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Originally Posted by kahljorn
Isn't oil a finite resource, aren't they "Running low"?
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To a point, though oil is generally misrepresented. We call it a "fossil fuel," and the general understanding is that the dinosaurs died and rotted and that's where we get oil... That's not at all the whole story. We still don't know how much oil is out there, and we don't know how fast the Earth is producing it, so there's no way to say whether our demand is keeping up with the natural supply. Personally, I agree that it's not the preferred method of energy for our future, and I'd love to see it replaced by cleaner methods (and it eventually will be,) BUT petroleum technology is where we are currently invested, and that's what Asia is using to build it's new industrial economic structure upon. Asia's energy needs over the next ten years far outstrip our own, and if the middle east and northern South America/ Meso-America has any hope for success, oil production is the single most important factor for that region. Over the short term, oil is key to global security.
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Originally Posted by kahljorn
Also, i thought they made something like billions in profits?
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They paid 2.5 times the amount of their profit in taxes.
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Originally Posted by kahljorn
Anyway, when you start running low on profits due to a shortage of resources it stands that you have to invest to gain more resources, in this case another type of energy.
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And, as they have been, cleaner methods for using this type, as well as exploration and other forms of resource... Do you really believe they aren't researching other forms of energy? Do you believe Exxon, an energy company, is planning on it's own extinction?
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Originally Posted by kahljorn
I just thought the point of increasing the cost of product was because it's in higher demand, which means they can get more money to make more products. How can you do that with such a limited supply of resources? Without any more resources, no future industry really, it's just a waste -- and their punching us in the gut before running away with a bag of shit.
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I kind of already addressed this part...
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Originally Posted by kahljorn
And why act like 3% isn't alot when you're dealing in billions upon billions? If somebody or something killed 3% of the world's population, it'd be a pretty big deal. I don't even know if 3% is right, but regardless, their profits have increased a lot more recently.
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Their profit has increased while their profit margin has remained stable. It's similar to the difference between a 3% raise in your salary versus a $3000 increase annually... Which is better? Doesn't that depend on how much you're making now?
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Originally Posted by kahljorn
Didn't the Ceo walk away with a few hundred million when he retired? How much of a percent of the company profits was that?
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That was contractual based on his performance. He met his end of those terms, and he received the compensation agreed upon in his contract. Obviously, Exxon believed the achievement of the goals set out for him was worth the money they paid, right? There's a lot more professional athletes, movie stars and gangter rappers making that kind of money while providing much less for our economy... where's the plan for seizing their profits?
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Originally Posted by kahljorn
I guess taking away their money forcefully would be wrong. Oh, unless they're immoral/gained it immorally. What do you think on that?
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If there was anything even close to a case against them on that sort of grounds, they'd already be in court.
I just don't see why there's no other type of energy available, that is as widely used. I mean, who killed the electrical car? Doesn't us living in a post-industrial age mean we should be focusing on using more and more efficient forms of energy?
I know you want to say something about freemarket here, and I would agree; but aren't they kind of breaking the bounds of "Freemarket" with some of the practices they use? Or does freemarket mean you can do anything whatsoever it doesn't matter because eventually your product will disappear? because i think that's gay. There's always some things you can do to maintain a sordid existence, the difference between it and a "healthy" existence is it comes crashing down in the end. Isn't it bad to have one of our primary resources in that process of "Crashing down"?
I just wish there was another energy industry. I've seen alot of tracthousing built lately that uses solar energy to partially power the house. That's not really an "Energy Industry" though.[/quote]