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Do you not believe in the profit motive?

Sure. Where did I say I didn't?

If you were an oil baron would you: spend on developing more oil fields to reap more profits, spend on developing new technologies so you have a product or service to extend your going concern, or stash it with the high chance you will need it to comply with future regulatory costs or do nothing?

If I were an oil gouger, with supply fixed and demand inflexible, I would raise the costs of my product to the point where disgruntled consumers started to shoot my board of directors and burn my headquarters to the ground. Then I would lower costs 10 percent and act like I had done some noble thing. And all the time, I would blame the price gouging on "environmentalists" and "regulation" and refinery capacity and a host of other excuses that won't withstand even the most casual scrutiny. If the grumbling gets too loud, I'll throw a few billion at some tacky PR campaign to convince the idiots in Consumerland that I give two hoots about them.

Do you not believe in the profit motive?

Sure. Where did I say I didn't?

It was an honest question, just wanted to know where you stood, clearly you see corruption in the management and don't believe they are making the proper decisions to keep their business open, not some universal flaw in making a profit.

If I were an oil gouger, with supply fixed and demand inflexible, I would raise the costs of my product to the point where disgruntled consumers started to shoot my board of directors and burn my headquarters to the ground. Then I would lower costs 10 percent and act like I had done some noble thing. And all the time, I would blame the price gouging on "environmentalists" and "regulation" and refinery capacity and a host of other excuses that won't withstand even the most casual scrutiny. If the grumbling gets too loud, I'll throw a few billion at some tacky PR campaign to convince the idiots in Consumerland that I give two hoots about them.

This is revealing, and funny.

--lates
-- jrawk

You actually believe that enviros haven't hurt the supply of oil in this country, or for that matter the world? Where have you been living? While I will agree with you that oil companies are making a profit now, I will also say that profits keep our economy running. If we could drill off of the coast of CA for instance, we would have more oil here and less of an excuse for some of the oil companies to raise prices.

Supply and demand drives prices of any products in a capitilists society and it is the best way to go.

If the government would tell the enviros where to get off then we would all be better off and there would be less price gouging. The oil comapanies are blaming enviros with a good reason, they ARE the biggest reason energy cost so much now.