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Rep. Joe Barton, the powerful Texas Republican who is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, launched a bizarre investigation last week into possible antitrust violations by a major oil company.

You will be surprised to learn that Barton, one of the top recipients in Congress of campaign donations from the energy industry, is not probing whether ExxonMobil or Chevron or any of the other oil giants engaged in price gouging when gasoline and heating oil costs skyrocketed the past few years.

No, the good congressman has set his sights on the only oil company that actually dared to lower its prices last year - at least for the poorest Americans.

In a Feb. 15 letter to Citgo, the Houston-based company owned by the Venezuelan government, Barton demanded that company officials produce by tomorrow all records, minutes, logs, e-mails and even desk calendars related to Citgo's novel program of supplying discounted heating oil to low-income communities in the United States.

Looks like the Americans don't like NGO's opened here in America...

To me, Chavez is just promoting some democracy in America.

tisk, tisk...

How dare they not put profit of the shareholders first. It's un-American.

Excellent observation

State-owned Chinese oil company wants to buy Unocal? Problem.
State-owned Venezuelan oil company wants to sell oil to the poor at a discount? Problem.
State-owned UAE ports company wants to buy operations at 6 U.S. ports? No problem at all.

I think I get the picture.

It's not about the oil, it's about how Citgo soaks it's customers with the price of Camel Lights and Diet Pepsi. Glad to see someone is on it.

Ever see a Black Chevy Suburban getting gas anywhere else but a Shell or Exxon? It's a conspiracy man! Everything is slight of hand, nothing is what it seems.

Oh good. More freebie handouts to the wasted dregs of society. How nice.

Specop_007 wrote:Oh good. More freebie handouts to the wasted dregs of society. How nice.

Wasn't that Jesus' message? Just curious you know.....

rogerhb wrote:

Specop_007 wrote:Oh good. More freebie handouts to the wasted dregs of society. How nice.

Wasn't that Jesus' message? Just curious you know.....

Roger,

When did you find Jesus?

Specop_007 wrote:Oh good. More freebie handouts to the wasted dregs of society. How nice.

Right on, Spec. Screw 'em all. It's all about the big bucks, ain't it?

I mean, seriously, what else matters, right? What else is there in life but dollars? Money talks and bullshit walks, right? Money makes the man if the man makes money, huh?

Widows? Single moms? Disabled? Downsizing, plant-closing, and outsourcing victims? Katrina refugees? Eff 'em all!!! If they can't pay the going rate, let the bastards freeze in the dark!

PrairieMule wrote:When did you find Jesus?

I heard this story that there was this chap who told his followers to help the less fortunate, I also heard that the US was a Christian nation, alas, I then made the mistake of thinking that the US wanted to help the less fortunate.

rogerhb wrote:

PrairieMule wrote:When did you find Jesus?

I heard this story that there was this chap who told his followers to help the less fortunate, I also heard that the US was a Christian nation, alas, I then made the mistake of thinking that the US wanted to help the less fortunate.

That's pretty good explanation of Jesus. I would almost think that you believed it if or at least the concept of Jesus if your post earlier didn't backhand Christians earlier by saying our bible is a fairy tale. I understand you dislike american christians and you are fully entitled to speak your piece. To censor your view even one I disagree with would be "Un-American".

I have plenty more to say, but as a moderator I must show restraint. Instead I ask you not as a christian but as a gentleman to ease up on the anti christian thing.

Thanks

I suppose although I tend more towards rogers point of view, I too would say why not have restraint? But see, I have to disagree with the call for restraint in this case, because what he is saying is not that Chistians are bad. As i understand him, he is saying the Christians in this country are hypocritical and not following their religion very well. Is that the just of what your saying Roger? Because if that's the case, I can not only understand but agree with that statement.

I'm not anti-Christian, I am however anti-hypocrit. I consider my upbringing and lifestyle following the christian moral traditions.

My reference to the "fairy tale" was specifically to Revelations, and hailing from the UK you would find few vicars from the C-of-E who would claim that Revelations is a literal prediction. The US, as exampled by the left-behind series, seems to follow a more literal interpretation (the term fundamentalist does not actually apply) of the epilogue to the good book.

Religious wars are the last thing we need in addition to the resource ones.

Zardoz wrote:

Specop_007 wrote:Oh good. More freebie handouts to the wasted dregs of society. How nice.

Right on, Spec. Screw 'em all. It's all about the big bucks, ain't it?

