SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Completely Tangential - Oil

Now 34 years later, it appears we have the same mentality. Why invest today, since it won't create a return for years. Had the government, oil corporations, the Wal-Mart’s had a vision, they would invest. Look at JAPAN they don't expect a profit for years after their initial investment. Other countries (Brazil) have governments subsidized the development of Ethanol from sugar cane (which they have an abundant supply), and now they are no longer dependent on foreign oil. And they actually have oil refineries (best in the world) that take imported oil, produce gasoline/diesel and sell it on the world market. A gallon of ethanol in Brazil cost's less than a dollar. It does not cut into their food supply. On another note they have finally stabilized their money, and probably the richest third world country. All the investment occurred because Brazil had a vision for their country. We need to envision the next 20 years, and determine the direction of our country. Of course I don't believe anyone in politics (republican/democrats) today is even remotely concerned about 20 years from now.

We also need to develop more local soccer teams, we only have 5 clubs in the low-country and only 5 clubs in the mid-lands. I think the number should increase, not be consolidated. That creates more competition, more on the american capitalistic way.

Also North East Columbia would benefit with a more local club, and not have to share fields 30 miles away! Both CESA and CUFC are centered in the IRMO-Ballentine area; Lexington is also closer to Irmo. If I'm not mistaken Congaree is in that area also. My daughter received a card today from CESA-COLUMBIA, and was interested until I found out we still have to drive 30-40 miles to get to practice. I don't mind playing out-of town games, but we should have 5 days of practice locally. Florence is too distant, Luggoff-Elgin-Camden have no offering. Who is willing to step up and create/develop a mid-lands EAST club!

Brasil has one of the weirdest economies in the world and you can't benchmark them against anyone else. We (my company) have a large presence there.....and cost benchmarking is seen as an exercise in futility.

Americans need to suck it up and get used to $5/gallon gas. Europeans have dealt with it forever.

Hey Daddy,

Can I get those six weeks of "holiday" that those Europeans get too?

Of course, with gas at $5/gallon, I won't be able to afford to go anywhere.

European economic and social structure is also very different from ours; they are not as affected by fuel prices as an economy based on moving goods and people over wide areas like ours. Comparing their fuel prices to ours is almost apples to oranges; we are not set up to just "deal with it."

db,

my company has a huge presence there and not a lot flows out, cpaital wise. Not sure all the reasons.....but pretty sure a good bit of the profit has to stay in the country.

importing and exporting is not a cut and dried thing. very regulated economy.

I've met a bunch of brasilians over the years....one of them wasn't of german heritage.

Coach I don't understand your point at all. Europeans are very trade oriented and I don'tknow that the European Union is a whole lot smaller than what the typical North American traverses.

In fact, most of the Europeans I know are FAR more traveled than the average American.

Europeans deal with things like higher tax rates and outrageous gas prices by having smaller, less ostentatious lifestyles and by driving smaller, far more fuel efficient cars.

The average South Carolinian whose kid plays for CESA or Bridge or CUFC or Discoveries or Mount Pleasant....is probably living on a house at least 3000 sq feet and driving something along the lines of a Suburban or some other oversized gas guzzler.

The middle class professionals that I know in Germany live in apartments or 1800 sq foot homes and drive 300 series beemers or vw equivalents with a turbocharged diesel engine.

BD,

For one thing, it's that same ostentatious consumerism you mention that fuels (no pun intended) our economy. Smaller, more conservative lifestyles means less buying and spending, which means less demand for consumer goods, which means...well, I imagine you do understand at this point where I'm going. Much of our commerce today involves goods and services that people buy simply because they CAN afford them. Decrease demand for these products in order to afford gas, and you decrease the need for jobs to produce them, revenue and taxes from selling them, etc. I'm not saying we couldn't get by without these things like the Europeans do; I'm saying the way we're currently structured, we've grown socially and economically dependent on them.

We've also become dependent on transportation to balance (1) the ideal location of our homes and (2) having the ideal job. Seldom do the two occur within a mile of each other in sprawling America. We're a nation of suburbs where it's not uncommon for people to drive 20-40 miles round trip per day to work, part of the way through gas-guzzling traffic. I personally have a 35-mile round trip commute, and I know many at my school who travel considerably farther. Outside of major cities, we don't have the kind of public transportation system to handle these commutes. Therefore, rising gas prices have a higher effect on the commuter in suburban America than on Europeans who either live in the cities with public transportation, or who live in small towns and villages that are more or less self-contained and who seldom go to the neighboring towns or cities except on special occasions.

Free-spirited tourism is also a part of our culture, and much of that is dependent on the ability of the family to jump in the station wagon (ok, updated since National Lampoon's Vacation to the SUV) and drive the kids to Wally World, or the adults to the resort, or the Grand Canyon, or whatever. The bulk of American tourism is based on automobile traffic, not mass transit such as airlines or trains. Therefore, the individual consumer in America is hit harder by travel expenses and is less likely to vacation than the European who has been used to jumping on a bus or a train and sharing the expense with dozens of others, and therefore our tourism industry takes a bigger hit when fuel prices rise.

As for trade, we are also in the habit of shipping more common goods over greater overland distances; European production tends to be somewhat more localized. You can find oranges from California in your South Carolina grocery store anytime you want; hammocks made on Pawley's Island are shipped to Colorado, huge farms and dairies ship meat, veggies, and milk in all directions...local mom'n'pop businesses have been all but eliminated in favor of production giants that are dependent on...you guessed it...shipping. Europeans are very trade-oriented, yes, but check the European road systems and compare their average overland shipments to the vast fleets of 18-wheelers pounding our highways in this country who are now looking at double the fuel expenses of just a couple of years ago. Since very few things are locally made or grown, when fuel and shipping go up, prices of almost everything go up.

Perhaps if not apples to oranges, at least a Macintosh to Granny Smith comparison...you mention most of the Europeans YOU know being far more traveled than the AVERAGE American. This is not necessarily evidence that the AVERAGE European is FAR more traveled than the AVERAGE American...just the ones who are worldly enough to have come in contact with you. Besides, we don't consider Americans "well-traveled" because they've been to the neighboring state--even though in some cases that trip may match or exceed the mileage required to see three or four European countries.

I agree in some cases about the stereotypical "club soccer family" with the big suburban home with the big Suburban gas-guzzler, but as soccer expands and gains popularity as a sport, more and more "average" athletes and families are becoming involved--some of whom have to take the difference in gas prices into account when deciding if they can travel to practices several times a week and games halfway across the state, no matter what they drive. It would be a shame to see soccer get even more of a reputation as an "exclusive" sport because only the elite can afford the transportation required to participate in club.

I was very brief before because I was pressed for time...I apologize if my previous lack of detail hindered your understanding of my point.

Worldwide fuel shortage? Nah.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0502-01.htm