[Vnbiz] Not on Vietnam but may shed light on the inflation debate....a readers rsponse from

Tue Mar 11 04:10:05 PDT 2008

Hi all:

Searching the following site will lead to the "Soapboxes" on Energy, and
some very interesting discussions.

http://mitworld.mit.edu/

One researcher that was particularly compelling was working on genetically
engineering cells to be able to form into organisms that would act as
batteries, fascinating.

Craig

On Tue, Mar 11, 2008 at 3:39 AM, Craig Stevenson <cstevenson2000 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear Phong:
>
> I will post the links to the podcasts as soon as I have found them and you
> can review the perspectives of those more knowledgeable than me.  In
> addition to the points on Silica, they discuss options and the absolute
> futility of one single, even that all possible options well planned
> might not even being enough, certainly isn't enough at current levels of
> technology.  Transmission of energy is the key .
>
> One major question is that if the world is moving toward free markets and
> globalization is creating a single world market then why has there been a
> proliferation of regional trading blocs?
>
> (certainly different forms and levels of integration, but nonetheless is
> more the trend where the WTO is but a baseline of trade integration and even
> an FTA a higher level of commitment to speak nothing of customs union,
> common markets, and monetary unions)
> EU
> NAFTA
> ASEAN
> Mercosur
> GCC
>
>
> WTO = the lowest common denominator and not nearly as special a
> relationship as those listed above
> etc....
>
> Might it be that the vision of market supremacy has changed will change
> where there is such intervention in markets.  Might it not be better were
> development, and primacy of trade relations be conducted on a bio-regional
> scale?
>
> These are the questions which I believe will rise in importance as we move
> forward.  If there is one-thing that I have learned over the years it is
> that common consensus rarely results in actual manifestation of that
> conceded; ie things rarely turn out to be as expected.  Wild Cards,
> Alternative Futures, an human expectations all shape what is coming.  Excuse
> me for believing my perspective right, but I have been proved right too many
> times over the last 15 years.  As always, perhaps, my persepctive is wrong,
> I just don't think so and hear few arguments that convince me otherwise.
> Finally, I do not think greed is the admirable quality (that should be)
> driving the development of man.
>
> Craig
>
>
>
>  On Mon, Mar 10, 2008 at 8:22 PM, <Hong-Phong_Pho at ita.doc.gov> wrote:
>
> > [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
> >
> >
> >
> > Dear anh Craig:
> > It goes without saying that governments will try to intervene, some more
> > than others, some only as necessary, others much more than necessary.
> > Between the two extremes of command and market economy, I think we can
> > generally agree and which one works better at generating wealth.  As to
> > distribution, it's academic if all you have to spread around is poverty.
> >  Vietnam is still recovering from economic commandism, that's why I try to
> > steer clear of any suggestion to have the government engaged in such direct
> > interference.  I am not oblivious to pressures you mentioned.  Vietnam is
> > already restricting rice exports to help ensure food security. Subsidize
> > rice prices if you have to by discharging reserves.  Subsidizing fertilizers
> > for farmers as necessary.
> > Dear anh Hoanh:
> > So much for "All private companies have to do the same thing to "pass-on
> > the saving" to the customers if they want to stay in business for a long
> > time."?
> > So why won't the U.S. government just take all the "windfall" profits
> > from the U.S. oil companies and give U.S. consumers a break on gas
> > price?
> > Instead, between local and federal taxes, gas prices are even higher
> > than charged by the oil companies.
> > You talk about US still subsidizing oil companies.  Do you know what
> > these subsidies are for and why they are in place?
> > Yes, supply and demand still work, even in this environment.  Oil
> > companies took big risks for big returns.
> > Best,  HPP
> >
> > P.S.  Insolation favors countries closer to the equator.  Silica is
> > sand, among the most abundant resource on earth.  Scientifically, we are not
> > there yet for photovoltaics, so solar will have to be one a among a number
> > of alternative energy solution.  HPP
> >
> >
> >
> >   *"Tran Dinh Hoanh" <tdhoanh at gmail.com>*
> > Sent by: vnbiz-bounces at mail.saigon.com
> >
> > 03/09/2008 09:39 PM   Please respond to
> > vnbiz at vietlinks.net
> >
> >     To
> > vnbiz at vietlinks.net  cc
> >   Subject
> > Re: [Vnbiz] Not on Vietnam but may shed light on the inflation
> >  debate....a readers rsponse from
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
> >
> > Dear anh Craig & CACC,
> >
> > What you said about alternating price support and
> > alternative-energy-research depending on economic conditions makes good
