End Entitlements for Big Oil

May 13, 2011 - PRLog -- The Republicans have been bitterly complaining about "entitlements" like Medicare for our elderly, but what about "corporate entitlements"? The oil barons actually think they're entitled to taxpayer's money, as though it were their Constitution Right! And no matter what the taxpayers might think, these CEOs demand their share of government handouts. Who the hell is running this country anyway?

ConocoPhillips CEO James Mulva (a Republican) said ending the tax breaks for the big oil companies would be "un-American", then refused to apologize to the American people. He also said it was "discrimination", as though he were personally injured by some grievous and unjust wrong that was done to him. Poor guy, I really feel his pain. It must have been a horrible and terrifying experience for him...to be treated so badly.

Just like Glenn Beck had once said that unemployed U.S. citizens were being "un-American" when they asked the government for extended jobless benefits after being laid-off through no fault of their own during the Great Recession and were unable to find work again. Glenn Beck had said, "Go out and get a job. You may not love the job. Work at McDonalds. Work two jobs... two years is plenty of time to have lived off your neighbor's wallet!" He called millions of unemployed Americans "Socialists".

The biggest difference being, the big oil companies like ConocoPhillips have been in their neighbor's wallets for a 100 years, and the CEOs like James J. Mulva are millionaires and don't have to worry about where they'll sleep or what they'll eat the next day.

Do people like Glenn Beck think that corporate welfare for extremely profitable multi-billion-dollar companies such as ConocoPhillips are a good example of American capitalism and a "free market economy"? And that they should receive government entitlements, even though their CEOs live in mansions and fly around the world in company jets? Even though they enjoy corporate yacht parties? Even though they've profited behind our backs from rogue states like Iran and didn't pay taxes? (See: The Iran-Conoco Affair) Even though they are one of the wealthiest corporations in the world, making more profits than at any other time in human history?

And the oil CEOs and GOP members of congress think that they deserve a government handout, while millions of Americans are suffering and struggling just to survive? While the country is going broke and the credit and full faith of the United States is on the line? While the Republican's children and their grand-children's future is burdened with so much massive debt? You gotta be frigging' kidding me!

After seeing the CEOs of the BIG-5 oil companies during the congressional hearings yesterday, I know EXACTLY what's been wrong with this country for the past 50 years...corporate greed and political corruption, plain and simple. Not that I had any doubts before, but my opinion was just reaffirmed. But I found it to be utterly amazing because now, they don't even bother to hide it any more. There's no discretion or pretending going on at all...it's right in our face as though they defy us to do one damn thing about it. (Just like when we saw the bankers from Goldman Sachs during their congressional hearings.)

Oil subsidies? With a $14 trillion national debt? It doesn't matter at all if ending oil subsidies won't reduce the price of gas, taxpayers shouldn't be giving ANY corporation taxpayer-dollars when they are making record profits! The Republicans don't represent ordinary Americans, they only represent their corporate sponsors. Disgusting! Despicable! Deplorable! Decadent! Disgraceful!

ConocoPhillips CEO James Mulva (who is a Republican and  made $18 million last year) claimed that if the oil companies could drill for more oil, it would bring gas prices down, after earlier saying that ending oil subsidies could drive the cost of gas up...but the big American oil monopolies and OPEC aren't the only ones who determine the price of oil, commodity traders (like those at Goldman Sachs) have been driving the price over and beyond the "natural" capitalistic fundamentals of supply-and-demand also.

Personally, I believe that oil, as a vital commodity for the national security and economy of our nation, and as a natural resource of our country (just like our national parks, lakes, and mountains), should belong to THE PEOPLE. The entire oil industry should be nationalized. Why should a select few people grossly profit while millions of other American citizens are struggling? Does being poor make someone "un-American"?

...and why not nationalize all our banks too. Before Iceland's were privatized, and their economy was ruined by ruthless and greedy bankers who used them as their private piggy banks, their people had a much better standard-of-living than we do now.

Currently, at over $100 for a barrel of oil, OF COURSE the oil companies would like to drill for more; it only costs them $20 a barrel to produce, so the profit margins are huge. So why then does the BIG-5 oil companies need taxpayer money as "an incentive" to drill? It's all B.S. - corporate welfare for corporate tax cheats, plain and simple.

End government entitlements! End corporate welfare! End government handouts for BIG business!

What is really "un-American" is when taxes are taken out of unemployment checks to pay multi-millionaire oil executives when they're making record multi-billion dollar profits and not paying any corporate taxes at all to lower their country's deficit...that's about as "un-American" and as unpatriotic as anything I can think of. Is that supposed to be the new "American Dream"? These people play us for fools because they know our elected officials will do their bidding for them! Just like PIMPS & HOES.

But in the whole scheme of things, the oil subsidies aren't really all that much compared to the vast profits they earn (about 1%, so the CEOs shouldn't whine)...but nor is it very much when compared to our annual budget or huge national debt ($14 trillion); but ALL taxpayer-paid government hand-outs and entitlements to huge profitable corporations should end, so why not start with some of the five biggest offenders? Especially when the Republicans have been whining about the deficit like stuck pigs. Oh, I forgot. They'd rather cut food stamps for the poor and would prefer instead to help someone who flies around the world in a private jet. The REPUBLICAN priorities!

Every day the American people are hearing about corporate welfare, corporate tax-dodgers, and corrupt politicians who once dodged the draft (but now claim to be war heroes). Our corporate and political leaders have no honor at all. This country is terminally ill with an incurable cancer of greed and deception. It's at the point where every damn day some travesty of justice and lack of fair play is being reported, where the victims always seem to be regular average Americans...not the corporate CEOs, bankers, robber barons, or elected officials. If we did a fraction of the things they do, we'd all be in prison for years.

I would like to line up all the greedy CEOs and dirty politicians against a wall and just...

Our law-makers dictate the rules and legislate the laws for us to obey, but they and their corporate sponsors are exempt from any guidelines at all...they are ABOVE THE LAW...they have been gouging us and plundering this country for decades...that's EXACTLY what's been wrong with this country for the past 50 years.

I received a newsletter from John Boehner's office telling me about the Republican’s “The American Energy Initiative”. But is it really about jobs, or just more oil profits…Drill, baby drill!

BLOG: www.bud-meyers.blogspot.com

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Bud Meyers writes about the economy, corporate out-sourcing, labor statistics (the REAL unemployment rate), government and corporate corruption, and the plight of the long-term unemployed.