(no subject)

[bzarcher]

Read this.

Submitted without comment.

Comments

[valkyrwench.livejournal.com]

Uh-huh. I heard today that Exxon-Mobil's profit for the last quarter was $43 billion. Yes, that's billion, with a "b". For a quarter. I'm boggled that this is allowed to go on.

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Okay, here's my question and comment all rolled up neatly:
Who is this supposed to surprise?

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

I'd really, really like to hope that maybe this tragedy will help change that.

Yeah, I know.

Still.

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Sadly, probably no-one.

[chaoticgoodnik.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in my world oil belongs to the earth, and profits beyond what's required to provide a living wage for the staff and recoup overhead are not allowed. And there's fantastic mass transit everywhere.

Actually, scratch that. Everything runs on solar or wind power.

I wish. :/

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

It certainly didn't surprise me. The main problem here is that there's really no one or any way to stop the oil companies from doing this just as much as they like. This administration surely won't go after Big Oil; Shrub is in their collective pocket. I honestly doubt any administration would take on Big Oil at this point, though, at least not directly by trying an anti-trust or price fixing case against them. No politician is willing to give up his or her chances at reelection and all the fattening they can give to one's political funds.

I'd love to see it happen. I really would. The Federal anti-trust case against Microsoft and even the ups and downs of the case against Big Tobacco would look tame compared to a fight with Big Oil.

[chaoticgoodnik.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall that *checks Wiki* yeah, Bush the elder made his money in the oil business.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush#Post_war:_Yale.2C_family.2C_oil_business

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

I feel fairly certain the whole Bush family has been profiting mightily from this whole situation. I don't doubt for a second that ShrubCo has gotten their cut of these record reported profits. Which is why I do doubt we'll see this bullshit stopped anytime soon.

[valkyrwench.livejournal.com]

Yes, and the Shrubbery was given his own oil company to play with and ran it into the ground. In the state of TX, where you strike oil wearing spike heels on the croquet lawn, he managed to drill dry well after dry well...

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

Bah. Nuclear. Pebble bed reactors are safe, clean, and relatively easy to make.

[chaoticgoodnik.livejournal.com]

Maybe on your planet - not on mine. ^^;;

[bzarcher.livejournal.com]

As good as solar and wind energy can be, they can't help everyone. You have to think about throughput and some of the absolutely nasty parts of our planet.

Geothermal and well regulated, clean nuclear power? Suprisingly go-anywhere.

[las.livejournal.com]

And of course, the oil companies also fund massive political lobbies. Politicians may be in no hurry to take them to task.

California Oil Company Lobby Expenditure Figures for 2003/2004

[las.livejournal.com]

Dubya has run every business he's been in charge of into the ground.

re: oil in Texas: it's not that simple to find oil in Texas now, but that was why the Bush family came to Texas in the first place. Modern-day oil boom carpetbaggers. When the oil bust hit Texas in the 80s, they moved their business back to the East Coast, but kept the Texas ranch to foster the cowboy image.

Dubya is about as much of a Texan as I'd be a Canadian if I bought a summer vacation cabin in Vancouver. He wasn't born in Texas (he was born in Connecticut) and he didn't go to school there. He made Governor because, well, Texas politics are famously corrupt, and the Republicans figured he could win.

[chaoticgoodnik.livejournal.com]

Yes, but we're talking about my shiny imaginary planet here. ;)

Though more seriously, a bit of Googling suggests that nuclear power is quite expensive, plus there's the problem of disposing of the waste.

[valkyrwench.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, our lege is legendary for corruption, not to mention stupidity. I didn't vote for him for governor or president. Personally, I wouldn't mind having Ann Richards back in the governor's seat - much better than Governor Goodhair.

[gigerlicious.livejournal.com]

Sounds like it's time to buy more BP stock.

[las.livejournal.com]

Ann Richards rocked.

Best. Lines. Evar.

[degraine.livejournal.com]

It's not a new tactic. How long have the diamond cartels been doing exactly the same thing?

[duskpaw.livejournal.com]

You mean -the- diamond cartel, right?

*fist shakes at DeBeers (sp)*

[degraine.livejournal.com]

Okay, cartel. I knew there was at least one, but I couldn't remember if there were more. :)