[KantianBurke]

Oil companies exist to drill for oil and make profit. Period. If they come across a country which is corrupt, dictatorial and replete with oil then its within their rights to go after the black gold. Leave the bleeding heart sentementalities to those who aren't interested in the business. If the citizens of that country don't get a cut thats tough. They deserve precisely the type of govt that they allow to endure.

[Egregious Philbin]

I'm sure they're just too damn lazy to overthrow their government. They're too busy milking their status as some of the poorest people in the world to take care of it.

If Chevron wants to drill for oil in that part of Nigeria then they should also accept being the de facto government for that area. Providing services is no doubt cheaper than paying off the Nigerian government. If a company pays off a government they, too, are responsible for that governments actions.

You're basically saying that companies have a right to have their cake and eat it too, leaving the crumbs for the locals. If that drill was in your backyard, wouldn't you want a cut too?