That's what I'm saying

Post #303,621 by beepster 2/4/09 7:52:16 PM Reply	That's what I'm saying the number now creates false shortages etc... I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose freewill.
Post #303,633 by drook 2/4/09 10:21:41 PM Reply	Okay So based on your posting history -- and no, I'm not going to go find specific examples -- you think that in the absence of regulation dictating otherwise, businesses will tend toward behavior that will generally be good for the economy. And that government regulation can be driven more by ideology than economic theory, and therefore will tend to be bad for the economy. Any problems so far? So, you're saying that the fuel shortages were entirely due to the regulation? And it's a coincidence that gas companies just so happened to be booking record profits at the same time? And this is completely unlike the artificial power shortages in California? Just trying to understand your position. -- Drew
Post #303,642 by beepster 2/5/09 2:01:06 AM Reply	sigh if you want to continue to invent my arguments, there's little need for me to be here. I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose freewill.
Post #303,652 by drook 2/5/09 8:50:26 AM Reply	Not invention, logical extension -- Drew
Post #303,665 by beepster 2/5/09 4:40:22 PM Reply	Who's logic? Businesses will tend towards whats best for the business. Not absolute. In many cases that will also tend to be good for the economy. Don't think I mentioned anything about environmental law being led solely by ideology, though this latest religion called climate change is approaching that level. Just to throw a wrench in your works...it seems largely forgotten that I ended up in these forums oh so many moons ago advocating FOR further regulation and breakup of Microsoft. And you should know better than to throw that "record profits" nonsense around. I don't here anyone complaining about ArcelorMittal or IBM et al who had higher margins than the oil business. The numbers are bigger than everyone else's because they are the largest companies in the world. I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose freewill.
Post #303,671 by Another Scott 2/5/09 6:02:50 PM Reply	Power comes from the # of dollars, not the margins. It isn't the profit margin that gets people riled up about the oil company profits, its the number of dollars. You know that. The large bank account balances give them the power (whether they use it at the moment (or ever) or not) to: buy up competitors; buy up promising technology and sit on it; buy up mineral leases that competitors might use to bring products to market faster than they might choose to do; buy up advertising to sway public opinion; contribute to political organizations, parties, and candidates' favorite causes; etc., etc. MS got to be powerful because it had a large bank account, not because they had (say) a 60% profit margin. It's not the margins that matter. If XOM is making huge profits because they're a huge company, well maybe they shouldn't be quite so big. They were split up once already, for very good reasons.... Comparing ExxonMobil's profits to some company that has a much higher margin misses the point. /soapbox. Cheers, Scott.
Post #303,692 by beepster 2/6/09 8:23:25 AM Reply	I don't think so There are still 5 to 6 real players in the oil business, the size factor gives a certain amount of power, but GE also made a higher margin and is right up there in size. Size is necessary in that business..what small business can leverage and put a dozen mobile rigs out in the ocean at a cost of 300-400million per that have a real chance of not paying back? Oil makes a nice target because its a one game industry and everybody needs it. Same as people bitch when their electric bill goes up. I will choose a path that's clear. I will choose freewill.
Post #303,653 by boxley 2/5/09 9:23:08 AM Reply	part of the problem we had in atlanta was the lack of botique gas, we had to get a federal excemption the alleviated the situation a little bit

Welcome to IWETHEY!