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A puff piece written by a couple of environmentalists for a liberal anti-business website. In fact they repeat the exact talking points that were discredited in the Forbes article. Again: "big oil" does not receive any tax breaks.
They are treated the same as any other industry and in fact they are the constant target of environmentalists and socialists who just want to bash private enterprise any way they can.
While you're talking about big profits, why not bash Apple? They are bigger than Big Oil, they have more money, and they make immense profits. Don't they deserve to be taxed out of existence? After all, what do they do other than produce innovative products that have changed the world?
Every large company in the U.S. eventually comes under attack by the green (with envy) crowd that lead boring, unproductive lives and can only hate the productive and successful among us.
Why do we not have more and better jobs, and higher salaries, and more manufacturing, and more innovation here in the U.S.? That is the reason right there. Ever since the 1960s, Americans have punished our own businesses and choked them to death with taxes and regulations.
The Asians pulled ahead of us because they still see business as the way out of poverty, the correct way to develop an economy and become rich. Too bad so many Americans, despite their college education, just don't understand this.
While you're talking about big profits, why not bash Apple? They are bigger than Big Oil, they have more money, and they make immense profits. Don't they deserve to be taxed out of existence? After all, what do they do other than produce innovative products that have changed the world?
Apple should be taxed heavily because they are producing their stuff in China. In fact, everyone producing their stuff elsewhere should pay a penalty (call it a large import tariff) for doing so. Wanna take the jobs elsewhere? No problem, after you pay to get the products back into the country. You can't be an "American company" in name only. There are plenty of able bodied men and women in United States that can produce things. What are they supposed to do when everything has been off-shored? It is not enough for Apple to make a profit on an iPhone produced in United States (however modest it is), nah, it has to be a KILLER profit.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blisterpeanuts
Every large company in the U.S. eventually comes under attack by the green (with envy) crowd that lead boring, unproductive lives and can only hate the productive and successful among us.
That's because every large corporation exerts too much influence on the legislature.
Do I really have to sit down and compile list of environmental atrocities that private corporations have committed on this country's soil and in its territorial waters? If it wasn't for the constant pressure on these corporations to get their s*it straight, you would be glowing in the dark from who knows what in your food and water. Why? 'Cause nobody gives a rat's a** what they do to the environment so long as they can make a profit - the corporation's ONLY goal is to make profit for its share holders. That's why we have laws and regulations, to guarantee that they don't s*it in our food and water and surroundings. You may not like that idea because it restrains someone from becoming mega rich but sorry, that's reality, not everyone wants to live next to a denuded mountain top and drink water polluted with the remnants of coil extraction. I am pretty sure you don't.
Quote:
Originally Posted by blisterpeanuts
Why do we not have more and better jobs, and higher salaries, and more manufacturing, and more innovation here in the U.S.? That is the reason right there. Ever since the 1960s, Americans have punished our own businesses and choked them to death with taxes and regulations.
No, they have punished greed.
But that was not enough. Greed found a way to produce legislation that allowed the corporate masters to export all the jobs to slave labor places and profit even more, while at the same time sending millions of Americans to ruin.
You just cited an example of a company headquartered in USA (Apple) - the largest company in terms of market size. I mean, the oil and gas companies report profits in the billions of dollars every year so obviously they are all successful. So, what seems to be the thorn in your side? Should we just shut up, roll over and let them start extracting blood from unborn children to convert into oil, all in the name of unfettered profit making?
Quote:
Originally Posted by blisterpeanuts
The Asians pulled ahead of us because they still see business as the way out of poverty, the correct way to develop an economy and become rich. Too bad so many Americans, despite their college education, just don't understand this.
The Asians (like China) are in a phase called "the initial accumulation of capital". Wild West, no environmental or any other laws, the one with most connections, money and force is the winner. After they max out of that, they will come to where we are today. They are nothing special or smarter than us. China has the economy it has because the laws in United States are such that a company like Apple can produce at the fraction of the cost while still charging the same prices as if the phone or pad or computer was made in America, thus producing insane profits and still being able to convince everyone that whoever is against that idea is a communist.
By the way, you still have conveniently neglected to address the most important point - the involvement of your beloved corporations in politics via unlimited funding of campaigns and unlimited lobbying. Any thoughts? I mean, if these corporations have such amazing products and are all about capitalism and competition - why do they need to pay a senator or congressman for a vote?
Last edited by LordyLordy; 03-10-2014 at 03:42 PM..
That the best you can do? I am trying to have a civilized conversation, these issues are something that will affect EVERYONE in one way or another and also affect EVERYTHING around you - water, soil, wildlife, plant life, EVERYTHING. Remember the rain following the plow....
I don't have to do anything
Blisterpeanuts is doing a fabuous job of using logic and common sense to make his points that are blindingly brilliant in their simplicity and coherance. He doesn't even have to resort to ALL CAPS to make a point.
Your emotional outbursts only add credence to his arguments.
I just get to sit back and eat popcorn while enjoying the drama
Blisterpeanuts is doing a fabuous job of using logic and common sense to make his points that are blindingly brilliant in their simplicity and coherance. He doesn't even have to resort to ALL CAPS to make a point.
Your emotional outbursts only add credence to his arguments.
I just get to sit back and eat popcorn while enjoying the drama
I have seen you use red color, bold and italics all the time. I am guessing you are always in a state of outburst....
Blisterpeanuts is doing a fabuous job of using logic and common sense to make his points that are blindingly brilliant in their simplicity and coherance. He doesn't even have to resort to ALL CAPS to make a point.
Your emotional outbursts only add credence to his arguments.
