“You cannot bring prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.
You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.
You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.
You cannot further brotherhood of men by inciting class hatred.
You cannot establish security on borrowed money.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.”
Rev. William J. H. Boetcker

Because they live in a fantasy world and not in the real world. I was upset at the pump prices until I saw John Stossle break it all down in layman terms and explain that in terms of inflated dollars we are really getting a good deal and that we are actually paying the same price as we did more than 20 years ago. And people in other countries (except the Arab countries) are paying a lot more than we do. So if I have to pay a “windfall profits tax” then where is my incentive to produce at peak production - not just in oil but in any business -electricity, natural gas, etc? Every year the first two months of my retired pay are totally gone for taxes. That’s a lot of money if your living on that pay. And if the left has their way I would have to pay even more. We as a country are so burdened by so many social programs and pork barrel projects that its insane - and where did most of them come from? All together now “the loony left!”

I myself am right-handed, but it doesn’t take a genius to note: 1) the oil companies never have a losing year; 2) the richest corporate suits in the world are making approximately 500 times the annual salary of the average employee; 3) the oil companies seem to get extraordinarily generous tax breaks. Now, you may go right ahead and feel sorry for these folks if you wish, but if I were you, I’d be embarrassed for making it so obvious I was one of those born every minute.

some people starve

Coragryph: “Because they value the welfare of the society over individual profits. It’s a social and philosophical choice”

And, it is the wrong one. Individual profits are better for society as a whole. Additionally, taking from one man to provide for another is wrong.

Also, subsidies of any company are wrong, including those given for research. If the research(into energy, etc.) will produce valuable products, some business will decide to invest in it.

and why do Reublicans do the opposite?

they take the money I pay in taxes and give it to the oil comanies to do “reasearch” (that would probably cut into their profit if they actually made a breakthrough, so they may not be trying that hard)… at a time of record profit even?

the simple fact is… the American economy is disigned to help businesses grow (and I really don’t have a problem with it)… but they should remember who helped them get there… and give some back when they hit good times…

and you have to watch what they consider “losses”… which can be laughable at times…

Oil CEOs are doing fine. They got a nice tax cut. Bush and Cheney and big oil are making record profits. I do not own oil stock. Do you?
We now have a $9 trillion debt over ten years, all ran up by Bush and Republicans in Congress. My taxes went up not down in the past six years under Bush.
Would you now vote for more tax cuts for the wealthy and the Corporations and for Bush again if you could?

dude have you not ever heard of re-distribution of wealth.that’s the lib religion.

Because they value the welfare of the society over individual profits. It’s a social and philosophical choice.

Just as the right values social conformity and adherence to one particular religious dogma over individual freedom. That’s part of their social and philosophical platform.

People **** the oil companies, and with the way the news media portrays them, it is easy to villanize them.