> > sense.  We ought to think about that seriously.  The world is so depending
> > on oil that world politics is so messed up due to oil.  Eventually we will
> > run out of oil anyway.  I think the world will be much more balanced if
> > solar energy becomes a main source of energy.  It will be a great equalizer,
> > just like Internet, because, with little variation here and there,  the sun
> > very much shines equally on all countries.
> >
> > BTW, I wonder if there is any alternative energy research currently in
> > Vietnam?   Does anyone know the answer?
> >
> > Have a great day!
> >
> > Hoanh
> >
> > On Sat, Mar 8, 2008 at 1:40 AM, Craig Stevenson <*
> > cstevenson2000 at gmail.com* <cstevenson2000 at gmail.com>> wrote:
> > [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
> >
> >
> > Dear CACC:
> >
> > Frankly, aren't oil reserves for VN nearing elimination.  Without
> > resolution of the Spratley's (Sorry I do not know the VN name) crucial to
> > any real further discussion of this.  Really, despite high costs at present
> > shouldn't we be discussing taxes to be used for other generation of enrgy
> > resources, alternatives.  Subsidy might lessen the blow to the consumer
> > which is important to offset wage increase demands and perhaps to subsidize
> > fertilizer to farmers etc to offset domestically produced food costs for the
> > same reason.  Any talk of subsidy should also speak of taxes in the same
> > manner marked to prices in the market.  Perhaps, oil rises and subsidies
> > kick into place, oil falls and subsidies lessen or taxes kick in at certain
> > prices which go earmarked to an energy indepndence fund, etc...
> >
> > Phong, in all reality, wouldn't current events seem to imply that the
> > concept that "markets rule and should rule" is undermined to the very large
> > imbalances in a world economy that isn't actually, fully dependent upon
> > market forces.  All intervene in every market to varying degrees.  Further,
> > it might be that the curent "market-supremacy model", built for/from
> > political expediency in an era of the cold war, that currently
> > philosophically reigns, might not actually be relevant, or lasting, in a
> > world where, despite how we (would, might) prefer it be, doesn't exist in
> > reality.  A peg distorts the market, as does a tax, as does financial
> > globalization, inequality, interdependence, and speculation unfortunately.
> >  Might it not be that neither Hayak nor Keynes is right.  Of course neither
> > should VN reutrn to a command economy, especially after the distribution of
> > wealth effects of late, nor should it blindly follow a market rules
> > philosophy. I believe the world misunderstands  the nature (and certainly
> > misjudges the implications) of the fundamental shifts that could occur quite
> > quickly do to global imbalances and I guarentee possible movement doesn't
> > likely tend toward free market liberalism.
> >
> > Craig
> > On Sat, Mar 8, 2008 at 12:39 AM, Tran Dinh Hoanh <*tdhoanh at gmail.com*<tdhoanh at gmail.com>>
> > wrote:
> > [ Vietnam Business Forum ]
> >
> >
> > Dear brother Phong,
> >
> > Oil will never be a "market economy."  At least not in our lifetime.
> >  Oil is a global monopoly.  Oil price is a monopoly price determined by
> > OPEC.  So the price of oil is not really ruled by supply and demand of a
> > market economy.
> >
> > That is why in a year when the American citizens paid exhorbitant prices
> > for gasoline and gas price rose continuously (and still rising as of now),
> > Exxon had a 41-billion-USD profits in 2007, the largest profit in the US
> > corporate history.  Four largest oil companies had more than 100 billion USD
> > of profit in 2007.   *
> > http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/economy/2008/02/01/exxons-profits-measuring-a-record-windfall.html
> > *<http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/economy/2008/02/01/exxons-profits-measuring-a-record-windfall.html>
> >
> > And the US government is STILL subsididing US oil companies.
> >
> > Vietnam oil is controlled by two monopoly arms in import and export.
> >  And the monopolies won't go away anytime soon because of the important role
> > of oil in the national security and economy and becasue the monopolistic
> > nature of the global oil industry.
> >
> > So any talk about "market economy" and the law of supply and demand in
> > oil is unrealistic.   It is "supply and demand" in a distorted and
> > monopolistic environment.  What we need to do is to understand the
> > monopolistic character of oil industry to structure production, distribution
> > and pricing in a way that is fair and good for citizens and the national
> > economy, and not to allow absurd things happen like in the US--the
> > government subsidizing oil companies, and in a year when citizens pay rapid
> > price increases, oil companies post record windfall profits.
> >
> > Have a great day!
> >
> > Hoanh
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Tran Dinh Hoanh, Esq., LLB, JD
> > Washington DC _______________________________________________
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