Why?

[Brian K Beckett]

Exxon Mobil 2Q profit sets US record


HOUSTON - Exxon Mobil Corp. reported second-quarter earnings of $11.68 billion Thursday, the biggest quarterly profit ever by any U.S. corporation, but the results were well short of Wall Street expectations and its shares fell.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080731/ap_on_bi_ge/earns_exxon_mobil




Why do they feel the need to make so much of a profit when their profits have been the most devistating impact to the American Econemy and The American Way of Life?

[kdown]

It's the American way. Free Enterprise. Great for stockholders, etc.

[tkcomer]

Uncontrolled capitalism is bad for any country. That's why most countries have laws to prevent a few companies from banding together to grab a monopoly that tends to hurt the economy of the country. Look how often Microsoft has been sued to prevent total domination at the expense of the consumer. I'm starting to think the big oil companies need to be broken up. On division concentrates on searching for and drilling for oil. The other division concentrates solely on refining. That way they're not shifting their profits off what they make from their oil wells and giving it to the stockholders. Instead of searching for more oil.

[Brian K Beckett]

It's the American way. Free Enterprise. Great for stockholders, etc.


I am all for it being the American way to make your own way and your own profits.

But at what point does a person or group start to relize that their "Ethics" are destroying America to the point that thier is no more America to have a way.

[kdown]

"Ethics"

They make a product for sale. We buy it. That is not unethical

[tkcomer]

Fuel is not a choice we can make. If eggs go to 5 bucks a dozen, I can quite buying them. No harm, no foul. There are other things to eat. Not so with fuel. It's energy. The entire country runs on it. Electricity and natural gas are controlled to prevent this type of profit at the country's expense. Big oil has spent big dollars to prevent competition. And now it's crunch time. Their monopoly is now hurting the country big time. They need to be dealt with. Harshly. They've spent millions bribing our congress. And they've spend millions locking up land they won't explore or develop. They need to spend that money exploring for alternatives.

[kdown]

Sorry to say that it has always been the way the majority want it.

[SilverFox]

Supply and demand. If we utilized oil that we have here at home, we would have a huge supply. We all need to ask why democrats are so opposed to drilling here. Why are they captives of the wacko environmental movement?? Most people don't stop and think that many of their pension plans have oil investments. Is anybody upset that credit card companies made $30 billion last year? Talk about needing some control!!!!

[Brian K Beckett]

Why havent the oil companies drilled into the places inside the United States that they have had approval to drill in?

And yes they make a product for sale to make a profit I dont blame them for that but isint it un American to make massive record breaking profits that are basically killing America? TK is right other things that make a profit we can live without but oil unfortunatly is the very essence of this country. Absolutly every aspect of everything in the US is determind by oil.

I am not ticked off at them making a profit but I am ticked off at them that because of their record profits is having a more negative affect on everyone in this country way worse by far then Osamma or Sadam.

[kdown]

No one complained when gas was $ 2.50 a gallon

[tkcomer]

I complained when it got to $2.50 a gallon. And yes, the majority of the voters must like it because they keep putting the same ones back in office. Dems don't want to drill, 'pubs don't want alternatives. You're stuck with nothing. But high prices. Ford and Carter tried to ramp up alternatives to imported oil. Reagan killed it. He didn't want the security of the nation to get in the way of big oil's profits. We could be self sufficient, but the 'pubs have blocked all alternatives to crude. Too costly they said. Looks what it's costing us now.

[kdown]

Be my opinion you better get used to it

[tkcomer]

Yup. The voters won't throw the bums out.

[kdown]

I got a heck of an idea. Why don't you run for congress ?

[wmjsmallwood]

And you seem surprised!!!,,,but you did vote ?,,,read my blog ,,,,not just the beginning ,,the whole thing ,i found it in time magazine ,,,,it has some facts you may not be aware of ,,,answers a lot of questions ,,,,,decide for your self !,,,,,we can still do that you know !

