Quote from Covert:
Profiteering...Judging from your grammar, I'm guessing that you aren't from the US. Profiteering isn't really relevant in this case in this country. In fact, now you may not believe this, but profits are actually something that companies and shareholders actually consider good. GO FIGURE. When oil was trading at $15/barrel, these same oil companies were not accused of profiteering. They were in financial trouble, and they were given the tax incentives they have because this country cannot presently function without oil. Even with oil at the prices it is at, these companies only enjoy about 8-10% margins. One more thing- they also pay record amounts of taxes to the government.
But if you consider yourself so courageous for raising the question, tell us what the link is between the war and Big Oil.
where is the honesty of these poor, pitiful but ultra rich oil companies now that they are making more money than all previous endeavours in the history of planet earth?
where is the honesty when their accountants cash their checks for these tax breaks, when they have been, under both the Oil Administration and the Bush Administration, when they are reporting for the last 6 of his 8 years, profits that are beyond obsene?
where is the honesty to say, here fellow Americans, take your tax breaks back, because we oil companies need to do our patriotic part too....
hmmmm,
all that escapes arguements like yours and others like you, not to make this degrade into a personal, ethical, political, economic discussion between you, me, or other limited minded persons...
most people are not buying, agreeing with or being persuaded to accept arguements like yours. it is completely irrelevant whom I am, or otherwise, what is relevant are the events and conditions that have been perpetrated upon the American people by its own leaders....
incidently, the statements that I quick jotted down were aired on ABC, Channel 7, Sunday past, in NYC (so using EST / DST timezone, you can find the program, and request a transcript, which probably is not worth your time....)
those were not my conclusions but are already being actively discussed in the open air of news broadcasters and others too....
oh, incidently, any record tax payments to the government, at least on paper, are probably not being made and being allowed to be forgiven through a myriad of backdoor deals, especially since they have such reprensentation in such high offices....
oh, incidently, profiteering in this context is not the same as making profits through normal business activities. the definition connotes a highly negative, highly dishonest and usually questionable moral connotation when viewed by the normal conscience of the average citizen. yes, there are no normal persons, and yes, there are no average citizens, but when the events and details as outlined on that news program were made by more than four journalists from around the country their arguements had more than just a ring of truth....
wrestle with public opinion,
its has shifted into some of the most precipitously negative approval ratings of the last 8 years even below the Harding Administration.....
