Posted on 04/03/2008 6:35:25 AM PDT by shortstop
Republicans teach Americans to believe.
Democrats teach Americans to hate.
The Republican impulse is found in the inherent faith and hope of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. The Democrat impulse is found in the essential envy and anger of Marxism.
Like the oil companies.
In the face of rising gasoline and diesel costs, Democrats in the Congress want Americans to hate the oil companies.
In hearings this week, the CEOs of several oil companies were vilified by Democrats in Congress who used the proceedings as a chance to prance and preen for the television cameras. The gist and thrust of their comments was that oil companies are evil because they are profiting at a time of heightened petroleum prices.
The smoking gun was the fact that American oil companies are recording record profits at the same time American families are paying record prices.
Democrats want people to twist their frustration and concern about our tightening financial prospects into an exploitable hatred for oil companies. It is chapter and verse from Marxist class envy and division. Pit one class against another and use the anger for your political benefit.
And this one's a twofer. The oil companies are corporations, and Democrats want us to hate corporations – even though as 401k and pension investors we own the corporations – plus the oil companies are a pot of money the Democrats want to get their hands on, just as they have already pillaged the tobacco industry and are even now planning to pillage the food industry.
The problem with the Democrat position in regard to the oil companies, of course, is that it is built on a lie. It appeals to covetousness, not logic or fairness.
For example, on the issue of record profits.
Do the Democrats in Congress really claim to be so ignorant of business that they don't know profit is a percentage of price? Do they not realize that increased volume equals increased profit?
The oil companies made more money last year than they ever have. That ends up not being so surprising when you consider that last year the world – and the United States – used more oil than they ever had before. And prices were higher than they had ever been before.
So if you sell more product at higher prices, Democrats think you ought to be crucified if you make more profit. In the pricing of any product, various costs are calculated as a percentage in the effort to set the product's retail price. Say you calculate your costs and you allow for yourself a 2-percent profit. If your product rises in price from $1 to $1.50 and your profit margin remains 2 percent, you still enjoy a 50 percent increase in profit.
If the price of gasoline has increased and the profit margin of oil companies has remained the same, shouldn't even a dumb Democrat be able to see that that's to be expected?
Further, shouldn't even a dumb Democrat be able to understand that when the price of crude oil quadruples in five years that the price of the products refined from that crude oil will also probably increase?
And instead of vilifying American oil companies, can't these dimwit Democrats see that the reason for the rising price of gasoline has everything to do with world competition, antagonistic oil-producing nations and the failed policies of the United States government?
Do they know so little of supply and demand that they ignore the increased thirst for oil created by the rising societies of India and China? Do they not recognize that Venezuela, Iran and Russia are manipulating oil prices so as to hurt the American economy? Don't they know that the failed economic and currency policies of our government have dramatically devalued the dollar and directly increased the price of oil, which is priced against the dollar? Don't the Democrats recognize that their own reluctance to drill for oil in the United States increases the world prices and hurts our national interests?
Are they honestly so dumb as to believe that it is oil company greed that is driving the cost of gasoline and diesel through the roof? Or are they just conniving, and hoping that the American public will fall for the blame-the-oil-companies ruse?
The most galling aspect, however, is the blatant dishonesty and gall of the scorn they heaped on oil companies for their profits.
The Democrats were quick to point at oil profits as proof of immoral greed. That's ironic given the fact that oil companies are not the largest profiteers from gasoline.
In fact, to put the matter in true perspective, right after reporting oil-company profits over the last year, the Democrats should have reported the amount of state and federal tax collected on gasoline over the last year.
Had that comparison been made, it would have become immediately apparent that it's not the oil companies who have raked in the cash because of high gas prices and demand, it is the government.
The state taxes on each gallon of gasoline are usually three or four times the amount of oil-company profit on each gallon of gasoline. Federal taxes are another several times larger than the amount of oil-company profit. When you then combine state and federal tax on a gallon of gas, you see that gasoline enriches government dramatically more than it enriches oil companies.
The oil executives were repeatedly asked if they were going to lower their profit in order to lower the price of gasoline. Unfortunately none of them had the courage to turn the question back on the Democrats. If they are so concerned about the price of gasoline, they would offer to cut some or all of the taxes they have imposed on it.
