In gotov's world, Exxon Mobile is great corporate citizen. Tell that to the people of Alaska. Remember the Valdez incident? You knock Chavez, but Chavez has done many great things. I wish he was our President instead of your hero Bush.

Oil is a fugible commodity, traded globally. Any boycotts that come short of 100% participation by consumers of oil will be useless.

Bucky - personally I think if you wanted to boycott an oil company, Citgo would be very high on my list. Why ? It's an arm of the virulently anti-American Hugo Chavez. It's part of the Venezuelan government oil company (PdVSA), which has destroyed tens of thousands of lives of workers because they have the "incorrect" political view. And PdVSA's environmental record makes ExxonMobil, strip mining and Chernobyl look like green garden projects. If you don't believe me, go to Lake Maracaibo, one of the most polluted bodies of water on the planet. Every year there are significant accidents that kill people and significant oil spills - but when the press is controlled one doesn't hear much about them. ExxonMobil and the OECD oil companies are great citizens of the planet in comparison. From one whose been there and knows ....

"None, they pay a corporate tax, not an income tax."

OK, whatever they call it.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/31/news/companies/exxon_profits/?postversion=2008073110

"In addition to making hefty profits, Exxon also had a hefty tax bill. Worldwide, the company paid $10.5 billion in income taxes in the second quarter, $9.5 billion in sales taxes, and over $12 billion in what it called "other taxes." "

"how much income tax did they pay on this profit"

None, they pay a corporate tax, not an income tax. You will find that the corporate tax they paid is at a record level, just like last quarter.

To all of the Republican supporters (imagine, can there be any left?). Please stop drinking the cool-aid about how increasing off-shore drilling is going to help your gas prices. It won't earn a penny for over 10 years (the government's own report) and what makes any of you dumb asses think that Exxon is going to sell it to us anyway? They are an international company who will sell it to the highest bidder (ie., countries with stronger currencies) which probably won't be the US gas companies. How can you be so stupid not to figure this out? Exxon just made more money in a quarter than an corporation in history. How much has that helped you and your energy costs?? Stop drink the Limbaugh cool-aid. He makes 30 million a year and has drivers to take him around.

The good news for Exxon is the fool speculators have driven up the price, they get a piece of the price increase, and demand is mostly holding.

The bad news is Peak Oil is here. It doesn't matter how much money they make. When it takes more energy than the oil is worth to get it out of the ground, it becomes a higher value chemical process feedstock, and is no longer a fuel.

Fuddgate July 31st, 2008 1:59 pm writes:
To take on the monster head on- America must get over the whole Rethuglican propaganda message and ditch McSame's rotting bloated corpse.

-Isn't just the Rethuglicans it's also the Democrats.

Connect the dots: we attack a country that is oil-rich and basically take it over. Soon oil companies are setting profit records. If Republicans are the culprits (which I agree) what happened to the "opposition party"?

Republicans are running amok but what have the Democrats done to stop them?
Have Democrats impeached Bush? no
Have Democrats stopped the war? no
What have the Democrats done? nothing

Vote for Democrats and kick out the Republicans? Why? They have done nothing but capitulate. I say it;s time to dump them both and join, support and vote for third parties like the Greens.

More drilin' off our coast and more killin' in the Middle-east, let's start calling him:
"Drill n' Kill McCain"

I'm surprised their profits are THIS large. If you had oil and a steady profit already, would YOU sell it? I mean, you'd be trading oil for dollars by selling it. Last time I checked, that was a bad trade. Dollars keep heading for the dumpster, and the new global gold standard as a currency is OIL. If I were Exxon, I'd slow production to keep the price high, reap the profits from what I DID sell, and know that MUCH more profit is coming in the future from what I DIDN'T sell.

Its pretty obvious which way oil and the dollar are going. If you had oil in the ground, why would you trade it for increasingly worthless dollars?? Make a reasonable profit for your shareholders, and hold off any further pumping for a future rainy day.

WTF July 31st, 2008 2:31 pm
I wonder how much Exxon will donate to the "Ted Steven's Legal Defense Fund"?

That was great!

Buckycat July 31st, 2008 5:38 pm
WTF — 2:39 pm

You are both right, thanks.

WTF -- 2:39 pm

"I like reading CD, but it gets my goat when being lectured "do this, do that". Gosh, everyone can afford that new trendy yuppie Vespa. Why of course everyone can afford to reglaze their house."

I couldn't agree more with you on this one. I'm among those 54 million uninsured Americans you mentioned. I share an old car with my wife - one car between us and it still sits unused most days (thankfully). It's an old clunker. Folks say, "You should go out and get a hybrid." Right. I'll get about $100 for my (paid for) clunker and go deeply into debt for a new one, or newer used one. Mass transit and my bicycle keep me going most days. So I totally hear you about the roof you need... and the $$$ for it.

