Talk about hurting America. How can the oil companies rake in record

[cantstandbush]

profits? Obviously there was no shortage of oil, no shortage of processing refineries, no higher costs to the companies. If it had been that way don't you think their PROFITS would have at least been LOWER? So capitalism is the system where you screw the consumer at all costs.

[400Years]

1. capitalism is about the accumulation of "capital" i.e. wealth

by all means necessary. It is completely amoral.

[imouttahere]

2. I prefer "immoral", especially the way most U.S. corps practice it....

but perhaps this is semantics.

[Goldensilence]

3. aGREED completely

but the whole system has people scared of trying anything else. "creeping socialism" has been played out over and over. What people don't get is the examples primarily used by capitalists as examples of socialism are shams. Dictatorships using social programs are often touted as socialism when nothing further can be from the truth. In fact most of thse have been propped up by corporations using the govt to expand markets. This is damning because people corrralate socialism with ditatorships and capitalism with democracy when in all truth capitalism equals aristocracy not democracy where the wealthy elite make choice for everyone more then often serving their purposes over the masses. In truth socialism choices are made socially and with the people in matter siding with the laboring class....

but hey waht do us idealists know?

[unpossibles]

4. excellent points

plus, I always like to think that an alloy of ideas is the way to go - why we can have private ownership yet social programs which really do benefit everyone. It saddens me that the left has been painted with the Communist/Socialist label, and (because of lingering McCarthyism) that turns people off.

I wish they could see that Socialism is a tool, a philosophy, a system and is no more perfect or imperfect than capitalism. Then again, that would require the ability to entertain nuanced thoughts, which won't fly in the black and white world. :eyes:

My dad is one of those who thinks all taxes are illegal and should be voluntary, and that there should be almost no government, to which I always respond that (1) many don't pay their taxes now and (2) many already abuse the system in a 'might-makes-right' power grab. He won't answer me when I ask him if he plans on putting his own house out if it ever catches on fire, or if he wants to haggle over the price with the Fire Services, or perhaps wait for a credit check, not to mention the AOL-style help lines...

[imouttahere]

6. Right...it comes down to this, for me....

A market economy is fine, a market society is very much NOT!

[leftofthedial]

5. that is capitalism--the only priority is money

especially for Murkan oil bidniz, the most rabidly predatory capitalists this side of the international banking industry.

[leveymg]

7. Pass on costs, take back whatever profits the market will bear.

Capitalism 101. They really are bigger than we are. They're letting us know they can always just pack up and move shop to The Cayman Islands, Brussels, Riyadh, or Singapore. On the other hand, we can't live without them.

It's our fault for encouraging them in this worldview. We could have nationalized them in 1979, but did we do that? Naw. So, they gave us Reagan, Bush 41, the Boy King, the SUV, and the McMansion.

Are we going to do anything about it this time?