Say Anything Blog

The funniest part of this latest piece of Dem propaganda is that it concedes the supply point, while attempting to blame it on the oil companies(while ignoring the maze of enviro regulations) for not developing our resources.  Now, this is after thirty years of them preventing us from developing our own supplies.
It is a staple of socialist anti-business propaganda to insist that sellers purposely restrict supply to raise the price(even though the numbers never work out that way for real businesses), when it is really govt that does that very thing.
In the real world,if you want record profits, you have to make record sales.  Restricting supply in a competitive market simply makes you less successful.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

Contrary to what liberals would have you believe, drilling for oil does not merely consist of putting a hole in the ground and waiting for oil to bubble up through it.

Clearly you’ve never watched the Beverly Hillbillies.  Liberals have, and that is why they’re smarter than us.

Clearly you’ve never watched the Beverly Hillbillies.  Liberals have, and that is why they’re smarter than us.

That would also explain why the anti-oil drilling liberals are for stricter gun control!

Barack Obama: All hat and no cattle since 1997!

That would also explain why the anti-oil drilling liberals are for stricter gun control!

Businesses, including huge, global oil companies, have to live within the constraints of their operating budget… a concept obviously well beyond the comprehension of economics-illiterate liberals.  Most rational persons can recognize the advisability of tying up desirable potential locations with long-term leases, but those leaseholds can only be explored and exploited systematically as the operating funds are available.

Seems to me there is also room for a modified chicken hawk argument here.  Since liberals clearly know next to nothing about economics or running a business they probably should just shut up on those matters instead of publicizing their ignorance with their witless commentary.

“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

Big, verified supplies of oil.

Well, if “Big Oil” paid millions of dollars for oil leases that turned out to be dry holes, how can they be positive that the new oil locations aren’t dry holes as well?  I think the answer is “they can’t”

Also, If big oil were interested in investing in production, they would not be giving record dividends to stock holders.  It is time for a little “anti-trust” action against big oil and see if that shakes things up.

I think the answer is “they can’t”

Wrong.  The definition of “investment"is the putting of capital at risk to produce a greater return.  Do you understand the concept of “risk”?

Also, If big oil were interested in investing in production, they would not be giving record dividends to stock holders. They aren’t. A record volume of profit is not the same thing as an increase in profit “margin”. It is time for a little “anti-trust” action against big oil and see if that shakes things up. In fact, it was the Sherman AntiTrust Act that gave us the big corporations we have today.

You know nothing.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

If big oil were interested in investing in production, they would not be giving record dividends to stock holders.

Not much on corporate finance and free market capitalism, are you?

“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

I am all in favor of capitalism and profits.  However, If your press is that “Oil companies are doing all they can and the evil leftie liberals are standing in the way”.  Then:

A) Oil companies would have Zero unexplored/undeveloped reserves.  Which is not true Exxon is not developing some of their Alaska leases.

B) The large dividend plus the untapped reserves just confirm in mind that Oil companies are more interested in filling the pockets of their investors than solving the oil crisis.

BPS: Your conclusions don’t flow from your premises; you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Govt regulations have been restricting supply for over thirty years, with the entirely predictable result: today’s gas prices.  It’s really very simple.  The actions of the oil industry are determined by the distortions introduced into the energy market by govt regulations and tax policies.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

To me, the funniest thing about this latest leftie talking point is that it admits the supply problem; when you ignoramuses try to blame the oil companies for being part of the “problem” by not developing some leases, you are conceding the point that increased supply will solve the problem, but you blame the companies that have to operate under highly restrictive govt regulations, written mostly by another group of ignoramuses, the enviros, whose interest is to prevent the American people from having the energy they are willing to pay for, and to use creatively.  Instead, make some sense and remove those regulations, and the problem will be solved.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

Current GOP desire
A) Open reserves
B) Give oil companies breaks to encourage more drilling

simple counter argument
A) Exxon reserves they currently untapped (read link).  Why should we open more if they aren’t using what has been allocated?

B) Exxon has record profits.  Why should the Federal government fund their investments?

Once again, you display your ignorance.  There are no “breaks”, as there is no set level of taxation.  The only thing necessary is to remove restrictive regulations that limit the ability to increase supply to meet the demand.  The regulations were designed to hamper the oil companies, and now the outcome of that policy has been revealed for what it is.
Exxon has “record profits” because they sell a lot of product.  They are the ones investing, mostly in govt fat cats.  You just parrot the leftie talking points, dude; educate yourself!  Take a beginning econ course.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

Tax breaks article #1

Link #2 before the passing.

