akapital

How Does Ethanol React to Deflation?

consider VRNM and BP partnership an ethanol trade. Their biomass to ethanol process is in the black if gas is north of $3.00 dollars a gallon. A good trade to hedge a long oil position with me thinks and to diversify the corn ethanol hedge.

Corn and Its Industry: The Next Tobacco

@SCC, when I wrote "...more equitable distribution does not equal socialism" I am literally referring to the definition of socialism. It is a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

In short, socialism has nothing to do with equitable distribution. Neither does communism. This is a very common misunderstanding propogated by those who create strawmen arguments against socialism and communism.

It has to do society or gov't sharing ownership or share of control. But it does not mean that every person has equal share or control. In fact, a common mantra of socialism/communism is to each "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

Marx delineated the specific conditions under which such a creed would be applicable - a society where technology and social organization had substantially eliminated the need for physical labor in the production of things, where "labor has become not only a means of life but life's prime want." Marx explained his belief that, in such a society, each person would be motivated to work for the good of society despite the absence of a social mechanism compelling them to work, because work would have become a pleasurable and creative activity. Marx intended the initial part of his slogan, "from each according to his ability" to suggest not merely that each person should work as hard as they can, but that each person should best develop their particular talents.

And in closing, just because I want to use an informed definition of socialism does not mean that I am a proponent. But I am a proponent of using proper definitions.

Corn and Its Industry: The Next Tobacco

oh yeah and another thing, more equitable distribution does not equal socialism. Most of the people who invoke that word have no idea what it actually means. Its not their fault though, they have been bag fed since birth...sort of like those poor cows....

Corn and Its Industry: The Next Tobacco

to those who find the article speculative or baseless consider that all of these livestock eat grass in nature (as opposed to what is provided to them as domesticated). The natural evolution of these animals along with us and the foodchain over millions of years is scientific fact. This is how we have evolved. The last 100 or so years of artifice, of corn feed stock is de-evolution. We have essentially created an artificial food chain that goes against what is healthy and life promoting. So you're argument for status quo food and fuel is in the big picture based on about 100 years of experiment vs. millions of years of contrary data. In short, you are short sighted and dead wrong.

That said, there are still lots of good uses of corn...they're making lots of biodegradeable stuff out of it now....

VeraSun Energy:Buyout Candidate, If Obama Wins

I wonder if BP/VRNM can use an ethanol facility for their bio-mass ethanol process, if so, perhaps BP is interested in VSE?

The Global Food Crisis: From Panic to Organic

Specialization (be it agriculutural or otherwise) has historically brought great benefits but always at a cost. It is time to consider whether that cost is worth it.

Consider, would we need so many roads and so much infrastructure if people ate and worked close to home? Would we need a specialist to fix "everything we have" if we learned more about what we use. It use to be very common for people to sustain their own house, car, and garden as well as work a full time job. More recently that full time job has taken up more and more of our time.

The 40+ hour work week is a fairly recent phenomenon. Contrary to popular belief humans have historically enjoyed a good amount of leisure time. It is about finding a balance...