I am outraged at the enormous profits Exxon Mobil posted for 2006. When the price of a barrel of oil increases, gasoline prices rise immediately at the pump, digging directly into consumer pockets. We are being forced to cover price increases while oil companies are raking in more profits than ever before. Oil companies are obviously benefiting from the oil “shortage.” I must not be aware of some complexity, or is it really this simple: Our president is an oil man who looks after his own. In our free, democratic society, cronyism is not legal and certainly not ethical.
I can’t understand why so many Americans are willing to sit back and allow the Earth to be raped and pillaged for corporate profit. I worry for our children. We cannot allow giant corporations, backed by our own government, to exploit both the Earth and the people on it, taking as much as they can for themselves, while taking it for granted that none of us will speak up. The time has come for us to gather ourselves together in outrage! Let’s not allow the rich corporations and politicians to continue to lie to us. Never buy from Exxon Mobil; only go to Wal-Mart when you can’t get that product somewhere else; and plan to avoid fattening corporate wallets whenever possible.
— Sarah Bivins
Weaverville
Leaving aside your comments about crooked politicians and Earth raping, I am outraged at people that don’t want free markets and somehow think they have a “right” to someone else’s property just because they have a pulse. You don’t like Exxon’s profits? Then buy the stock and share in them while you can. Oil companies don’t always make money. You ought to be kissing Exxon and its sisters for bringing you energy at ridiculously low costs via a darned fine system they developed at their risk and expense. Energy that keeps us alive and prosperous. Exxon, unlike a lot of Americans, has earned every penny it gets, and you and those opportunistic pandering punk DC politicians ought to find something productive to get after, like maybe meaningful Government incentives for the development of clean alternatives to fossil fuels. By the way I think an obscene profit is paying an actor 20 million for some worthless movie, but hey that’s business. With love …
Well, here’s my take on it. Not to disagree a whole lot with Watson’s, even.
Listen, I’m buying the oil, so are you Sarah, and the oil companies are simply meeting market demand. Selecting another oil company instead of Exxon is a bit ridiculous.
And so is the environmentalist’s constant blaming cry complaining how if “someone else” fixed something or changed something then we’d be ok.
We are silly and greedy squirrels, collecting nuts with reckless abandon, and nothing’s gonna stop it. Or, certainly not blaming a (actually very low profit margin — it’s size for Exxon) distant corporation for your ills. That is the classic enviromentalist’s refrain.
No subtleties, no complexities, and for sure no willingness to admit complicity in the problem.
Sure, yeah, buy local. But drive your car there to get it, eh?
Johnny (underwhelmed leftie)
Shame on those companies for turning profits.
People are quick to dole out advice for the entire world, but not as quick about actually doing anything themselves. I guess it’s sexy to think that you are going to save the world. I however, realized a long time ago that we are all damned. That’s why I ride a bike.
I also ride a bike because I don’t have a car.