. Yet, two years later, companies are looking to bring workers back into their offices even if it's a couple days per week or month. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-musk-says-tesla-needs-070712003.html Tulsa CEO Elon Musk has laid down the gauntlet. Workers can either put 40 hours in the office or pretend to work somewhere else. Musk is also threatening to cut 10% of the workforce due to a "super bad feeling" about the economy. Nevermind that Telsa made about $19 billion during the pandemic. The company hasn't missed a beat in producing electric vehicles or traveling to space. Nonetheless, the CEO calls the shots. If anyone is looking for employment, be on the lookout for job openings at companies like Tesla when the smoke clears.

I'll start topics that have less to do with racism and what black folks need to do. Sista @Cynique, hopefully, you will show up more often than Halley's comet. I miss your cynicism, er, presence around here.

@richardmurray, white supremacists and their race soldiers do not separate black folks by phenotype. The buffalo shooter only gave a pass to white folks. Otherwise, all black folks are subjected to the same forces within the system of racism. None are exempt based on phenotype, status, money, privilege, etc. Self-preservation within the system of racism has always forced black folks to side with the lesser evil. Fight for the US or Great Britain. Two sides of the same coin. Therein lies the reason for fragmentation or variance. Regardless of where someone resides on the planet, they should be *free* from any form of oppression. There should no system of racism. My definition of a black *leader* would not be someone who has an *individual* agenda in the black *community*. Reads more like opportunists. There is no shortage of them. Look no further than AfroAmerican churches and politicians. That's also why I don't believe black entertainers and athletes are role models and leaders in the black community. Many of them have made money. But, none of them has successfully used their platform to galvanize black folks into a collective capable of overcoming the system of racism. It is not that these *successful* black individuals cannot bring black folks together. The two biggest problems are 1) no knowledge of self (history) and 2) they do not understand the system of racism. The further removed people are from their own history (knowledge of self) and the more they are absorbed into the fabric of a racist system, they go beyond fragmentation and variance into becoming more diluted i.e. individuals. The system of racism thrives because white folks *know* their history and everyone else's and they do everything it takes to maintain their power over the entire planet.