[neverinthepaper]

And you seem surprised!!!,,,but you did vote ?,,,read my blog ,,,,not just the beginning ,,the whole thing ,i found it in time magazine ,,,,it has some facts you may not be aware of ,,,answers a lot of questions ,,,,,decide for your self !,,,,,we can still do that you know !

Those ofus who are following this thread would like to be well informed, but some of us lack access to your blog. Please either allow access or post an active link here for us PLEEEESE!

[tkcomer]

Me for congress? I couldn't do any good. Not unless the voters threw the rest out. Then you wouldn't need me.

[JRbickley]

I'am not saying we should not drill here but I believe are Gov. is planning to keep are oil until everyone else is out.
Opening an Alaska ANWR to oil development would only slightly reduce America's dependence on imports and would lower oil prices by about 30 cents a barrel. The US would still have to import 2/3 of its oil. When talking about a world market of over 75 mb a day, 876,000 barrels a day by 2025 is a drop in the bucket. The ANWR would produce about 876,000 barrels a day and has a total of 10.4 billion barrels. Additional domestic production would not be enough to over come increased demand.
Oil Co. are making record profits because they can I don't like it but. I have heard law makers taking about suing big oil (opec) this is like City law makers banning dogs by breed its just political its not getting to the root cause. We can send a robot to Mars but we can't figure out how to harness and store mother natures powers,(sun, lightening, ocean tides etc.). Yes we can were just not putting any priority on it because it not the polictical thing to do. No politican wants to step up to the plate and tell people we are running out of easy energy and we need to start spending your money on alternatives that are going to cost you more.

[kcredden]

I'm the same way. If you make money more power to you. But if you start making it at the expense of others, then it's time to stop it.

Businesses have been taking our jobs overseas - China, India, etc all this time. Try to get tech support? You get someone with such a thick accent, it's nearly impossible to talk to them. (Wendy's column in the Ledger hit it right on the nose this morn.) Now the country is heading for a depression, and one of the major reason is; our jobs are over in China.

This is an example of when the companies are getting to the point, that they'll start to hurt the entire country. But it seems the lawmakers don't care, or are so well paid off they couldn't care.

This is basically why I buy little in Wal-mart, and start buying from City/State/US based companies, and places. (In that order.)

Want to buy computer parts from a local computer dealer? Check out www.nextdaypc.com - sure they're a bit higher but your paying a local computer specialist, not someone in China (even if they're made there probably :( )

Support City/State/US based companies, and places! Excercise your power, because the goverment won't do anything against they're employers. (Hey maybe that should be my new tagline :p

I am all for it being the American way to make your own way and your own profits.

But at what point does a person or group start to relize that their "Ethics" are destroying America to the point that thier is no more America to have a way.
<br />****** Double Post *********</br>
Anymore I wonder if the U.S. public can vote out the idiots. Case in point, unless you got your own money or have a good supply (Perot), the Democrates, and Republication parties won't allow anyone to run. Not sure exactly on that, but it seems they have enough power to at least keep anyone from being a major factor.

After the fiasco of the Ky Primary with Obama and Clinton, I won't vote in a primary again. The idea that the state went almost exclusively Clinton, but just a few well connected people, and businesses gave it to Obama. Now that's not right. The GOP doesn't have such, from what I heard. So why vote in a primary? Your vote doesn't count.

The other parts, that sounds about right. It's always too expensive at the time. But finally the gas/oil problem is starting to be a possible threat to national security, NOW they're scared to death...

- Kc

I complained when it got to $2.50 a gallon. And yes, the majority of the voters must like it because they keep putting the same ones back in office. Dems don't want to drill, 'pubs don't want alternatives. You're stuck with nothing. But high prices. Ford and Carter tried to ramp up alternatives to imported oil. Reagan killed it. He didn't want the security of the nation to get in the way of big oil's profits. We could be self sufficient, but the 'pubs have blocked all alternatives to crude. Too costly they said. Looks what it's costing us now.

