Is the oil industry unfairly demonized?

[dead0man]

Yes... its really the people who actually own the oil that are at "blame". Exxon is a bitch corporation but anybody who owns gas stations is losing money right now. Exxon of course like any good evil corporation ditched their gas stations right when they started losing money. Now they can join the saudis in making insane profits.

Are you suggesting "good" businesses would keep something that was losing money (and not gaining them something somewhere else) and that an "evil" business would dump them?  That makes no sense.

[Beet]

Don't worry guys, the oil industry has plenty of money to flood the airwaves with commercials to help their image. I've probably seen more pro-oil industry commercials on TV and the radio than from any other industry out there.

[Sbane]

Our government??? Are you talking about gas taxes hahaha. I agree that the governments of countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia are making a lot of profit but not ours.

link

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Do they pay a higher tax rate than any other corporation? No? Ok. Is is something unusual for a corporation to pay taxes? Thankfully we haven't got rid of those yet.

One of us is confused, wasn't your point that they don't pay enough taxes in the US and that they pay a ton to Ven. and SA?

No I didn't really say that. I think they pay the right amount of taxes to America. Just maybe they should pass along some of that profit on to the consumers or at least help us by investing in alternative technologies. Something that would get us out of the death spiral that is our energy policy.

[Sbane]

Yes... its really the people who actually own the oil that are at "blame". Exxon is a bitch corporation but anybody who owns gas stations is losing money right now. Exxon of course like any good evil corporation ditched their gas stations right when they started losing money. Now they can join the saudis in making insane profits.

Are you suggesting "good" businesses would keep something that was losing money (and not gaining them something somewhere else) and that an "evil" business would dump them?  That makes no sense.

Loyalty baby. Chevron can also get rid of their gas stations. So could the other oil companies but the only one that has is Exxon.

[Bono]

Our government??? Are you talking about gas taxes hahaha. I agree that the governments of countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia are making a lot of profit but not ours.

link

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Do they pay a higher tax rate than any other corporation? No? Ok. Is is something unusual for a corporation to pay taxes? Thankfully we haven't got rid of those yet.

One of us is confused, wasn't your point that they don't pay enough taxes in the US and that they pay a ton to Ven. and SA?

No I didn't really say that. I think they pay the right amount of taxes to America. Just maybe they should pass along some of that profit on to the consumers or at least help us by investing in alternative technologies. Something that would get us out of the death spiral that is our energy policy.

Why is it their job to implement energy policy?

[Bono]

I'm not sure they are demonized enough, frankly.

How much is enough? Should the left keep demonizing them until they become nationalized? (as has been suggested by Democrats)

Seeing as how I favor strict price controls on products Americans must have to live, I suppose I'd be pretty open to nationalization.

(There's a reason GM says I am to the left of Mao! LOL)

Why do people still support price controls even after they have been thoroughly discredited by both economic theory and practice? That's a triumph of emotion over reason. price controls 'sound' like a pretty good idea until you realize the consequences.

[dead0man]

I agree that the governments of countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia are making a lot of profit but not ours.

One of us is confused, wasn't your point that they don't pay enough taxes in the US and that they pay a ton to Ven. and SA?

No I didn't really say that. I think they pay the right amount of taxes to America. Just maybe they should pass along some of that profit on to the consumers or at least help us by investing in alternative technologies. Something that would get us out of the death spiral that is our energy policy.

Now you want big business to control our energy policy?  Or rather, you want to force big business to control our energy policy?

[Ban my account ffs!]

I'm not sure they are demonized enough, frankly.

How much is enough? Should the left keep demonizing them until they become nationalized? (as has been suggested by Democrats)

Seeing as how I favor strict price controls on products Americans must have to live, I suppose I'd be pretty open to nationalization.

(There's a reason GM says I am to the left of Mao! LOL)

Why do people still support price controls even after they have been thoroughly discredited by both economic theory and practice? That's a triumph of emotion over reason. price controls 'sound' like a pretty good idea until you realize the consequences.

Electricity prices are for the most part controlled here and our electricity bill is miles cheaper than the Californians on the forum.  In fact, the company that provides electricity to our co-op just asked for the first rate increase in nearly 20 years last month.

