Exxon Posts Record Profits

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
61

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
ZEB wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
and am a poor ass college student.

Now I see why you are so liberal. I thank you for that brief yet enlightening explanation.

As you move along in life your beliefs may very well become more moderate…perhaps.

Not likely. College has very little to do with me being liberal. My family is a staunch democrat house, and a working class background.

I have seen the rich piss on the poor all through my life. My politics are the results of my experiences in the world, not some college text. Don’t insult me like that. [/quote]

I have seen the poor “piss” all over the rich as well! I bet you can’t identify with that one huh? There is more money stolen by clerks, counter attendents and other minimum wage people daily than you might realize. In fact, that’s one reason why you are paying the price you are for various goods and services. Business’s build their loss into the cost of doing business. Do they teach that in Economics 101? I guess it depends on where you attend school…

Oh…and you have my word that from this point forward I will not blame your liberalism on your youth, inexperience and college status. :slight_smile:

62

[quote]Headhunter wrote:

Do you want the Politburo or Exxon? Make your choice; and your time is running out.[/quote]

What’s the difference? They both run their countries. Free market capitalism is just government run by the massive corporations, instead of the the government itself. This is well documented and already proven. In the greatest country in the world, 10% of the population should not control 90% of the wealth. That’s a hell of an “American Dream”, getting the scraps off the tables of the super rich elite.

63

[quote]Professor X wrote:
hedo wrote:
Prof X

If you don’t see yourself as a bigot and a bully then you really don’t read before you post pal. Perhaps you need to reinvent your indentidy.

I’ve called you a bully many times because you rarely have anything to say, just plenty of time to say it.

I don’t have anything to say? The majority of my posts aren’t even in the political forum and I rarely post UNLESS I have something to say. The only one in this thread that has added NOTHING to the discussion is Zeb and you haven’t called him out on it. Strange. Your perception is ass backwards. However, it isn’t like we didn’t know that. A bigot? Prove this.

You try and intimidate everyone and have a hissy fit when it doesn’t work. Only the newbies fall for it in case you haven’t noticed, which I’m sure your ego wouldn’t permit.

Again, if you or anyone else feels “intimidated” by how I post, then I would imagine they feel the same about Rainjack. His posts are much more harsh than mine have ever been. However, you haven’t called him out for this. Strange. Bigot?

Your attempts to explain poverty in the context as something institutional borders on comical.

Poverty as a class isn’t institutional?

Do you have anything to say about Exxon anything to add with a shred of intelligence, or does this thread have to stay focused on you?

All of my posts before this one were ONLY about Exxon. Any jab at you was tertiary to the points I made. You ignored my last post completely to only focus in on the VERY LAST sentence. Now you try to pretend as if you didn’t see my point?

You showed pure emotion in your first response to me. It isn’t as if you are hard to figure out.

[/quote]

Sure whatever you say prof. No your not a bigot, egoist…no not you. If I’m not too hard to figure out you have become the stereotype you claim to hate so much.

Go buy some gas for someone today. Make them happy.

Have a great day.

64

[quote]ZEB wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
ZEB wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
and am a poor ass college student.

Now I see why you are so liberal. I thank you for that brief yet enlightening explanation.

As you move along in life your beliefs may very well become more moderate…perhaps.

Not likely. College has very little to do with me being liberal. My family is a staunch democrat house, and a working class background.

I have seen the rich piss on the poor all through my life. My politics are the results of my experiences in the world, not some college text. Don’t insult me like that.

I have seen the poor “piss” all over the rich as well! I bet you can’t identify with that one huh? There is more money stolen by clerks, counter attendents and other minimum wage people daily than you might realize. In fact, that’s one reason why you are paying the price you are for various goods and services. Business’s build their loss into the cost of doing business. Do they teach that in Economics 101? I guess it depends on where you attend school…

Oh…and you have my word that from this point forward I will not blame your liberalism on your youth, inexperience and college status. :)[/quote]

That’s great. I won’t blame your conservatism on your old age, religious beliefs, and obvious set status in the establishment.

I worked in retail for the past 7 years, and seen everything there is to see in that Godforsaken business. I know how businesses work. I see the man who owns the business, a typical neo-conservative multi-millionaire who is one of the worst men I have ever met. I need to see very little more. Stealing money from registers does not compare to the things I am talking about. It’s hard to piss on someone when they’re above you.

But remember…no one expects people like you to change anything. You are the status quo. The government hates guys like me, who are young and have have nothing to lose. This is how its always been. Therefore I expect no more of you than you do of me.

