We were discussing ICE vs EV vehicle sales, not energy subsidies.

However, the point of oil subsidies is to help stabilize oil supply/prices. If the government got out of the way of the market, allowed more drilling, stopped starting unnecessary wars that cause global instability, and stopped depressing our economy and causing massive inflation through uncontrolled spending/printing, just to name a few, we likely wouldn't need those oil subsidies.

Many, if not most, of the problems government attempts to "solve" were caused by government to begin with.

Even if you eliminated oil subsidies, you'd still need to do the same for electricity subsidies to truly level the playing field.

My original point stands.

Let's check again when we have a healthy economy for people to purchase vehicles and when the government levels the playing field by eliminating EV government subsidies.

The whole reason for government subsidies is to encourage people to buy something they wouldn't buy without government assistance. ICE vehicles don't enjoy this advantage. Not to mention, nearly half will likely return EVs due to regret.

Therefore, you're comparing apples to oranges and seem blissfully ignorant of this simple fact. You've proven unqualified to discuss the issue. A "smidge" of research and common sense would go a long way.

You've described the mutual benefit found in capitalism. From the Ayn Rand Institute:

Between high taxation, high regulation, high spending/inflation, the government has completely subverted free market capitalism in the United States. Taking the fruit of people's labor is akin to slavery and is used to control people.

This is what happens when we disrespect and discard our basic freedoms. Personal happiness is not possible without freedom.

While we've been forced to integrate many cultures through the years, and especially these days, due to political corruption, that's not what our country (or any country) is about. Our country has legal borders and is defined by our constitution, which says nothing about superpowers, cultural integration machines, or anything at all about immigration, forced or otherwise.

Most first and second generation legal immigrants have done their best to integrate and resent illegals, who cut in line and further disrespect America by failing to assimilate. Most legal immigrants have come here for our existing American culture, centered around freedom and liberty, not the false, new religion that worships "diversity". Talk about nebulous non-sense.

Why do you assume the best parts are absorbed? When we don't require assimilation, which respects freedom and liberty, we could just as easily absorb the worst aspects of a foreign culture. Why do you assume the best from foreigners? There are good people and bad people everywhere. If we need to allow any immigration, it should mostly come from countries who already share most of our culture and language. Another word for immigrating unwelcome and foreign people is invasion, which is what we have right now, in fact.

Ask yourself, why is it only Western countries are expected to bring in endless hoards of foreign speaking people with their foreign culture, while "countries of color" don't have that same expectation imposed? Diversity and immigration are scams used to divide and conquer, nothing more.

That's not diversity, that's apprenticeship and mentoring. While inexperienced employees can gain valuable lessons from veteran employees, the inexperienced employees can't offer much in return. Just another example of so-called diversity being a detriment rather than a magical advantage.

Different native cultures and languages will only make it harder to work together as a cohesive team. Employees will naturally be best suited to serve the country they are from, not countries and cultures that are foreign. Yet another claim of diverse-supremacy with no logic or sense.

I've only heard Democrats, and other political activists, peddle those false claims. You're projecting, and your bigotry is showing.

P.S. Amazon's services have gotten much worse over the years, matching a similar, ongoing decline in other industries. I receive damaged and improperly packed items all the time. If people like you refuse to understand this and cooperate, automation will replace you.

I wasn't necessarily anti-vax before COVID, but certainly am now. I wouldn't take a flu vaccine if you paid me $1,000,000, let alone COVID.

Why do you think intelligent people would be running out to get a new, experimental, mRNA-based "vaccine" for something as consequential as a minor flu? Answer is they wouldn't, and most of them didn't.

You were never educated on the nature of the virus or the supposed "vaccine", so you never understood the risk. You're not pro-vax, you're pro-stupid and advertise it everytime you open your mouth.

Is Science Magazine anti-vax now that they say what "anti-vaxxers" have been saying since the beginning? They are now admitting long COVID symptoms can be vax-related, no shit. Just like the vax would prevent infection, oops, no it doesn't. The vax was also supposed to prevent transmission, oops, no it doesn't. Same for masks too, they don't prevent shit. Now, Science Magazine is confirming long COVID isn't "always" just long COVID. How long until they admit long COVID doesn't actually exist and that the many diseases they lumped under "long COVID" are actually various "vaccine" injuries?

Rare link between coronavirus vaccines and Long Covid–like illness starts to gain acceptance

Question is, will you ever learn? I'm betting no, each new contradictory piece of information just further entrenches you in your ignorance. You're a loyal member of the COVID cult. Fortunately, not everyone is that lazy and unintelligent, no matter what they tell you.

Quite the projection. In reality, free people are allowed to decide what medical treatments they subject themselves to and what medicines they put inside their bodies. That easily goes for masks and vaxes, especially, experimental, new vaxes, don't you think?

If you're too feeble or frightened to participate in society with the rest of us, then it is you who can go live in a cave and drop dead.

That you're not able to rely on your "vaccine" for protection and require others to take it proves you don't think the "vaccine" will protect you. If it won't protect you, why would you force it on your neighbor, and why would you expect your neighbor to think it works? You shouldn't and they won't.

You are an uncivil, freedom-hating tyrant that does not deserve to live in a free society with other people who actually respect freedom. Go find your cave and maybe you can evolve back into polite society, at some point, like the original caveman.