No insane out of control rate increases, no blackouts... I really don't think it's the regulatory way that has been discredited.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Off-Topic:
This may the first time I 100% agree with BRTD's signature

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Off-Topic:
This may the first time I 100% agree with BRTD's signature

[??????????]

Off-Topic:
This may the first time I 100% agree with BRTD's signature

What's wrong with Greta?

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Off-Topic:
This may the first time I 100% agree with BRTD's signature

What's wrong with Greta?

She should be hosting the National Enquirer news hour.

[CPT MikeyMike]

Off-Topic:
This may the first time I 100% agree with BRTD's signature

[??????????]

Off-Topic:
This may the first time I 100% agree with BRTD's signature

What's wrong with Greta?

She should be hosting the National Enquirer news hour.

How? She's about 100% better then Nancy Grace.

Oh that's right..the group think on this forum is...OMG FAUX NEWS IS EVAL@!#@#@

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Off-Topic:
This may the first time I 100% agree with BRTD's signature

What's wrong with Greta?

She should be hosting the National Enquirer news hour.

How? She's about 100% better then Nancy Grace.

Oh that's right..the group think on this forum is...OMG FAUX NEWS IS EVAL@!#@#@

Anyone is 100% better than Nancy Grace, but hey, no problem, Ace, you watch Greta.  Me, DWTL and Captain Mike will take a pass.

[Smash255]

No, and not enough actually.  Its one thing to pass the price off to the consumer when prices rise, but its another thing to do that and more and wind up setting record profit after record profit as a result.  The price increases are far above the cost increases on there end.

[DownWithTheLeft]

Off-Topic:
This may the first time I 100% agree with BRTD's signature

What's wrong with Greta?

I think she's a moron more than she is annoying or downright stupid.  It may be Fox's fault more than her own, but everyone of her stories is not newsworthy, and every person she looks for is never found.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Greta is also a $cientologist.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Greta is also a $cientologist.

But first and foremost, she's a goofy wench, and that trumps Scientology.

[Sbane]

I agree that the governments of countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia are making a lot of profit but not ours.

One of us is confused, wasn't your point that they don't pay enough taxes in the US and that they pay a ton to Ven. and SA?

No I didn't really say that. I think they pay the right amount of taxes to America. Just maybe they should pass along some of that profit on to the consumers or at least help us by investing in alternative technologies. Something that would get us out of the death spiral that is our energy policy.

Now you want big business to control our energy policy?  Or rather, you want to force big business to control our energy policy?

So government should be investing in these technologies??  I would think it would be natural for oil companies to invest in them because they are in essence energy companies. Of course in the short term they would rather drill more and sell it to us at a high price but in the long term they have to move beyond oil. I want them to invest more in alternatives now so we won't be in the grip of big oil( this also includes countries like venezuela and SA)for as long.

[dead0man]

So government should be investing in these technologies?? 

Obviously not.  I'm coming from the position that we shouldn't force other entities to do things we want them to do.  I don't think anybody should be forced to invest in things no matter how good of an idea I think it would be.

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So you want to force big oil to invest in alt technologies so we won't be in the grip of big oil anymore?

[Sbane]

So government should be investing in these technologies??

Obviously not.  I'm coming from the position that we shouldn't force other entities to do things we want them to do.  I don't think anybody should be forced to invest in things no matter how good of an idea I think it would be.

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So you want to force big oil to invest in alt technologies so we won't be in the grip of big oil anymore?

I want oil companies to become energy companies and provide me that energy at a competitive price. Now there are reasons for the high cost of gasoline today and most of that has to do with speculation of higher demand in coming years and supply that can only keep up with current levels at best. If we drill more we might provide some short term relief but that just means we lose that oil more quickly. Any other technology should be able to give us energy at a lower price thus the reason why I think companies should invest. Of course if they don't act the public will have to invest and of course that's not ok with you either. What do you think the solution is?

[dead0man]

Why would you think I would be against the "public" investing in alt technologies?

[War on Want]

Why would you think I would be against the "public" investing in alt technologies?

Because the public is a bunch of short term idiots that think we have hundreds years of cheap oil left.

[dead0man]

k

I'm not against anybody, save the govt, investing in alt energies.  I'm against forcing private entities into investing in them.