If you took all the oil-company profit out of a gallon of gasoline, the price reduction would be negligible. It would not be noticeable to most consumers. If, however, you were to remove just half of the combined state and federal tax on a gallon of gasoline, the reduction would be dramatic and of great benefit to consumers.
But the Democrats aren't talking about anything like that. They are focusing on class envy and social strife, their stock in trade and ticket to power. They don't want to help regular people, they just want to tear down our companies.
So they refuse permission to drill for oil in America or to build new refineries, but they insist that oil companies invest in alternative-energy projects with no prospects for success. They abandon logic and necessity and pursue an agenda of advocacy and idiocy.
Oil companies are essential to our national prosperity and way of life. They are extremely useful to our society and our economy.
And yet the Democrats seem intent on scorning them and killing them. That's just one more reason to hope the Democrats don't take power come January 1.
Yes, the price of fuel is high.
No, hating oil companies won't change that.
Yes, putting private industry under the thumb of Congress is against our national heritage and experience.
No, that won't stop the Democrats.
They're not her to build up America, they are here to tear it down.
Dems are wrong in so many ways, it is hard to count.
At some point in time, Americans are going to wake up to the fact that our foreign oil dependence and the price of gasoline is the fault of the environmental lobby. That lobby and their influence are our weak kneed politicians keeps us from drilling and expoiting our own oil resources which if tapped could eliminate our dependence on foreign oil (or at least unfriendly nation foreign oil). It is also the environmental lobby that precludes building of refineries and making us put expensive addivtives in our gasoline. Somebody has to start a campaign to make America understand who the enemy is.
Bob could probably start a series of articles titled “Democrats Wrong On _____” and just fill in the blank with a new topic each day, and he would have enough material to continue a daily column for years.
The Dems got what they wanted, but maybe not what they expected. I now hate Democrat oil company stockholders and their running dog lackeys.
That and government. Gasoline taxes are huge.
You have alot more faith in the American people than I. We've been in this situation more than 30 years now and we are sinking further in the mud. You can take a poll and ask the Sheeple if we should drill for more oil and they will say “yes.” But ask them if we can drill off the coast (miles away mind you) from their favorite beach or drill in a very environmentally friendly way in a wildlife refuge (see AWAR), and the more Sheeple say “no.” And that is exactly what the Enviro Wackos live off and done so with great successes.
Yes, but as long as vast numbers of the American public are clueless it will benefit them. Americans don’t care whose right, they care who convinces them they want to help.
susie
I didn’t watch the latest round of “hearings,” but I remember catching an oil exec on O’Reilly last year some time. I hope these guys did better, because the guy on O’Reilly was just the worst speaker and apparently never learned to use talking points. The oil people need some coaching in public speaking and debating!
The Dems are the cause of the high prices by restricting the US to imports-only. They have systematically prevented us from drilling and pumping (Ex: ANWR and systematically prevented new refineries from being bult.
Congress has rigged the oil markets for high prices. Ask every Congressman to reveal how many oil company shares they own. Prices would come down if real competition were allowed by the Congressional Democrats.
Montag’s energy plan: (1) Free the oil companies to drill wherever the hell they want..NOW. (2) End every single penny of corn-based ethanol subsidies...NOW.
All the US domiciled Oil companies are free to relocate their businesses off-shore. Why put up with the abuse? Thereafter we can really complain about them and Chavez. After all, Americans are special. (sarc)
Yes the executives need better coaching about public speaking and debating. They also need to take the offense instead of defense. They need to attack the idiot politicians. I would even say they need to have a condescending attitude towards the grandstanding politicians. However, the rats control the stage so I am not sure if the executives would be given enough time and latitude. Some carefully thought sound bites would be a good idea.
I have watched the private student loan industry get savaged by the rats. The rats told outright lies about industry practices but there was little or no response. As a result, the private student loan industry will be shut down if the rats gain firm control in 2009. The rats want the same control of the energy business. The talk of windfall profits tax is just an attempt to take control of the industry. The industry will be forced to invest according to rat ideas. Otherwise, they will walk the plank with excessive taxation.
