Oh, to be an oil company

[Rome]

Silly rabbit...

[stillupfront]

No stealing.

Now that we're back on topic...how about those thieving oil companies?

What are they stealing? They have tghe right to set their prices. We have the right to buy it or not.

[Bristow]

I work for in the oil fields here in Texas.....let me tell you its the only good thing about texas.....yes the work sucks having to be out there in all and every weather.....but come payday its all worth it

[Diomedes]

What are they stealing? They have tghe right to set their prices. We have the right to buy it or not.

You have to eat.  Food prices are increasing on account of oil prices.  It takes oil to make the food and transport it.
You have to travel to work.  Transportation costs are increasing on account of oil prices, whether you drive or take mass transit.
You have to heat your home.  Utilities costs are increasing because of the price of oil, not just heating oil.

So yeah.  If you don't work, don't eat, and don't take shelter then you don't have to buy their product, or patronize others who do.

[stillupfront]

I work for in the oil fields here in Texas.....let me tell you its the only good thing about texas.....yes the work sucks having to be out there in all and every weather.....but come payday its all worth it

See, you don't count. Only the welfarfe state matters. The oil industry employs one hell of alot of people in this country. Refinery jobs pay well also. If these businesses weren't profitable, you would be out of work. But socialists would think that was okay because they could control your way of life by way of entitlements.

[QB Eagles]

Profit margins for oil companies are well below the average for US industry. Maybe Congress should drag all the other captains of industry before a panel to explain why they need to make more on the dollar than oil companies.

Better yet, if politicians want to dramatically reduce the cost of gasoline, they could do so easily by eliminating the taxes on it. The "windfall" on oil that is taken in by the government dwarfs the profits taken in by the oil companies, and instead of going to pork highway projects built by friends of congressmen, the oil companies split profits among millions of investors and use the rest to discover more oil and increase the efficiency of getting it to us.

[Butchers Bill]

So who should make money on oil and energy?  Private companies or the government?  Those are your two choices.

As Dio pointed out , people NEED oil/gas and food.  Does that mean the goverment should own it all and there should be no private ownership?  I do not think that is the way to go, simply because those profits in private hands will be reinvested into research and production.  Those same profits in government hands will be diverted to whatever the current administration wants to do with it (be it social programs, wars, whatever).  History has proven that the US government cannot be trusted with money and we shouldn't let them socialize oil.

[Diomedes]

So who should make money on oil and energy? Private companies or the government? Those are your two choices. As Dio pointed out , people NEED oil/gas and food. Does that mean the goverment should own it all and there should be no private ownership?

So that's it?  It's one or the other?  Only two possible options?

I do not think that is the way to go, simply because those profits in private hands will be reinvested into research and production. Those same profits in government hands will be diverted to whatever the current administration wants to do with it (be it social programs, wars, whatever).

You have some kind of crystal ball, to see what the government would do, in the incredibly unlikely event that the U.S. Oil industry were to be socialized?

History has proven that the US government cannot be trusted with money and we shouldn't let them socialize oil.

History has proven nothing of the kind.  History doesn't prove anything.  It only supports.  Many could argue the opposit nicely.  It would also be easy to show greivous faults in the Corporate world's record with our money.

[phillymic2000]

But socialists would think that was okay because they could control your way of life by way of entitlements.

Yeah, thats working well over in France these days.

[Wingspan]

how many different outlets do the oil company's have? meaning, by an estimate, how many gas stations, refineries, home heating oil companies? what does that profit number come to when you think of "per outlet"

does it really go against normal industry numbers?

oh...and i guess in a comparison, Comcast 1st Q 2004 profits were $65M...1st Q 2005? $313M

[stillupfront]

What are they stealing? They have tghe right to set their prices. We have the right to buy it or not.

You have to eat.  Food prices are increasing on account of oil prices.  It takes oil to make the food and transport it.
You have to travel to work.  Transportation costs are increasing on account of oil prices, whether you drive or take mass transit.
You have to heat your home.  Utilities costs are increasing because of the price of oil, not just heating oil.

So yeah.  If you don't work, don't eat, and don't take shelter then you don't have to buy their product, or patronize others who do.

Live in the woods, build a fire, eat what you can kill.

[rjs246]

This is cliched and long overdue, but here you go...

[Wingspan]

sweet tripod logo

[rjs246]

sweet tripod logo

Well, I can see it and that's all that matters. Suckers.