Drill Now for oil

Wow. Tough question!! I'm not sure.

To be truly profitable in the long term, I think greed must be relegated to the backseat. And in the short term, I think greed and profit are really two different "objectives".

I have seen first hand, greedy executives (and banks) focus so much on EBITDA that they totally lose sight of the business' overall performance metrics.

Even EBITDAR on occasion. The "R" being restructuring costs during a Chapter-11 re-org.

I think I have to disagree with the concept that competition moderates greed. It may enhance it however, through the desire to keep all others out of a "good thing". IF the playing field were level, I would probably re-think this. But it is not level. Not at all.

Most spelling corrections are unproductive.

John

I think your timing's off here...the Clinton internet bubble started going in 1994, popped at the end of 2000 into early 2001.

Clinton did not balance the budget--he spent at the usual rate, but enjoyed much higher revenues, plus was able to cash in on the post Cold War peace dividend by slashing the military[1]. Gridlock restrained spending nicely too.

[1] saving a trillion dollars over the course of his tenure. See Table 7, "Comparisons", link below.

A few figures here (compare the revenue changes from year-to-year for each time period):

You'll see revenue dove instantly in 2001 as Bush took office, and before any of his policies could take effect.

You'll also see Mr. Bush has been spending VERY prodigiously on social programs.

As far as Enron, they were a go-go-go product of the internet bubble, were established in that time, and under the regulation of that day. Ken Lay was tight with the powers-that-were, including Mr. C.

Cheers, James Arthur

Sounds like you have it figured out.

Please provide data.

Even if he could, he wouldn't know how to read it.

"[T]he most reckless and treacherous of all theorists is he who professes to let facts and figures speak for themselves." -- Alfred Marshall

s: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

06

of

=A0 =A0 ...Jim Thompson

ke

ad

ah yes, right wing thinking at it's clearest: "the majority of Americans don't live where there are a lot of people". see also "nobody goes there any more, it's too crowded".

make

read

Damn! I thought it was my gun! Damn you, founding fathers, you buggered it up!

Since one is quickly 106% converted to the other, what's the dif?

Cheers, James Arthur

No, fact. Let him show how the unemployment rate can be low while the number of jobs hasn't kept up with the population growth and the rest of the Democrat talking-point claptrap.

--
Keith

It doesn't "come due" at all.

There has to be some debt. If the national debt were zero, government bonds wouldn't exist, so the "knobs" used to dampen the economy wouldn't exist.

Better the tooth fairy left us all a million bucks too.

--
Keith

Wow! What a retelling of history! BTW, your nose is growing.

The budget was "balanced" on the .bombs back. When that revenue went away the so did the "balanced" budget.

More lies. The recession, if there really was one, happened

*BEFORE* Bush was in office. It's been uphill since, with a recent leveling, somewhat.

Now he moves the goal posts.

--
Keith

The neocon tax cutters have a poor record at cutting spending - they borrow to make up for less tax revenue, and spend like Democrats. This started with the Reagan administration.

- Don Klipstein ( snipped-for-privacy@misty.com)

So you want taxpayers to pay interest on it forever?

I would think a trillion or two is enough.

--

 - Don Klipstein (don@misty.com)

There's always the silver bullet, inflation.

By international standards, the US debt as a fraction of GDP is low...

And we have a young, vogorous population to keep producing and paying, which they mostly don't. Italy and especially Japan have horrendous prospects here... many times our debt and very low birth rates.

John

Yep, A "vogorous" population always helps ;-)

The Europeons seem to be in terrible shape also.

...Jim Thompson

--
| James E.Thompson, P.E.                           |    mens     |
| Analog Innovations, Inc.                         |     et      |
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Good grief. OPEN YOUR LEFTIST WEENIE EYES! You might start with=20 the aftermath of the Kennedy, Reagan, and Bush tax cuts. =20

--=20 Keith

"They" don't have a record of cutting spending.

"Sacred cows run in herds." -- David Stockman, Reagan OMB Director

Opening their eyes will do no good. Their minds are still closed :-(

...Jim Thompson

-- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at

| 1962 | | | | Vote Democrat... | | | | $8.00/gallon Gasoline Doesn't Bother Me One Bit | | | | | | Due to excessive spam, googlegroups, UAR & AIOE are blocked! |