This group of rats is a virulent strain, unlike anything the world has seen. The rats are latching onto every nutty Marxist idea. They are vicious, taking no prisoners. The rats have lockstep unity in socializing the entire economy across a broad range of industries: energy, health care, education, communications, transportation, insurance, and lending.
Exactly! Gas at $3.00 per gallon would only be about $2.76 per gallon.
Sure. Temporarily. That is some serious myopia you have.
If the tax (in Jan) on a gallon is 47 cents - that almost $10 per 20 gallons...
for truckers, it was 53.6 cents per gallon in Jan - much more now...but at a fill of 300 gallons a pop - that's $162+ just for taxes per fill - x’s several fills per week (at an average of 5.2 a mile, depending on variables, load weight a major one) and an average of 3,500 miles a week per solo driver and 6,500-7,000 miles per week, teams - it's putting truckers out of business.
Everything we buy is moved by trucks. Supermarkets have enough food for the community for ONE day...
Yet the gov’t wants to bail out the loan-shark banks that oversold mortgages and mortgagees who couldn't really qualify in the real world...a disaster anyone with half a brain could see coming.
But the truckers have NO hand in what is hitting them. And all Congress does is put on a dog and pony show to turn the onus totally on the big, bad oil companies.
Where are the voices saying: Cut or suspend the GD taxes - for a start...and get the oil co.s to match the cut...and open up the reserves. Fuel would still be to high - but not the death knell.
We need to march on Congress with emails/FAXES, trucks and cars.
...so right on the money...this is not Dems, this is bipartisan, any elected official and their families who own oil stocks. Anyone who believes otherwise is fooling themselves. With the biased congressional interests helping out Big Oil is happy, the stock holders are happy, everyone is happy but the consumer. Truly, if our public servants were forced to sign conflict of waivers, give up stocks etc. on industries they regulate, the price would not even remotely be close to where it is. My God, in the private sector I could be fired for having such a conflict, and it si the government who regulates the conflicts out in lieu of major fines etc. What hypocrites...Yada, yada, yada....keep the prices up, need to make that moola.....Now here comes all the big oil defenders...please, spare me with your nonsense...
If the price of gasoline has increased and the profit margin of oil companies has remained the same, shouldn’t even a dumb Democrat be able to see that that’s to be expected?
Further, shouldn’t even a dumb Democrat be able to understand that when the price of crude oil quadruples in five years that the price of the products refined from that crude oil will also probably increase?
And instead of vilifying American oil companies, can’t these dimwit Democrats see that the reason for the rising price of gasoline has everything to do with world competition, antagonistic oil-producing nations and the failed policies of the United States government?
BTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When you then combine state and federal tax on a gallon of gas, you see that gasoline enriches government dramatically more than it enriches oil companies.
A point made by everyone with a lick of sense! It portends our doom, since the evidence is, there are precious few people with a lick of sense, and especially in the congress and specifically among the democrats.
The other point is the point made by Bob needs to be forcefully put into the brains of everyone who thinks otherwise, until the cry is for government to stop bleeding the public dry and blaming big oil in the process.
Anyone have such numbers?
ExxonMobil 2007
Revenue $404.6 Billion
Profit $40.6 Billion (10.0%)
Taxes $102.5 Billion (25.3%)
Sales-Based taxes $31.728B
Other taxes and duties $40.953B
Income taxes $29.864B
2007 Financial & Operating Review
http://www.exxonmobil.com/corporate/files/news_pub_fo_2007.pdf
Page 16
- - - - - - - - -
ConocoPhillips 2007
Revenue $194.5 Billion
Profit $11.9 Billion (6.1%)
Taxes $30.4 Billion (15.6%)
Taxes other than income taxes $18.990B
Income taxes $11.891B
2007 Annual Report
http://www.conocophillips.com/NR/rdonlyres/3838234F-F20C-4BCE-AE8D-78DE29D67455/0/07RevisedARfinal.pdf
Page 60
- - - - - - - - -
Chevron 2007
Revenue $220.9 Billion
Profit $18.7 Billion (8.5%)
Taxes $35.7 Billion (16.2%)
Taxes other than income taxes $22.266B
Income taxes $13.479B
2007 Annual Report Supplement
http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/13/130102/reports/CVX_ARsupp07.pdf
Page 3
Only if they first wake up from the idea that global warming is a lot of hot air and alternative energy isn’t the miracle everyone believes it is.