So yeah, the Oil companies ARE getting tax breaks.

Unless you think the govt is entitled to a certain share of what business earns, there are no “tax breaks”; it’s a bullshit concept created by those who want us to socialize our economy.  The truth is, greedy govt takes what others earn.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

I can’t believe BPS just doesn’t get the fact that if there were oil there in Alaska under that those particular leases, the oil companies would drill. but exploration having been completed, they found no indication of oil. Why spend their time and money drilling dry holes? As to record profits, is a 9.3% profit margin that big? Insurance companies would be crying the blues and screaming for government help and higher rates if that’s all the profit they were making. Just because the dollar figure is large doesn’t make it “obscene profits”, especially when you consider how much it takes to pay for the leases, drill the holes, and get it to the refineries. 
BPS, if I were you I’d be asking why the oil companies have to pay such high royalties, then pay an additional tax on the oil drilled along with corporate income taxes, then the refineries pay a tax on output as well as profits, and we pay a percentage tax at the pumps. 32% of the cost of a gallon of gas is earned by Wall Street speculators, the government gets roughly 44% in taxes, the oil company gets 4.,% profit ( the rest of their profits come from supplying oil to make plastics, fertilizer etc.), and the rest is scattered out between the distributors and gas stations. So who’s the real bad guy in all this? I’d have to say Congress.

Here’s the thing, I honestly don’t think ANY of you know what you’re talking about.

Being a TRUE independant is the only real way to make the most informed choices.

John McCain did indeed vote for the surge while Barrack Obama voted against it. But see, that’s also where your arguments are seriously flawed. If we had listened to Barrack Obama in the first place, we would have never needed the surge.

That’s why McCain’s recent arguments are so sad. “Because of the surge, Senator Obama can land in a safe place.” But again, because of John McCain the place was unsafe in the first place. If not for his and many other’s votes, including mine, Obama would never have to be there in the first place.

Now, Oil. It’s almost certain that the Oil pries are being set by 1) the decreasing value of our dollar and 2) the futures traders on Wall Street. The traders are who set the prices, create the hype and rob our bank accounts. There are huge stocks of unused oil sitting on tankers in the Persian Gulf. Production has been proven to be greater than the demand. Then, when the oil companies go to buy oil at these astronomical prices, theyare getting killed by the exchange rate of the USD. A European/Asian company selling a barrel of oil in Euros, an America company buying that same oil in USD. Do the math.

Being a TRUE independant is the only real way to make the most informed choices.

No, it makes you a gutless fence sitter.

That’s why McCain’s recent arguments are so sad. “Because of the surge, Senator Obama can land in a safe place.” But again, because of John McCain the place was unsafe in the first place. If not for his and many other’s votes, including mine, Obama would never have to be there in the first place

And Saddam Hussein would be filling mass graves with his political enemies, shooting every day at our overflights, and continuing to corrupt the UN with the Oil-For-Food program. Unacceptable.

Now, Oil. It’s almost certain that the Oil pries are being set by 1) the decreasing value of our dollar and 2) the futures traders on Wall Street

The dollar is weak because of oil prices, not the other way around.

And Wall Street is only a fraction of the entire oil commodities market. The real blame for oil prices is the national monopolies in most oil producing nations.

Blaming the speculators is like blaming hot weather for the high price of ice cream.

Here’s the thing, I honestly don’t think ANY of you know what you’re talking about.

It’s a sure thing that you don’t have a clue.

You don’t have to be a moron to be a liberal Democrat but it sure helps.

It’s a sure thing that you don’t have a clue.

Doc,

If you didn’t have insults, you would have nothing.

First off, I don’t think ANY of you really know much of what you are talking about. The right calls the left socialists and the left calls the right greedy. Everyone argues about nothing and thats exactly what gets done… nothing.

Stop thnking you’re the center of the universe and pay attention to whats going on. Think for yourself and stop relaying the opinions of others.

Research has already almost proven that the high oil prices are a factor of two things, neither being supply or demand. They also aren’t caused by the greed of the big oil corps, though what they do is still pretty disgusting.

