Yesterday, BP's Robert Malone, Shell's John Hofmeister, Chevron's Pete Robertson, Conoco Phillips's John Lowe, and Exxon-Mobil's J. Stephen Simon appeared before Congress. These five billionaires are part of the only real growth industry in the United States right now... the oil industry. They collectively clocked 36 billion dollars in profits last year. Gas has now spiked up to the once unthinkable price of $ 4.00 a gallon in some places and Congress called them on the carpet to do some explaining.
They basically shrugged their fat little shoulders and placed themselves in the role of victim by essentially saying, "Don't blame us... it's the law of supply and demand." In other words, they would have you and I believe that they are just hapless victims of the system too, just like everybody else. They aren't just like "everybody else." They have way more money than anybody I know could or will ever spend in a lifetime!
The truth of the matter is, these five "fat cats" don't give a merry damn about the American consumer, the farmers, the truck drivers, or anybody else for that matter. Although, being grilled by Congress put a face on just who is responsible for our collective pain, it doesn't mean a thing. Not one of them is going to tell their companies to drop prices or do anything more tomorrow than they did yesterday, which is nothing. Absolutely nothing. What's more, Congress can't make them... they know it and Congress knows it.
The American people don't know it. This was a dog and pony show set up to make people think that their government cares about them and was attempting to do something about their problems. I took one look at those guys and I knew that nothing was going to happen. Those guys probably left those hearings, went out, ordered a couple of steaks, a couple of bottles of Scotch, a couple of call girls, and laughed their fat, rich little butts off.
I would like to be wrong. I'm going to get some gas for my car tonight and for the car I'm renting Saturday. I don't expect to be surprised at the pump. A surprise of course would be finding gas for $3.35 a gallon or lower.
They basically shrugged their fat little shoulders and placed themselves in the role of victim by essentially saying, "Don't blame us... it's the law of supply and demand." In other words, they would have you and I believe that they are just hapless victims of the system too, just like everybody else. They aren't just like "everybody else." They have way more money than anybody I know could or will ever spend in a lifetime!
The truth of the matter is, these five "fat cats" don't give a merry damn about the American consumer, the farmers, the truck drivers, or anybody else for that matter. Although, being grilled by Congress put a face on just who is responsible for our collective pain, it doesn't mean a thing. Not one of them is going to tell their companies to drop prices or do anything more tomorrow than they did yesterday, which is nothing. Absolutely nothing. What's more, Congress can't make them... they know it and Congress knows it.
The American people don't know it. This was a dog and pony show set up to make people think that their government cares about them and was attempting to do something about their problems. I took one look at those guys and I knew that nothing was going to happen. Those guys probably left those hearings, went out, ordered a couple of steaks, a couple of bottles of Scotch, a couple of call girls, and laughed their fat, rich little butts off.
I would like to be wrong. I'm going to get some gas for my car tonight and for the car I'm renting Saturday. I don't expect to be surprised at the pump. A surprise of course would be finding gas for $3.35 a gallon or lower.
"Make me wanna holler, the way they do my life."Marvin Gaye, 1971
No comments:
Post a Comment