65

[quote]hedo wrote:
Sure whatever you say prof. No your not a bigot, egoist…no not you. If I’m not too hard to figure out you have become the stereotype you calim to hate so much.

Go buy some gas for someone today. Make them happy.

Have a great day.

[/quote]

But wait, before you leave, how many minorities do you employ again? Because that matters a lot. I don’t think I can buy anyone gas like you can what with your multi-national task force and all. Portraying the exact same traits as those you call out makes you a hypocrite. Have a great day!!!

66

How the fuck can an oil company make RECORD profits when they have to “repair” all of these “broken” “lines.” If people cant see the ummmmmmmm BULLSHIT there they need to get a fucking clue!

67

[quote]rainjack wrote:

I have been poor. I have no sympathy for them. Poverty is a choice - regardless the price of Regular Unleaded. [/quote]

I sure hope you’re an atheist RJ. Cause that sure as shit ain’t much of a “Christian” attitude. I don’t know if they told you, but Jesus did hang out with hookers and poor people.

68

[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
chadman wrote:
thunderbolt23 wrote:

The problem with these record profits is that they come at a time when the administration has been making a case for drilling in the Arctic, etc. Just how much money is enough?

Hmmm. There has been a push to drill the Arctic since long before record profits. And the primary argument - which I am not even necessarily all that warm to - is that increasing domestic supply via that drilling will help reduce our dependency on barbarian-controlled oil.

So what is your connection between wanting to open up the Artic to drilling and surging energy company profits? Drilling in the Arctic is about supply, less about pricing.[/quote]

My point is simply that we don’t know exactly what the administration’s agenda is regarding energy policy, because they won’t even tell us who was at the meeting. It is not far fetched to think that those in power who also have huge ties to the oil business would do whatever it takes to boost the profits of that business.

If prices are inflated, not through “real” supply and demand, but through market influences that our governments energy policy could have an impact on, that is a problem.

Inflate prices and tell people what we need to do to get prices down is to drill in the Arctic. If you don’t think the administration is trying to influence this (much like they did getting us into Iraq under false pretences) then you are naive.

I don’t care about the profits of Exxon per se. What I have is a problem with the politics of fear that the administration uses to help big oil in any way it can when the oil companies are already making record profits.

69

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
rainjack wrote:

I have been poor. I have no sympathy for them. Poverty is a choice - regardless the price of Regular Unleaded.

I sure hope you’re an atheist RJ. Cause that sure as shit ain’t much of a “Christian” attitude. I don’t know if they told you, but Jesus did hang out with hookers and poor people.[/quote]

You misunderstand. Jesus had no patience for those who were lazy, regardless their standing in life. Everytime he healed a blind man, or a cripple - the first words out of Christ’s mouth were, “Get up…”. This clearly says to me that in spite of Christ’s grace - we are not allowed to just sit on our fat asses and let people do for us - once again regardless of economic status.

The poor people I am referring to are the losers that expect things to be handed to them because they are poor. We are commanded to look after the widows and the children - folks that can’t look out for themself. I don’t think Jesus would have a lot of sympathy for the laziness that is rampant in the lower class today.

I am not in violation of any of Christ’s edicts simply because I abhore laziness. In fact - I think God calls slothfulness a sin as well.

70

[quote]rainjack wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:
rainjack wrote:

I have been poor. I have no sympathy for them. Poverty is a choice - regardless the price of Regular Unleaded. [/quote]

Youre saying being poor is ALWAYS a choice? I surely hope im misunderstanding…

71

[quote]chadman wrote:
thunderbolt23 wrote:
chadman wrote:
thunderbolt23 wrote:

The problem with these record profits is that they come at a time when the administration has been making a case for drilling in the Arctic, etc. Just how much money is enough?

Hmmm. There has been a push to drill the Arctic since long before record profits. And the primary argument - which I am not even necessarily all that warm to - is that increasing domestic supply via that drilling will help reduce our dependency on barbarian-controlled oil.

So what is your connection between wanting to open up the Artic to drilling and surging energy company profits? Drilling in the Arctic is about supply, less about pricing.

My point is simply that we don’t know exactly what the administration’s agenda is regarding energy policy, because they won’t even tell us who was at the meeting. It is not far fetched to think that those in power who also have huge ties to the oil business would do whatever it takes to boost the profits of that business.

If prices are inflated, not through “real” supply and demand, but through market influences that our governments energy policy could have an impact on, that is a problem.

Inflate prices and tell people what we need to do to get prices down is to drill in the Arctic. If you don’t think the administration is trying to influence this (much like they did getting us into Iraq under false pretences) then you are naive.