1)The ever decreasing value or the US dollar and 2) the futures and commodity traders on wallstreet. Wallstreet sets the prices of almost everything international. They’ve been hyping the pice of oil for almost 7 years now, creating fear of high demands and low production. The problem is, there are proven stockpiles of oil floating on ships in the middle of the Persian Gulf with nowhere to go. The supply is much higher than the demand at this point. The Demand in the U.S. alone has significantly dropped in the last year, yet the price keeps rising.

Also, how can you expect low oil prices when a company loses money almost every time it buys it? The USD is slowly dying on the vine, the ecomnomy is in shambles and the U.S. Government just keeps brushing it under the rug by paying off some of the biggest flops in U.S. economic history. Think of it this way, when a foreign company sells oil in Euros to an American company who must buy it in USD, who do you think wins?

But don’t think that U.S. Oil companies aren’t partly to blame? They are still pulling in record profits, which is fine. But they don’t want to pay to increase their own production or supplies, they don’t even want to pay for their own equipment. Now tell me, when was the last time you heard the all horrible Microsoft going to the govt asking for handouts to build a new Operating System? Or when was the last time you heard Wal-Mart really whining to the world because a local town stopped them from building? They pull up their bigboy pants and move on.

Most of all so called “AMERICAN” oil companies don’t even call the U.S. home. They have tax shelters in Abu Dabi or International Headquarters in Saudia Arabia. Why would we want to give such companies breaks when they give nothing back? You have millions of small businesses paying their way and trying to make it here in the U.S. and you want to give your money to companies who repeatedly move overseas? Now who’s the ‘anti-amurican’?

Think about it.

Sorry for the basic repeat, it didn’t seem to go through before, but now I see it did.

No, it makes you a gutless fence sitter.

Oh, gotcha. I’m a gutless fence sitter because I listen to and examine the facts and forge my own opinion from that? I see, and what does it take to be someone who only votes for a person because of what his party affiliation is?? Even George Washington was an Independant… but I guess he was gutless, too. Damn, If I had known being a 6 yr veteran of the U.S. Army and doing a tour in both Iraq and Afghanistan was going to make me gutless, I woulda just moved to France.

It’s a sure thing that you don’t have a clue.

AHHHHH! Now I see. Gotcha, its a smear whomever doesn’t agree with me, blog. Roger Pappa Bear.

1)The ever decreasing value or the US dollar and 2) the futures and commodity traders on wallstreet.

Bullshit!  You have cause and effect reversed here.  The real reason is the restrictive Dem energy policies of the last thirty years, which have taken us out of being competitive in the world oil market, and have made us into passive consumers.  Speculation in futures markets is strictly a matter of perceived instability, and when we get back into the world oil market as a competitor, it will stabilize the futures market.  The value of the dollar is a result of an intentional “weak dollar” trade policy that is basically a sop to the labor unions, and it has to go.
Also, as we again become competitors in the world oil market, the dollar will gain strength.  This is just basic market economics, and all you do is parrot some bullshit leftie talking points.  Educate yourself.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

I’m a gutless fence sitter because I listen to and examine the facts and forge my own opinion from that?

Well you are impervious to facts if you have studied energy issues and came to the conclusion that oil is somehow immune from the iron laws of supply and demand. Petroleum has a relatively inelastic demand it is true, but that hardly means demand has no effect upon the price of oil.

Even George Washington was an Independant… but I guess he was gutless, too.

I am quite sure that you are no George Washington. He served in an age before political parties. Every politician at that time was an ‘independent’.

Damn, If I had known being a 6 yr veteran of the U.S. Army and doing a tour in both Iraq and Afghanistan was going to make me gutless, I woulda just moved to France.

It is entirely possible to be brave and honorable on the battlefield yet completely gutless when it comes to politics.

Just look at John Murtha.

tired,

Do you have anything to offer the rest of us that might disavow us, even partially, of the notion that where economics and world markets are concerned you haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about?

“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

Well you are impervious to facts if you have studied energy issues and came to the conclusion that oil is somehow immune from the iron laws of supply and demand. Petroleum has a relatively inelastic demand it is true, but that hardly means demand has no effect upon the price of oil.

I never said that Oil was immune to supply and demand, no product is. I just said that I didn’t think it was a true factor in today’s oil prices.

