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Originally Posted by Mr 5 0
Which is investigated and prosecuted by the Justice Department. You seem to believe that the oil companies simply do as they please and that they are practically unregulated, which is about 180 degrees from the truth. This is 2005, not 1905.
Because they sell a lot more gas now and costs have gone down over time due to the merger. Cost control and higher profits were the reason for the merger.
Which I mentioned. Their profits are also very large, which seems to be what upsets you the most.
At least you recognize Microsoft's reason for success. Giving people what they want and doing it better than anyone else is the age-old route to business growth and high profits. Henry Ford did it 100 years ago and so have many others, since. When that happens, profit will soar. That some find this natural economic occurrence some symptom of evil intents is rather pathetic.
That 'significent risk' is one view and is not shared by all observers.
I am not at all surprised that you want to dismiss the very real fact that - adjusted for inflation - gas now costs only a bit more than it did 20 or 30 years ago, even though we use a lot more of it, now. That is a significent fact, whether you wish to deal with it, or not.
Not at all. Gas taxes add to the cost of every gallon of gas we put into our vehicles and that is another signigicent factor when discusssing gas prices.
There are many reasons for the profit increase, as you already know. That rate of profit will not be sustained as expenses will go up and other factors will also impact on the oil companies profits. You must know that, too.
They raise prices when supply is insufficient to demand. So does every other business. C'mon! I have already stated that the fact that high gas prices normally drive down consumption is an ancillary effect of those higher prices and would occur whether the oil companies wanted it to, or not.
The Bush Energy Bill was far too pliant toward the oil companies interests, as I have already stated. Do you even read anything I post or do you just skim and look for points to oppose?
Every time gas prices go up sharply members of congress and the public demand an investigation. They usually get it and no 'gouging' is ever found, no matter who does the investigating.
Stating realities is not 'condescending', Kell. We all make our choices and those who choose to commute a long distance 5 days a week and then cry when gas prices go up sharply are somewhat naive.
Gas prices certainly do have some impact on the economy as a whole, beginning with each citizens household budget. I never said that they didn't. In our generally affluent country, we still pay less for gas than many, less-affluent country's drivers do, which is great, in my opinion. How much the current rise in U.S. pump gas prices will actually impact our overall economy remains to be seen.
Perhaps, but whomever owns that Exxon-Mobil stock has a reasonable expectation that it will perform well, as any stockholder does, regardless of their income level or sophistication. To imply that if a stockholder is not solidly middle-class they don't count is ridiculous. I thought you respected and understood capitalism?
I simply disagreed with some of the things you posted and wanted to give another point of view. That your screen name is on the posts is irrelevant. I would have made the same replies to anyone who held the same opinions on the same issues.
I think they are clearly relevant and your opinion of their accuracy is open to debate, which is what the forum is for, isn't it? However, I am getting tired of going over the same basic ground and am quite willing to give you the last word here in order to conclude our exchange, as the price of gas has dropped and the issue is becoming stale at this point...at least, for me.
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