[kdown]

Maybe Exxon can load some money to General Motors

General Motors Corp. (GM) posted a stunning $15.5 billion second-quarter net loss, as the auto maker piled up $9.1 billion in charges and write-downs and suffered a deep drop in North American sales.

[roadrunner]

What happened to peoples rights?? I think a person or company that has a product to sell should be able to make all the profit they can without the gov. trying to control them. We as Americans have helped put ourselves in this situation with gas. I used to drive a 4x4 truck getting about 10 mile per gallon to and from my job every day for no reason except I could. How many people do you know (or you might be one) today that drives a gas guzzler to get groceries or back and forth to work for no other reason than because I can. I know a person that drives a RV getting about 5 or 6 miles per gallon to Flea markets every weekend just because they can. I know another person that drives a Ford F350 Dually Diesel 70 miles a day to and from his job just because he can. We need to conserve our energy and natural resources instead of blaming everyone else.
We have alot of our companies closing or moving over seas and again we blame it on the gov. and don`t want to take any responsibility for it ourselves. I agree our gov. made it to easy for some companies to do this but on the other hand we don`t try to help ourselves either. I watched Ted Koppel in China the other night and they interviewed this guy from Ohio that had lost his job making Ford car parts because the plant closed down because a China owned company open up a business down the street making the same parts cheaper. This guy said his was making $28.00 per hr. working for ford and now he is making $15.00 per hr. working for the China owned company making the same part. Now why didn`t these people working for this Ford plant say look I`ll take a cut in pay to save my American based job???
I didn`t know this until I watched this show but people in China could not own a car unless they was a high ranking politician, rich, someone from another country until recently. Now anyone can buy a car. They are selling on a average 25,000 cars per day to first time car buyers. GM(Buick) & Ford have got a piece of the pie and have plants in China now. Buick is a stats symbol in China. China imports their oil the same as we do so look for gas to get even higher because we will be competing with China for oil and their economy is booming.
Just my opinion.........roadrunner

[kdown]

Very common sense post roadrunner

[Brian K Beckett]

Say what??? Oh yeah let me take a pay cut so some fat rich slob can become richer while Americans return to peasant and slave status. I dont think so. If Ford wants to keep putting cheap chinease junk on their cars then they can keep making cheap made Ford cars. And Americans will continue to buy American Made Toyotas and Hondas which by the way are out selling GM, Ford and Chrysler.
I think by the US automakers moving their business out of the US to make a larger profit is finally biteing them in the butt. If Americans are not making money then they wont buy anything. If Americans dont have good paying jobs that automakers provide to them then they can not afford to buy high priced cars. People in China and Mexica are not paid enough wages to purchase thees cars and Americans that are now working for japanese auto makers are now buying from them because they are employed by them.

But if this trend of moving jobs to Overseas companies continues America will become a 3 rd world country and Mexico and China will become super powers. All because a bunch of CEOs want to make more money then their families can spend in many generationes.

[tkcomer]

OT but, I've never cared if companies want to set up shop in China. To sell to the Chinese. The U.S. shouldn't allow imports from any government that is hostile to us and/or treats its people harshly. Like China does.

[kdown]

General Motors Corp. (GM) posted a stunning $15.5 billion second-quarter net loss, as the auto maker piled up $9.1 billion in charges and write-downs and suffered a deep drop in North American sales.

Brian, perhaps American greed ( unions ) is pricing American companies out of business.

[Brian K Beckett]

Unions are (can be) a problem. When unions first started they were needed. People getting paid little to nothing, no benifits, and people that had worked for years for a place and then became injured were just tossed to the streets all because CEOs wanted to be rich and treat people like a peasant/ slave. But most of todays unions are a little rediculious. It was started out for good but now has become too much, unions demanding the most petty of things, or expecting the employer to go way beyond what should be reasonable expected of them.

But the bottem line is now we have a society and it has this game, and if you dont play the game you can not survive.