A lot of people I’ve debated the subject of ANWR and oil prices with usually turn the debate into a global warming rant/lecture. They say we shouldn’t drill for oil, even if it lowers prices, because vehicles are contributing to global warming and we should instead focus on alternative energy sources (i.e. this new corn ethanol).
Honestly, are people like me the only ones who realize that even if alternative energy sources are the miracle everyone believes they are, it’s going to take a long time for vehicles to switch over to them? And we’re not even taking into account the other things that require oil.
Liberalism may be a mental disorder, but environmentalism is a mental disease and a pandemic.
Yes, the writer really nails it. It's so clear and understandable it will penetrate the foggy brain of even the dumbest of liberals and Democrats.
Why the President and other Republican leaders can't articulate on this issue to the public is beyond me. They are so out-of-touch and detached from the responsibilities incumbent upon them which they owe to the party and the GOP voters who gave them their plushy jobs in the first place.
Why has it been for years that internet forums, bloggers and talk show hosts have had to do all the heavy lifting in using the bully pulpit to explain issues to voters? Republican PR from the White House, the Congress and the RNC is and has been ineffective and hardly existant for years.
How many freepers reading my post can reel off the name of the current RNC chairman off the top of his/her head?
Gas prices are going to be one of the three most upsetting and driving issues on the minds of voters when they march into the polling booth in November.....and guess which party they'll be seethingly angry at.
Leni
If one were to try to explain that article to a Demwit, all the Demwit would hear are sounds similar to what a dolphin makes.
You nailed it DEAD ON. True change will happen as Americans going broke are just starting to wake up and ask really who is to blame. Is it big oil? Globalization? We as a culture really only wake up when their is pain (well, guess that’s common human nature) and plenty of pain is coming. The economy will get better for a time because of bailouts and other stimulus. But watch next year when taxes go through the roof to pay for bailouts along with all the other core fiscal problems. We exported our wealth overseas. Now it will take years to rebuild here at home.
Mass marches on Washington are coming and we’ll purge the nation of turds but think in terms of 5 years. Right now, the bailout crowd of liberals (half the country) are getting what they want, someone else to fund their never ending party. But as responsible tax-payers get the bill and are drained over the next few years, can no longer make a living, we’ll retake the government and assign responsible people to posts. In between, buckle up it will get ugly and scary before it gets better.
To your point: millions of years ago, the Siberian flats (lava flow) created 700 times the amount of carbon currently in our atmosphere. We know this for a fact. We also know for a fact that it increased the average global tempature by 9 degrees. We also know at this rate of man-made pollution it would take almost a million years to reach this level of carbon in our own atmosphere. Nuke plants, solar and hydrogen are the big future but it would help if we had more biodeisel and coal liquification (heating oil) between now and then. The enviro whackos are saying in 40 years the tempature will rise 9 degress. WILL THEY STOP THE BULL*HIT NOW?!?!
...all your stats show is the higher the price of gas the higher the revenue and thus, the higher the profit...a 10% profit margin on gas selling at $4.00 as compared to $2.50 a gallon is still a 10% profit margin, but a much greater profit overall...is it not? Therefore, do you really think Big Oil has any reason to keep gas prices down when they are the only game in town and the higher the price the greater profit earned on a 10% profit margin?
Because there are too many companies in the business causing competition. These are the same companies of the late 90's when oil dropped below $10 and gasoline below $1 when the Asian markets tanked and OPEC was slow to cut production.
If you believe they can charge any price they want and will have buyers, why haven't we always paid $5~10 a gallon for gasoline?
It is because a competing company will sell for a little less while the build up market share and larger profits. When the profit gets below 7%, there is no longer an incentive to cut price because the investors can make more money in other industries without the risk of oil pricing.
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