You Fauci worshipers were wrong again. Your time is over, we are done with you people.

The US is in a "proxy" war with a nuclear power right now. With the US's indirect and direct support of Ukraine, Russia would have every right to return fire. That's why they downed that expensive US surveillance drone that was feeding targetting and other intelligence information to the Ukraine military. Not to mention the US bombing of Russia's gas pipeline to Germany, that's a direct act of war.

True, being participants in this war puts the US at risk of the ultimate escalation, nuclear warfare. And, they were all just falsely claiming Trump would drive us to nuclear war. As usual, it was Democrat lies and projection, we're closer to nuclear war now since at least the cold war. They planned this Ukrainian war all along.

For too many, politics/government has become religion, government offices have become the church, and politicians/government officials have become gods.

It's not more virtuous to worship another person than to worship a god. Hope you're just as concerned with the religion of government and politics as you are with traditional religion. If anything, most worship a god to better themselves. Those who worship the heavy hand of government, prefer to control their fellow human. Nothing virtuous in that at all.

FIFY

Like our current economy, government regulation/intervention into our healthcare industry has destroyed it. Just look how bad things have gotten since Obamacare. And, fools, like rsilvergun, demand more, more, more. Some people never learn . . .

Wrong. My point wasn't that the iPhone is the only phone anyone can purchase. My point was, if you've already purchased an iPhone, need it for compatibility with other software/devices, or just have a personal preference, you should feel free to own one without Apple selectively crippling it at their whim. A simple checkbox to disable Apple's "protections" would suffice. Try to follow along.

At any given time, a competitor to Apple or someone who says something Apple doesn't like could be banned from Apple devices. If you happen to like that app, you would be unable "to use your phone however you see fit". Why do you favor Apple profits over Apple customers/users?

Wrong. While a restaurant is a bad analogy, I can ask for my steak to be done a certain way (rare/medium/well), with or without mushrooms, and with or without sauce, and even how much. Just the same, I'm simply asking Apple to provide my phone without their "special sauce", it's really not that difficult.

Wrong. Businesses survive by providing their customers what they ask for, maybe that's why Apple only has 15% of the global market share and just recently reached market parity with Android in the US. You speak of common sense, but have displayed none.

Again, why are you uncomfortable with others using their phone as they see fit? Mind your own business.

You must break your phone a lot. Most aren't overly concerned with spending time in line at the cell phone store. Even less are concerned with what the person next to them is doing at the store. You sound like quite the Karen, probably real fun at parties.

Maybe going outside the "walled garden" voids the warranty or Apple prioritizes those who stayed in the "garden". What could possibly explain your motivation for discarding the freedom to run the software of our choice so frivolously? Do you work for or benefit from Apple's monopoly by chance?

I got one for you, I don't want to be inconvenienced by your failure to respect my freedom, so you shouldn't have any. If you fail to respect my freedom, I have no obligation to respect yours. Be gone to jail with your freedom-hating ass -- life sentence.

So what? Using you "logic", no one should be allowed to do anything because someone might make a "wrong" choice or mistake. Cars, planes, boats, knives, tools, hands, food, everything, can be abused/misused, you must be astonished we've been able to survive with that kind of freedom.

We have seatbelts in cars, but they are not required to start the ignition. The same could be said for Apple's walled garden, it should be enabled by default, but can be disabled by the user who will receive a warning. No need to steal people's freedom to use their phone how they see fit just to make people like you feel better.

You worry about you, and I'll worry about me. What I do is none of your business. That's how freedom works. The fundamental question you should ask yourself, why am I uncomfortable with others being free?

Why would you care what others do with their phones? I don't see anything wrong with Apple enabling the "walled garden" approach by default, but to not allow users to run whatever software they'd like on their phone is insulting to many of their customers. Seems more related to protecting Apple profits than Apple users.

To each their own, does mommy hold your pee-pee when you go wee-wee, too?

1. Did they have comorbidities? As already stated, those with COVID combormidities are at risk for severe COVID and should probably take the vaccine.

2. Are you sure those with "long COVID" or who died didn't suffer a severe vaccine reaction (especially within 2-4 weeks after the first injection or booster)?

These mRNA vaccines are experimental, and anyone who took them are part of the experiment. Congratulations, you lived . . . for now!

Take care, I'm not kidding.

Among other deficiencies, I'm going to say it's both with you.

Does it work better for you if I say "severe symptoms"? Only those with multiple comorbidities will be severely affected by COVID. According to the Mayo Clinic:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms can vary widely. Some people have no symptoms at all. But others become so sick that they need to stay in the hospital and may eventually need a machine to breathe.

The risk of developing dangerous symptoms of COVID-19 may be increased in people who are older. The risk may also be increased in people of any age who have other serious health problems — such as heart or lung conditions, weakened immune systems, obesity, or diabetes. This is similar to what is seen with other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu (influenza).

Each of these factors can increase the risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms. But people who have several of these other health problems are at even higher risk.

If you don't get serious symptoms, you get what amounts to a mild cold/flu or you're asymptomatic. Healthy, intelligent people wouldn't run out to get a vaccine (an experimental vaccine at that) for such a mild illness. It was a crime against humanity when governments required it!

You're either incredibly gullible or incredibly unintelligent, probably both.