I don’t care about the profits of Exxon per se. What I have is a problem with the politics of fear that the administration uses to help big oil in any way it can when the oil companies are already making record profits.[/quote]

Well said. Another oft-forgotten point that the right hates to talk about.

72

[quote]Professor X wrote:
hedo wrote:
Sure whatever you say prof. No your not a bigot, egoist…no not you. If I’m not too hard to figure out you have become the stereotype you calim to hate so much.

Go buy some gas for someone today. Make them happy.

Have a great day.

But wait, before you leave, how many minorities do you employ again? Because that matters a lot. I don’t think I can buy anyone gas like you can what with your multi-national task force and all. Portraying the exact same traits as those you call out makes you a hypocrite. Have a great day!!![/quote]

I will. Take care. Try and get a workout in around all those patients…ok.

My trucks use diesel anyway.

73

[quote]chadman wrote:

If prices are inflated, not through “real” supply and demand, but through market influences that our governments energy policy could have an impact on, that is a problem.[/quote]

So the huge impact of supply disruption caused by hurricanes, etc. and the raging demand out of China aren’t sufficient enough explanations in a market that is built on forward-pricing?

How about applying a little empirical common sense before assuming a conspiracy theory?

The administration and the Republican controlled Congress generally wants to expand domestic production. To posit your alternative theory - that the administration and the oil companies are artificially inflating prices as pretext to get into drilling into the Arctic - show me something better than innuendo.

Btw, in full disclosure, I oppose drilling in the Arctic. And I think the current government has done too much to help out Big Oil with government policy. But to leap to your conclusion is ludicrous.

Got anything other than speculation? And energy security is not ‘the politics of fear’ - it is a major concern that must addressed with something other than the usual failed theories.

74

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:

That’s great. I won’t blame your conservatism on your old age, religious beliefs, and obvious set status in the

establishment.[/quote]

If you are trying to insult me by stating that it’s a bad thing to have lived life and succeeded in it then you might want to rethink your strategy.

Let’s see you are in college and for the past 7 years you worked part time as a clerk somewhere. Hence, you know how business works… yea…sure you do :slight_smile:

You are kidding me right? You have seen one “bad” business man so therefore all businessmen are bad? I wonder what you starry eyed liberals would say if someone claimed they had one friend of a different color who was “bad” and therefore cast judgement upon all of that same color? Think about that one for a while…

Don’t look now pal but no one who has achieved what you have achieved (so far) has ever changed anything. Take a look at our founding fathers. They were not exactly a bunch of wild eyed college kids who hated their boss.

No actually the government does not even think about “guys like you.” I hope that’s not a shock to your delicate system.

The only thing I expect of you is for you to continue to your liberal rants. Don’t let me down…

75

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
rainjack wrote:

I have been poor. I have no sympathy for them. Poverty is a choice - regardless the price of Regular Unleaded.

I sure hope you’re an atheist RJ. Cause that sure as shit ain’t much of a “Christian” attitude.
[/quote]

Well it’s nice to see that politics is not the only thing that you need to learn more about.

“Those who do not work should not eat.” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

76

[quote]thunderbolt23 wrote:
chadman wrote:

If prices are inflated, not through “real” supply and demand, but through market influences that our governments energy policy could have an impact on, that is a problem.

So the huge impact of supply disruption caused by hurricanes, etc. and the raging demand out of China aren’t sufficient enough explanations in a market that is built on forward-pricing?[/quote]

Of course there is a huge impact. However, there does not need to be such a great impact were it not for the greed of the oil companies and their cronies in the administration.

Yes, it is an assumption, but an assumption which is not as ludicrous as you would make it out to be. Are you saying that Bush, et al in office is NOT good for Exxon, Haliburton, etc.?

[quote]Inflate prices and tell people what we need to do to get prices down is to drill in the Arctic. If you don’t think the administration is trying to influence this (much like they did getting us into Iraq under false pretences) then you are naive.

The administration and the Republican controlled Congress generally wants to expand domestic production. To posit your alternative theory - that the administration and the oil companies are artificially inflating prices as pretext to get into drilling into the Arctic - show me something better than innuendo.[/quote]

I would show you something, but the Bush administration is not forthcoming with who makes our energy policy and what exactly it is. There is plenty out there in the media to suggest they want to get into the Arctic at all costs. By the way, I’m not suggesting that artificially price increases ARE the sole area that our government could be helping big oil, it’s not necessarily even happening, but it is a possibility.

At least we agree on something. I don’t think what I suggested is that big of a jump from what you actually state you believe.

[quote]I don’t care about the profits of Exxon per se. What I have is a problem with the politics of fear that the administration uses to help big oil in any way it can when the oil companies are already making record profits.

