What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?
worldG, Texas – Exxon Mobil Corp. posted record profits for any U.S. company on Monday â $10.71 billion for the fourth quarter and $36.13 billion for the year â as the worldâs biggest publicly traded oil company benefited from high oil and gas prices and demand for refined products. The results exceeded Wall Street expectations.
This, coupled with the fact I heard on the news that oil is probably going to go over $100 per barrell (which means we’ll be paying $5 per gallon) , makes me ill. What in the hell is it going to take to get this country’s priorities straight?
January 30th, 2006 at 5:00 pm
A Crisis?
February 3rd, 2006 at 11:45 pm
Nothing will change until we as a nation stand up all together and tell “Big Oil” We are Mad as Hell and we won’t take it anymore! and force the Auto Industry’s engineers to get serious about alternative fueled vehicles.
February 4th, 2006 at 12:40 am
I agree with J.J.
And these two things will NEVER happen as long as there is a Republican in the White House
and a Republican majority in congress.
February 4th, 2006 at 9:48 am
………..And a Right Wing Supreme Court. I guess we’re screwed.
February 4th, 2006 at 1:45 pm
I wasn’t being flip when I said it would take a crisis to change things. It doesn’t seem like this country ever changes course until our backs are against the wall and a crisis is imminent.
I also don’t see a whole lot of difference between Democrats and Republicans. Money runs this country and thats large corporations writing the rules. How to take money out of politics???? There wont be any change in oil policy until the monetary incentive is lost. Exxon is doing very well these days, thank you very much. This oil business reminds me of the salmon industry over the years from abundance to scarcity, the price per pound and the incentive to fish as the resource declined. But that could take pages.
I remember this from school;
“In the beginning”
Society was ordered by the tribe. Then came religion. Then the state. The prediction was the next phase would be the corporation. After watching these big internationals and the W.T.O. do business I believe its happening.
February 5th, 2006 at 1:18 am
Here’s one example of the difference between Democrats and Republicans. In a mostly symbolic gesture,
but an important one never the less, Jimmy Carter had solar collectors installed on the roof of the
White House. In another symbolic gesture which shouts volumes, as soon as Ronald Reagan moved into
the White House, he ordered them removed.
February 5th, 2006 at 11:03 am
Do you think it is the government’s job to subsidize oil? If so, then how does this work given the need to promote conservation (since oil is a limited resource) and deal with inevitable environmental impacts?
February 6th, 2006 at 12:43 am
The Jekster makes a good point. The current price gouging and resulting windfall profits by the oil pirates
is probably good for the environment, and it is certainly making car buyers rethink their choices concerning
fuel efficiency. It can’t be good for the economy, but there’s an upside there, too, since more inflation and
unemployment might hasten the departure of more Republicans from Washington this fall. I think I’m gonna stop
bitchin’ about it when I fuel up.
February 6th, 2006 at 5:51 pm
Randalf,
Jimmy was a good guy, still is. (That Rabbit Rap was bogus) Sometimes I think he got in over his head being President. Reagan was a …… And I marched against the ……..down in California. Most definitely a difference between the two. I was thinking about the money it takes for either party to elect a President and the quid pro quo (sp?). Clinton would be my example of a Democrat who owed a lot of favors to get in….corporate favors.
Jek dude,
A rhetorical NO to your rhetorical question. And we don’t even pay the true price for oil and gas here in the U.S. You say the price of gas in Germany is $6 a gallon?
February 7th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
Randalf,
You got me thinking….Jek might disagree……comparing Jimmy with Ronald and then I started comparing Jimmy and George. There’s a interesting comparison, two Christian Presidents……Which reminds me of something from the Bible: ” A man is known by his works”. Tear and compare.
February 7th, 2006 at 10:32 pm
anon — In most European countries 65-75% of the price of petrol is taxes (duty + VAT). Jek’s 1.30 Euro/L is certainly not a free market price.
I’m not going to throw myself to the lions here, but ostensibly, all of the recent presidents have been Christians of some flavor. Reagan wore his Christianity on his sleeve far more than did Carter.
February 8th, 2006 at 11:14 am
Yep, all that tax on gas in Europe. I don’t know what they do with all that money. I hope they use it for all the related costs of using gas, like pollution in all its forms…..part of the real cost of using gas. I also hope they use that money for research into alternate forms of energy. And the high price must slow down the use of cars, increase use of public transportation.
Funny, even in this tolerant county I have not heard of a President who was a self proclaimed Satanist. Of all the flavored Presidents Jimmy seems to be the one who lives his faith. Like you said, others wear it on there sleeve. Others hide behind it.