Bullshit!  You have cause and effect reversed here.  The real reason is the restrictive Dem energy policies of the last thirty years, which have taken us out of being competitive in the world oil market, and have made us into passive consumers.  Speculation in futures markets is strictly a matter of perceived instability, and when we get back into the world oil market as a competitor, it will stabilize the futures market.  The value of the dollar is a result of an intentional “weak dollar” trade policy that is basically a sop to the labor unions, and it has to go.
Also, as we again become competitors in the world oil market, the dollar will gain strength.  This is just basic market economics, and all you do is parrot some bullshit leftie talking points.  Educate yourself.

Once again, I think you’re relaying other’s opinions and you have no economic study behind it.

Check these links, I think You’ll understand better of what I am saying;

http://www.mees.com/postedarticles/oped/a47n33d01.htm

http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/4476

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/oils-surge-centers-sliding-value/story.aspx?guid={C39476EA-069F-4921-9BED-4BB134D0E6B0}

http://www.cnbc.com/id/20988001/

It is entirely possible to be brave and honorable on the battlefield yet completely gutless when it comes to politics.

I still don’t understand your argument. It makes no sense as to how a person who chooses his own opinion and is not a follower of the pack is the gutless one. Wouldn’t that be the complete opposite? Hate to refer back to George again, but if being the independant was gutless, wouldn’t we still be british?

I am quite sure that you are no George Washington. He served in an age before political parties. Every politician at that time was an ‘independent’.

And I NEVER said I was a ‘George Washinton’ either, but I figured a few would get the joke behind it. Apparently not, becuase there has NEVER been an age in U.S. History where there were no political parties. Even George Washington was a Federalist.

I vote for people, not parties. No one party supports all of my views, and honestly not one candidate out there right now really does. I wish we had more choices. McCain has flipped on almost everything he used to stand for and Obama has no substinence. Hillary was fake as hell and the antiChrist and Romney was just BLAH! I kinda wish Ron Paul got the nom, at least he made some bit of sense.

Once again, I think you’re relaying other’s opinions and you have no economic study behind it.

I think you’re talking about yourself; I have 46 years in the study and practical application of economics(business).
Your sources have misled you.  Once again, this is about basic market economics, of which you are apparently ignorant.
Get educated, before you make an even bigger fool of yourself.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

I have 46 years in the study and practical application of economics(business).

Wow, I don’t understand why all of those economic studies brought in those high priced, hhly educatd and worldly renowned economists when all thy had to do was call you, a simple business man.

Kenneth Lay and John Rigas had a combined total of close to 75 years of ‘study and practical application of economics’ and they obviously didn’t know what they were doing.

Me, I’m just a humble small business owner who just had his first $1 million year, 3 years after conception… what would I know about economics?

I admit I came across the wrong way, I didn’t mean to say or imply you guys were stupid. Its obvous you aren’t and its obvious you all care about the future of the country. All I want is for people to think for themselves and look it up. World news is owned, you get what they want you to get. to me, the ost important thing is to get it from as many sources as possible. Look at the world around you, read what isn’t the headline sometimes. You might find out a few things you never thought you wouda have.

I have to go ‘study and practically apply ecomnomics’

Its been fun.

THE BOTTOM LINE: ENERGY INDEPENDANCE EVEN IF IT MEANS DRILLING INTO THE GRAVE OF MY GRANDMOTHER!!!

tired: I speak from knowledge of economics, not “world news”.  What I said about speculation in the futures markets is true; you can look it up in any economics text, or ask an econ teacher.
If you don’t know a subject, you have to listen to everything you hear, not just the leftie stuff, like you obviously have.  Your problem is that you just don’t have enough knowledge to discriminate between the truth and the leftie bullshit.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

Not true at all. I have’t been sucked into the Leftie bullshit. Nor the Rightie hippocrisy . Just my own opinions, and they are opinions at that. I have never tried to say I was the god of all economics, god of Guitar Hero maybe, but I have seen much more research pointing to the speculators than anything else.

If I was parroting the lefties, wouldn’t I be complaining about the oil companies? I’m no big fan of them, but I don’t think they should be penalized for making profits. Even amazingly huge ones that really seem to do nothing but pad their investors and kill our economy. And though I have sometimes thought of how nice the idea may SOUND, I would never want to live in a true socialistic country. I work very hard for what I have and don’t see it as fair to give that to someone else who has decided not to better themselves and work at McDonalds their whole life.

And the arguments that the massive regulations on oil companies has somehow put us where we are today, I don’t buy either. If not for such regulations our kids would have 3 eyes and 12 toes and our vegetables would taste like exxon. But I don’t believe in things such as universal healthcare or taxing the rich, either.

