My Newspaper Editorial
Well, I felt like writing something the other day… so I wrote. Here’s my recently submitted editorial to my local newspaper (it hasn’t been published yet):
Hooray for Big Oil!
Raise your hand if you’re excited about rising gas prices. I sure am!
Wait-why aren’t you raising your hand? Don’t you want exorbitant prices to force the private sector into finally producing alternative energy solutions? Besides that, don’t you want American companies, like ExxonMobil, to make money hand-over-fist for their shareholders?
Hey, why do you look so confused? Don’t tell me you think-like Hillary, Barack, and our own Paul Kanjorski-that we should steal “windfall” profits from the oil companies and redistribute them to the “common good.” You may not like ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson’s returns, but what about their 2.5 million individual shareholders, or the millions more dependent on ExxonMobil through mutual funds? Are they not part of the “common good”?
Here’s the shocker: Oil companies don’t make an unreasonable amount of money. In 2007, ExxonMobil recorded revenues of $404 billion with net income at $40 billion, putting their profit margin near a reasonable 10%. (Do the math: ExxonMobil spends about $1 billion per day in operating costs.) The same year, Apple-a company most liberals won’t dare speak ill of-recorded revenues of $24 billion with net income near $3.5 billion. That’s a profit margin of about 15%. In other words, in 2007, Apple pocketed about 50% more per dollar of sales than ExxonMobil. Get out your lantern and pitchfork!
But I guess iPods aren’t quite as “evil” as oil-that’s for you to decide. My only point is that rising gas prices aren’t due to “corporate greed” on the part of “big oil”; and if we make the mistake of scapegoating oil companies by taxing their success, the situation is only going to get worse.
How much worse? How about $10 per gallon with no alternatives in sight? Let’s avoid that.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:20 am
I hear this argument all the time and it’s really flawed. I’m a big conservative and would never support a windfall tax but the fact is, you dont *NEED* to buy an ipod; that is luxury item. You do however need to pump your car with fuel to get to work, to buy groceries, to run errands, etc… Oil is a necessity to our survival at this very point in time and the oil companies couldn’t give a hoot whether we go broke at the gas pump or not. Many companies throughout history have lowered their prices during economic hardships.. NOW that is a fact, which you can goolge. The oil companies could only care about lining their own pockets and their CEOs and if this country goes broke, so be it.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:00 am
As a response to the comment posted previously - you’re right - products produced by Apple are luxuries and oil is a necessity. That simple fact alone should point out where the average American thinks their money is better spent. We have no problem paying whatever price is asked for things we want, but heaven help us if we are asked to spend more for things we need. We need appropriate alternatives. Ethanol sure isn’t it.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:38 pm
You’re both wrong. Oil isn’t a necessity, it’s a luxury. Ride your bike to work, buy a cart and walk to the grocery store, “run” to run errands…
You guys are just lazy! Avoid oil and improve your health simultaneously! YAY! This should be the sentiment, but instead all I hear is “BOO HOO!”
Look, oil is great and VERY CONVENIENT… BUT there are alternatives, just because you’re not willing to suck it up and change your lifestyle doesn’t mean that other options don’t exist… it just makes you a whiner!
If you are so mad at “Big Oil” do the only thing that really resonates with them - stop using their products!!! I smell a BOYCOTT!!!
That way you can REEEEALLY….
STICK IT TO THE MAN!!!!!!!
On a serious note - I know I’m making light of it, but the fact is the only “chip” that they hold over us is that we feel like we need their products… remember that they’re biggest selling point for climbing prices is supply & demand… if we take the demand out of it, prices will fall… this is unlikely to happen, but oil truly is a luxury, so try to remember - we don’t need it as bad as we think!
May 30th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Lazy??!! I happen to have a job that requires quite a bit of travel. Riding a bike is not going to cut it. Walking to a grocery store is not possible. I do not live in an urban area. Oil and gas is not just the fuel you put into a car…it heats your home (I actually have one that I prefer to keep heated in the winter - we don’t all live in sunny CA - or the like), is used to make plastics, and about a billion other items that can’t just be “avoided” by a simple change of lifestyle.
I am not mad at big oil - I think as a society we need to investigate alternatives for many things. Being dependent on any limited resource is troublesome.
May 30th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
KDee,
I very much like how you ended your argument and I fully agree with your point that being dependent on any limited resource is troublesome.
As someone who also is forced to travel (very very) extensively for work, it is understood that this is a company expense. I happen to benefit by working for an employer who realizes this and therefore covers my travel expenses including gas and air travel (which has also been greatly disrupted by this debacle). I realize that not everyone works for a company that honors this. Take it as you’d like…
My initial comment, more so was (playfully) directed at John Doe’s post. In response to you: you took too much of what I said literally. I made it a point to say that I was making light of a serious subject.
I can sit here and fire off alternatives to “riding your bike to work” or “walking to a grocery store,” but that would be a waste of our time (and moreover, I have a feeling that you would find away to tell me how stupid my ideas are).
The underlying point here, is that there are alternatives that you can fit into your lifestyle that can improve your consumption of oil products. Some are easy, some are not. If prices are enough of an inconvenience, you make the changes… that’s all I was saying.
The fact is, the American’s (in general) are too “lazy” to explore these options. We’re creatures of habit! I’m guilty of the same! And besides, it’s much, much easier to dismiss ideas as far fetched, than to suck it up and make a change…
Something simple like planning a weekly or bi-weekly shopping day, and mapping out a route, or carpooling can save you some dollars in the long run! Have gas heat? Get a fireplace, or stove! Dress warmer! Invest in heavier blankets! I dunno! Use your imagination!
Lastly, I just want to point out that I never actually used the term “simple” when referring to a lifestyle change. It’s everything BUT simple!
May 30th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Rico -
Thank you for your thoughtful reply. I do not think your ideas are stupid, quite the contrary. Lifestyle changes need to be made by each of us, however, a lot of banter goes back and forth about the “global changes” that we all should make. As a conservative, I firmly believe individuals need to take accountability for themselves and not rely on the forced implementation of changes on everyone to make the difference. The problem as I stated in my original post was that people will heartily pay for the things they deem “important” (whatever that may be) and bitch about everything else.
I have, and will continue to make changes in my habits, some of which you listed above (ie, running all errands at once), some you haven’t such as growing a substantial garden which not only improves health but greatly impacts the family budget.
I appreciated your reply and am eagerly looking forward to Ethan’s next post so we have something new to discuss - otherwise it will be a long summer..