And TK is right I dont have a problem with an American company setting up shop in another country as long as they are providing goods to that country.
I have a big problem with an American company that opens shop in another country to provide goods to this country especially if that country is/would be considered a competetor of the US or hostile to the US.

I cant buy a cigar from Cuba a ity bity Island to the south of us but I can get whatever I want from China a fiersly competing superpower.

Thats just not right and its all because some CEOs are greedy. Thats not patriatism. Thats an enemy of the state and a threat to National Security.

[kdown]

We should have elected Ross Perot. Remember the " big sucking sound " Well it's " sucking us dry " but we're doing the sucking from China, India, Mexico, Canada, all of central America and WalMart is the lead " sucker "
One slight problem.......Who's buying the products....I have met the enemy and IT IS US !!!!!!

[Brian K Beckett]

I cant disagree with ya we are the enemy and the sucker.

[kcredden]

Sadly your right, Brian. I've been hearing that the fuel costs alone is starting to make it cheaper to make stuff in the US, than in China then ship it here.

But also your right about no jobs thing. That's why I feel we're headed for a depression. How do you buy stuff from Chinamart..er...Wal-mart, when all you got to spend is for food, and maybe fuel? Bush said we'll become a service nation. Right...so HOW do you pay for these services, when you don't have the money to buy food?

- Kc

I think by the US automakers moving their business out of the US to make a larger profit is finally biteing them in the butt. If Americans are not making money then they wont buy anything. If Americans dont have good paying jobs that automakers provide to them then they can not afford to buy high priced cars.
<br />****** Double Post *********</br>
I've thought the same. 50+ years ago, it was taboo equal to pedophilia to do anything with a 'red country' Now we're stampeding to set up shop with China. A country that still has nukes, probably pointed right at us.

- Kc

OT but, I've never cared if companies want to set up shop in China. To sell to the Chinese. The U.S. shouldn't allow imports from any government that is hostile to us and/or treats its people harshly. Like China does.

[roadrunner]

Say what??? Oh yeah let me take a pay cut so some fat rich slob can become richer while Americans return to peasant and slave status. I dont think so. If Ford wants to keep putting cheap chinease junk on their cars then they can keep making cheap made Ford cars. And Americans will continue to buy American Made Toyotas and Hondas which by the way are out selling GM, Ford and Chrysler.
I think by the US automakers moving their business out of the US to make a larger profit is finally biteing them in the butt. If Americans are not making money then they wont buy anything. If Americans dont have good paying jobs that automakers provide to them then they can not afford to buy high priced cars. People in China and Mexica are not paid enough wages to purchase thees cars and Americans that are now working for japanese auto makers are now buying from them because they are employed by them.

But if this trend of moving jobs to Overseas companies continues America will become a 3 rd world country and Mexico and China will become super powers. All because a bunch of CEOs want to make more money then their families can spend in many generationes.

Brian you miss read what I said. I did not say Ford was buying car parts from China they are selling cars in China along with GM. The program also said most of the people buying these cars are paying cash for them even if it takes 2 families to buy one car.
Toyota's and Honda`s are not American made they only put them together here. I don`t know if there is such a thing as a American made car any more but I can tell you this a few years back people was saying the Toyota's, Honda's, Datsun(Nissan) was junk and look where their at now.
The business men and companies from other countries are buying up all our business and doing what they want. Just like you said you won`t take a cut to save your American owned business just like the guy in the interview you pay me 28 bucks a hour or we`ll shut you down and I`ll work for the China owned factory down the street for 15 bucks an hour. Makes sense to me. roadrunner
<br />****** Double Post *********</br>
Very common sense post roadrunner

Thank you.......... roadrunner

[Brian K Beckett]

Actually many Toyotas are American Made and manufactured, at least 98% of everything on most of Toyotas line of cars are made in America by Americans.

Maybe i did mis read it. Chiniese companies in operation inside the United States? Wow the U.S. is more screwed up then I had originally thought.