I try to listen to all viewpoints, all angles, and then I form my opinions from those. Their’s good and bad in everything and I have no illusions our government and country are any different. But if we could get past these political lines that everyone seems to have drawn in the sand, we MIGHT be able to get shit done.

I do have a question for anyone who can answer it though, and i’m not try to be political, I really don’t understand. I’m still not fully decided on the matter of drilling in Anwar and new places and I’ve been looking deeper into it, which is how I found all this today.

Anyways, if oil companies have to lease the land, then explore before they know if fossil fuels are present or worth it, how can they be so sure of Anwar?

Me, I’m just a humble small business owner who just had his first $1 million year, 3 years after conception… what would I know about economics?

You definitely don’t know the simplest truth about commodities markets, so if you really are a successful business owner, as you now claim, you must have someone competent to manage your business for you.
I recommend you stay away from commodities trading, btw.

Save America; boycott the MSM.

Tired: ANWR has been explored several times using state-of-the-art technology.

"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The times, they are a-changin’...
Bob Dylan

THE BOTTOM LINE: ENERGY INDEPENDANCE EVEN IF IT MEANS DRILLING INTO THE GRAVE OF MY GRANDMOTHER!!!

Heheheh, great quote, and I can get behind that.

Not literally of course, unless granny actually is sleeping over some huge reservoir . . . in which case I hope you get filthy rich.

Anyways, if oil companies have to lease the land, then explore before they know if fossil fuels are present or worth it, how can they be so sure of Anwar?

They aren’t, it is always a crap shoot.

But you have to go with what little you know.

You definitely don’t know the simplest truth about commodities markets, so if you really are a successful business owner, as you now claim, you must have someone competent to manage your business for you.

Its true. I OWNED a web firm. We developed web apps, corporate programmming, some hosting. We got bought out by CDW/Berbee from Ft. Wayne, Indiana.

I recommend you stay away from commodities trading, btw.

SHEEEET! I stay away fromgambling at all costs. I’d rather keep my money. But one of my best friends is a commodities trader on the Chicago Stock Exchange and he I have this discussion alot. “sell this short, sell that long, sell my underpants” its all greek to me. But I’m trying.

BTW, my opinions are always changing, and so are my views. I’m not too bullish (get it, bullish, stock exchange… nevermind) to admit to being wrong. I just haven’t found anything yet to change my opinion on that paticular matter.

Robert: Im confused. How are there big verified supplies of oil if there has been no exploration done yet?

Robert: Im confused. How are there big verified supplies of oil if there has been no exploration done yet?

I never took that position, so I don’t know why you are trying to change the subject.

In fact, there are plenty of known supplies that have been kept out of development due to leftie obstructionism.  We have several deep water test wells in the Gulf de Mexico, and there are known wells that have been capped in the Santa Barbara Channel, just for starters.  ANWR has been pretty well researched, as has the outer Continental Shelf.  That isn’t the problem; it’s leftie obstructionism that is the problem.  Aren’t you glad you asked?

Save America; boycott the MSM.

Robert: I apologize, I got a quote from “Rob”, the blog author and yourself confused. But I never meant it as something to put you on the defensive, I was asking an honest question. But your opinion is appreciated no matter how angry it may be. :D

I apologize, I got a quote from “Rob”, the blog author and yourself confused.

I’d actually to know where I said that there were big, unverified reserves of oil.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

-- Thomas Jefferson

Rob’s recently listened-to songs:

Tired: I’m not on the defensive, because the truth is on my side.  Trying to invalidate me by calling me angry is just more leftie bullshit.
Here’s the deal: your spew about the weak dollar and speculation in the oil futures market, blaming those two things, is just leftie talking point crap.  The real cause of today’s high oil prices is the restrictions on development of new supplies by the US.  That also includes no new refineries or powerplants for thirty years.  You claim to be a successful businessman, but you don’t seem to understand that if you didn’t develop your business for thirty years, you would be dependent on others, or out of business.  Like I said, elementary market economics.  The Dems and the environazis have decided that they like funding terrorist states rather than keeping America a force in the world oil market, with very predictable results.  We now have to fear that moron in Iran and the one in Venezuela, thanks to the lefties.  If you ignore these facts, you reveal yourself as just another leftie partisan, come here to spew the Party line.

Save America; boycott the MSM.