I just get to sit back and eat popcorn while enjoying the drama
Me too. Thanks Blisterpeanuts. I rep'ed you but can't again on your subsequent posts as I have to spread them around. Can't rep you either MTSilvertip for the same reason.
Lordy... government isn't the solution. They're the problem. Get 'em off the backs of our workers and companies and watch us flourish.
Me too. Thanks Blisterpeanuts. I rep'ed you but can't again on your subsequent posts as I have to spread them around. Can't rep you either MTSilvertip for the same reason.
Lordy... government isn't the solution. They're the problem. Get 'em off the backs of our workers and companies and watch us flourish.
Aw, shucks
I agree - government is a necessary evil and we need to always remember that. The minute we start thinking of government as a good thing that we can rely on, that we have to keep asking to do more for us, we're lost.
I agree - government is a necessary evil and we need to always remember that. The minute we start thinking of government as a good thing that we can rely on, that we have to keep asking to do more for us, we're lost.
So nobody here thinks that lobbying today is a problem. Or the fact that unlimited corporate donations to political campaigns are a problem. Nobody here feels "underrepresented" when confronted with the prospect of competing with Exxon's or Apple's or <insert your name here>'s army of paid lawyers and lobbyists when it comes to a cause they care about or even basic living (like food, water, environment etc.)?
Everyone here thinks that it is a good thing that our jobs were exported to slave labor countries while Americans are left to struggle while the CEOs are left to get richer?
Wow what a group of easy going, flexible folks!
S*it, why vote? I mean, who cares what you think about the cows or the oil platforms when Rex Tillerson has deeper pockets than you and can get "lunch time" with anyone in the legislature from the janitor to the President?
Nobody here has heard of anything related to private entities destroying the environment on a large scale, small scale, medium scale. No disasters, no pollution, nothing, nada. Do I REALLY have to sit down and compile a list? Really?
So much for arguments.
Anyone can repeat the same mantra "get the government off our backs and see us flourish". Aham, yeah. So no regulation, unabated digging, drilling, exploration, denuding, dumping etc. - free for all. The companies will regulate themselves and refrain from doing anything bad out of the goodness of their hearts.
And I am the one following an ideology? I see.....
US shale oil hype (lots of graphs to put shale hype in perspective).
The evidence shows that America's cheapest, easiest oil is long gone. The 1970 peak of 10 mbpd will probably never be eclipsed, and if so, it would't last long. It's not just a matter of matching the old flow rate and riding on easy street. Shale is desperation oil, not salvation oil.
Yes, new drilling techniques can extract tight shale oil, but at much higher cost and lower daily flow rates. Oilfield EROEI is universally on the decline. America would be very lucky to self-produce even half the oil we consume now (at about 20 mbpd). North Dakota and Texas are producing under a fifth of U.S. consumption, and fracking shale requires constant well drilling in shallow plays. Damage to the landscape and draining of watershed isn't trivial, either.
Many people can't seem to grasp the very concept bell curve depletion, especially a certain political party that ignores scientific evidence on many fronts.
Because it does what every president since Carter has promised. To make US independent from unreliable crude sources like in 70's. Few realize that even then there was only a 15% shortage. We see now in Europe what it does in tying their hands in Ukraine situation. It not only has advantage of keeping billions a month from going overseas to unstable areas of the world but actually changing the geo politics of the world. Remember tho we are talking shale oil and gas here. If the US would have listened to Pickens long ago on shift of energy to more use of NG then we would be far ahead now. The same parties fighting shale oil and gas fought it then politically. When you talking about energy and production your talking about cheaper as a huge advantage. Right now if Germany loss Russian natural gas alone it would be a disaster for its GDP. The pipeline reduces transport cost of crude by 14% ;lowering cost and certainly adding safety compared to rail being used now. No alternative with all its mandates ;loans; grants and uses of other energy to produce has reached 1% of need. Even stranger is even with the politics and lack of a energy policy; the oil and gas industry has brought us to the goal set by those president's despite the politics. Its becoming the clear advantage US industry has going forward.
Because it does what every president since Carter has promised. To make US independent from unreliable crude sources like in 70's. Few realize that even then there was only a 15% shortage. We see now in Europe what it does in tying their hands in Ukraine situation. It not only has advantage of keeping billions a month from going overseas to unstable areas of the world but actually changing the geo politics of the world. Remember tho we are talking shale oil and gas here. If the US would have listened to Pickens long ago on shift of energy to more use of NG then we would be far ahead now. The same parties fighting shale oil and gas fought it then politically. When you talking about energy and production your talking about cheaper as a huge advantage. Right now if Germany loss Russian natural gas alone it would be a disaster for its GDP. The pipeline reduces transport cost of crude by 14% ;lowering cost and certainly adding safety compared to rail being used now. No alternative with all its mandates ;loans; grants and uses of other energy to produce has reached 1% of need. Even stranger is even with the politics and lack of a energy policy; the oil and gas industry has brought us to the goal set by those president's despite the politics. Its becoming the clear advantage US industry has going forward.
Right, the obvious thing is to develop domestic energy resources. Energy exports would generate more industry and more jobs, balance the trade deficit, take dollars out of the hands of jihadists and terror sponsors and brings wealth back to Americans. It would undermine Putin, make China more dependent on the US, and shift the balance of power back toward America.
So what does our dope of a leader do? Tries to shove his green energy agenda down our throats. Yeah, let's have a carbon tax and see how many trillions in wealth that saps out of the economy. Don't like carbon? Plant more trees. I have no problem with trees.
But we need prosperity. Our social stability depends on it.
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