Oh yeah and the only reason that Toyota and Honda has better quality and sales then Ford, G.M., and Chrysler is because not only are they assembled in the US by US workers but 98% of the componets and parts are made by Americans in America as well.

[roadrunner]

Sorry your wrong once again - They made their reputation in Japan and most parts are assembled in the US not made here. roadrunner

[Brian K Beckett]

Here is some numbers of what percent of cars are made and assembled in the U.S

For example, Chrysler's retro PT Cruiser may recall American cars of the prewar era, but it's produced at a Chrysler plant in Toluca, Mexico. And according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), only 35 percent of the PT Cruiser's content is sourced in the U.S. or Canada. The "American" Ford Fusion contains just 30-percent U.S./Canadian content, whereas the competing "Japanese" Honda Accord contains 70 percent, Nissan Altima 65 percent and Toyota Camry 80 percent.

Conversely, the all-new Toyota Tundra (engineered in the U.S. and produced at Toyota's newest manufacturing facility in San Antonio, Texas) is as wholly American as any Japanese vehicle has been to date. In conjunction with the Tundra's rollout is an intensified marketing campaign to paint Toyota as a wholly American company. The campaign includes macho TV ads whose gruff-voiced narrator sounds as if he just walked off the cattle farm. And it's reinforced by Toyota dealers throughout the country, including one in North Texas that hung its Tundra from a crane, draped with a "Made in America" banner.


But this is interesting as well and also goes to prove your point

Leveling the field
The Level Field Institute — a study and marketing enterprise formed by retirees from Chrysler, Ford, GM and their domestic suppliers — conducted a July 2006 study comparing the number of Americans employed by various manufacturers to the number of cars produced, creating a U.S. jobs-per-car ratio. The results are telling.

Despite massive investments by Honda and Toyota, the Japanese companies still lag significantly behind the domestics in their total commitment to the American labor market. According to the survey, domestic automakers currently employ 35 U.S. employees for every 1,000 vehicles sold, whereas foreign automakers employ only 13. Despite the latest round of aggressive layoffs by domestic automakers, those numbers are projected to remain almost constant through 2010 due to changes in projected production output.

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/119995/article.html

We all know that when those Japanes cars started being unloaded off the boats in the 70s and 80s they were nothing but junk, plaged with problems. It wasent untill they started making them in the U.S. by an American workforce that they started making a good quality car.


I am still a fan of G.M. I wouldent take anything for my Chevy Truck but Chevy Trucks are one of verry few G.M. cars still being made by Americans. My truck has over 270,000 miles.

[roadrunner]

Made and ASSEMBLED Now I agree. My wife owns a PT Cruiser and it is owned by Germans. Japan was making quality cars and trucks long before we started putting them together for them. As matter of fact before Ford started building the Ford Taurus they done a survey with American people to see what they wanted and expected from a vehicle and found out they wanted them as reliable as the Toyota, Nissan. Ford sent people to Japan to learn how to build what the American people want.In the 1980`s I think around 1984 Nissan stopped using the name Datsun and started using the Nissan. They originally thought the cars and trucks would sell better in the States using the name Datsun instead of the original name of Nissan. The first Nissan I bought was in 1985 assembled in Tennessee (I think). I traded in my old Chevy 4x4 and saved enough on gas a month to make my truck payment.
I do think you are right if we as Americans don`t do something to change things we will end up a 3rd world country.... roadrunner

[Brian K Beckett]

I dont know maybe they did make good cars befor they started making them in the U.S. I was too young in the 80s to remember and cant find anything about it online. But what I guess I have always had the mindset that their cars from the 70s 80s were crap because you just simply do not see any japanese cars from that era on the roads but you can still see pintos, chevettes, even AMCs that are still driven by people today.

Also I am an Engineer at a Japanes company and every piece of tooling that we have made in Japan is junk and is designed and machined to what I could only compair to something made in the U.S. in the 40s or 50s And the tooling we have made in the states is very modern.