I mean, seriously, what else matters, right? What else is there in life but dollars? Money talks and bullshit walks, right? Money makes the man if the man makes money, huh?

Widows? Single moms? Disabled? Downsizing, plant-closing, and outsourcing victims? Katrina refugees? Eff 'em all!!! If they can't pay the going rate, let the bastards freeze in the dark!

Theres a subtle but distinct difference between a hand up and a hand out.
Seeing as your from Kommifornia, I'm not suprised you'd be all for hand outs.

rogerhb wrote:

PrairieMule wrote:When did you find Jesus?

I heard this story that there was this chap who told his followers to help the less fortunate, I also heard that the US was a Christian nation, alas, I then made the mistake of thinking that the US wanted to help the less fortunate.

Your general impression of American Christians may be unfairly biased and uninformed. Christianity in the USA is very broad, diverse and numerous. Your sweeping generalization of American Christians are just that... biased and uninformed. Just like making a sweeping generalization of all Jews being evil Zionists or all Muslims being radical Islamic terrorists.

Zardoz wrote:Right on, Spec.

It is about time we realized people are resources. A lot of the problems we are facing today could be easily solved by restricting the underproductive surplus population's access to scarce resources such as gas and oil.
Let's face it, if Joe Blow working down at the local McDonalds isn't needed anymore, any rational society would accept his demise as a small loss. And in that vein, I'd like to suggest - if I may - a modest proposal...

It is about time we realized people are resources. A lot of the problems we are facing today could be easily solved by restricting the underproductive surplus population's access to scarce resources such as gas and oil.
Let's face it, if Joe Blow working down at the local McDonalds isn't needed anymore, any rational society would accept his demise as a small loss. And in that vein, I'd like to suggest - if I may - a modest proposal...

Might I make a suggestion then?

Economists, businessmen, lawyers, and politicians are a huge drain on our society, constantly taking resources to sustain themselves but never giving back to the society any form of real tangible produced goods or designs. They make their living by getting money and resources from others. Further, that group is the wealthiest within society and is also the most taxing of resources per capita. Essentially leeches.

Might they be eliminated first? They'd free up enough resources for the bottom 90% to double their living standard and society would be all the more efficient.

The_Toecutter wrote:

It is about time we realized people are resources. A lot of the problems we are facing today could be easily solved by restricting the underproductive surplus population's access to scarce resources such as gas and oil.
Let's face it, if Joe Blow working down at the local McDonalds isn't needed anymore, any rational society would accept his demise as a small loss. And in that vein, I'd like to suggest - if I may - a modest proposal...

Might I make a suggestion then?

Economists, businessmen, lawyers, and politicians are a huge drain on our society, constantly taking resources to sustain themselves but never giving back to the society any form of real tangible produced goods or designs. They make their living by getting money and resources from others. Further, that group is the wealthiest within society and is also the most taxing of resources per capita. Essentially leeches.

Might they be eliminated first? They'd free up enough resources for the bottom 90% to double their living standard and society would be all the more efficient.

You know, a great number of economists, business people, lawyers and politicians DO contribute their wealths to charities and non-profit organizations all the times. If you do your research more thoroughly and perhaps get to know some of them in real life, you would be surprised just how wrong you are.

Of course, there are always selfish bad apples in the society but believe it or not, those selfish bad apples could be someone like you.

What have you done so far in your life that you have contributed for the well-being of the society or the community?

I'm not as that well-off as those wealthy people but I do contribute money and food/supplies to the very poor and the disabled annually (not much but better than never).

Specop_007 wrote:

Zardoz wrote:

Specop_007 wrote:Oh good. More freebie handouts to the wasted dregs of society. How nice.

Right on, Spec. Screw 'em all. It's all about the big bucks, ain't it?

I mean, seriously, what else matters, right? What else is there in life but dollars? Money talks and bullshit walks, right? Money makes the man if the man makes money, huh?

Widows? Single moms? Disabled? Downsizing, plant-closing, and outsourcing victims? Katrina refugees? Eff 'em all!!! If they can't pay the going rate, let the bastards freeze in the dark!

Theres a subtle but distinct difference between a hand up and a hand out.
Seeing as your from Kommifornia, I'm not suprised you'd be all for hand outs.

Right.

If it's a multi-billion dollar tax subsidy to an oil company who's already making record profits, it's a hand UP.

If it's a corporation choosing *not* to gouge it's poorest customers, it's a hand OUT.

OK, I think I got it now.