Got anything other than speculation? And energy security is not ‘the politics of fear’ - it is a major concern that must addressed with something other than the usual failed theories.[/quote]

Energy security is a major concern, of course. However, Bush and the gang have expertly used distortion of real fears to push their own agendas. Has the mess in Iraq not illustrated this enough? Why is it so unbelievable that they would distort things in this instance as well?

77

[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:

I see the man who owns the business, a typical neo-conservative multi-millionaire who is one of the worst men I have ever met. [/quote]

Do you even know what a neoconservative is?

It is a brand of conservatism that tends to be very hawkish on foreign policy but a little more liberal in domestic politics than the typical true-blue conservative.

Not exactly the right description for your wicked boss unless you sat down and talked geopolitical strategy with him.

Unbelievable.

78

[quote]ZEB wrote:
FightinIrish26 wrote:

That’s great. I won’t blame your conservatism on your old age, religious beliefs, and obvious set status in the

establishment.

If you are trying to insult me by stating that it’s a bad thing to have lived life and succeeded in it then you might want to rethink your strategy.

I worked in retail for the past 7 years, and seen everything there is to see in that Godforsaken business. I know how businesses work.

Let’s see you are in college and for the past 7 years you worked part time as a clerk somewhere. Hence, you know how business works… yea…sure you do :slight_smile:

I see the man who owns the business, a typical neo-conservative multi-millionaire who is one of the worst men I have ever met. I need to see very little more. Stealing money from registers does not compare to the things I am talking about. It’s hard to piss on someone when they’re above you.

You are kidding me right? You have seen one “bad” business man so therefore all businessmen are bad? I wonder what you starry eyed liberals would say if someone claimed they had one friend of a different color who was “bad” and therefore cast judgement upon all of that same color? Think about that one for a while…

But remember…no one expects people like you to change anything. You are the status quo.

Don’t look now pal but no one who has achieved what you have achieved (so far) has ever changed anything. Take a look at our founding fathers. They were not exactly a bunch of wild eyed college kids who hated their boss.

The government hates guys like me, who are young and have have nothing to lose.

No actually the government does not even think about “guys like you.” I hope that’s not a shock to your delicate system.

This is how its always been. Therefore I expect no more of you than you do of me.

The only thing I expect of you is for you to continue to your liberal rants. Don’t let me down…

[/quote]

I wasn’t trying to insult you anymore than you were trying to insult me. There is nothing wrong with being successful.

People are a sum of their experiences. Thus so am I. The things I’ve read, the things I’ve seen, and, inevitably, the things I get from my family lead me to the conclusions I have.

If I though just like you, we would not be having any discussion at all. However, from the things I have read in literature, much of which has been written over the last thousand years or so, the nature of men does not change. Those in power wish to keep it. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Greed corrupts even the best men. I am saying that without a government to keep these things in check, enforced by the mob as a whole, a fortunate few will control everything.

And the government considers all who disagree with it to be a threat to its power. Ask Sacho and Vanzetti (sp?).

79

But ZEB in a perfect liberal world you and I would work so they could eat. Not to get off the exxon profit though, I think gas prices suck. In comparison to other things at 2.25 a gallon how bad is it. Milk cost me 3.29 the other day. Buy 20ounces of water at a convenience store thats about 1.50. As for the rich poor argument, unless you have made every attempt to better yourself and failed poverty is your choice. There is money to be made but most people would rather let someone else do it for them.

80

[quote]chadman wrote:

Energy security is a major concern, of course. However, Bush and the gang have expertly used distortion of real fears to push their own agendas. Has the mess in Iraq not illustrated this enough? Why is it so unbelievable that they would distort things in this instance as well?[/quote]

I hear this alot and it is just gas from the Left. Name one fear that the Bush administration has put forward that has no basis of legitimacy under a reasonable human being’s standards. We can debate whether Bush chose the right policy or not, but that is a different issue. Name one.

What ‘fears’ have been ‘distorted’, and for what ‘agenda’?

And I am not suggesting always engages in angelic behavior - but seriously, all you have are abstractions about bad guys playing on our fears. Sounds like nothing more than a failed script of a bad action movie.

You claim they have ‘expertly’ done so - so what have they done ‘expertly’? By the way, the government rarely does anything expertly, so you may find yourself ice skating uphill on this one.

Energy companies have made record profits, and it can’t be that the energy markets are paying off handsomely due to etxernal, largely uncontrollable factors - no, no, it always has to be the work of a secret cabal of oil barons and neocons.

No wonder the Left is drifting ever further into irrelevance.