BUT, this is the same beef (silly pun) we had about that vegetarian-themed artice about a week or so ago. It felt like "The Attack of the Killer Vegetarians", but was really a lot of faith, passion, and frustration being expressed. Veg last week, gas this week -- what's next? There's always something. And it's not worth having a stroke over what basically amounts to an online bulletin board. For whatever it's worth, that's what I've been trying to keep in mind.
Peace,
Bucky

The Surge has worked!!

"In fact, the major companies have spent considerable sums buying back their own stock. For example, ExxonMobil's capital and exploration expenditures in 2007 were $20.9 billion. But it spent $31.8 billion buying back its own stock, which certainly did nothing for meeting anyone's energy needs."

http://www.niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=background.view&backgroundid=00248

merryoldsoul: Excellent Idea.

gotov: Yes, I agree that none of these oil giants is looking out for us, but I feel that Exxon is particularly vile --- when I see their logo all I can picture is the massive Valdez spill (and others) and the even more massive middle finger they've extended to Earth and its beings.

When I go to the Citgo, I actually do save a couple cents on a gallon of the hooch, and I feel like Citgo MIGHT be a LITTLE better, what with Chavez's oil gifts we heard about. Maybe that's all bunk, but I'm trying to vote with my dollar. I'm sure all of the companies have had spills, and they're all raping and pillaging so we can drive -- do you really believe there's no difference whatsoever? Please let me know...

Thanks,
Bucky

close em down, nationalize em, and shoot the owners for treason, war profiteering in is treason

acutenecrotizingfasciitus wrote: "Try a Vespa. Try a bicycle. You could also insulation your home, install dual glazed windows, shop locally, don't use commercial airlines."

I like reading CD, but it gets my goat when being lectured "do this, do that". Gosh, everyone can afford that new trendy yuppie Vespa. Why of course everyone can afford to reglaze their house.

Folks, most people cannot afford to do this stuff. For cripes sake, there are 54 million uninsured Americans, and you think they use airlines to travel everywhere? Most of you lead privileged lives. So instead of telling people how to live, how about thinking of ways to make all this good stuff accessible to the less affluent?

PS My mobile home could do with a roof-over. Anyone care to donate?

I wonder how much Exxon will donate to the "Ted Steven's Legal Defense Fund"?

by the way

gallon of gas in iraq .47 cents
in saudi arabia .23 cents

suckers

how much income tax did they pay on this profit

what?

nothing

i am surprised

americans should be proud of exxon - their whole country exists to make sure these profits keep coming in - no matter who they have to kill to get them

health care, living wages, decent housing........

fascist exxon would rather shoot you like a dog in the street before giving up a dime

you guys are true suckers

These are the people funding McSame's attacks on Obama as well as Ted Stevens house renovations. Their investments have been paying off handsomely. The big loosers are the US citizens, especially those who vow to vote for McSame and continued economic destitution. To take on the monster head on- America must get over the whole Rethuglican propaganda message and ditch McSame's rotting bloated corpse.

This is nothing other than Dick "Lex Luther" Cheneys energy policy in action!!! Is anyone really surprised??? Who wants to bet they don`t steal the next election? They are two for two! According to the corrupt media, it is a close race! Just ripe for stealing! If they don`t steal the election, some of these crooks may do some jail time. If they steal it, everyone gets off scott free! They can enjoy life like Kings,as they roll in the filthy money they have plundered from the American people!!!

Maybe the Government should aslo transfer some cost of the Iraqi war

Exxon only earns a fraction of its huge profits from sales of gasoline and, I read recently, that they are even thinking of getting out of that business. Going someplace else won't help. The only way to hurt a company is to use less of their products. Use less gasoline, less energy for other things, don't buy bottled water or bottled soft drinks. Car pool when you can, drive less, demand that your local polititians (the only ones you will ever get to talk to) improve public transportation.

We are all paying in to the U.S. govorporation. Set some goals for the next five years. Reduce your gas consumption. Try to downsize your transportation needs. Try a Vespa. Try a bicycle. You could also insulation your home, install dual glazed windows, shop locally, don't use commercial airlines. Gosh, there are many things we can do before the doom 'n gloom period becomes much darker. And when the govorporation starts to lose power, we can all buy rifles.

once the gov't let these oil companies merge...that was the green light they were waiting for....LESS COMPEITITON.....the smaller u.s. oil companies (hess,velero,murphy's oil)can't compete with exxon\mobil,bp,royal\shell,citgo,etc..... you're 100% correct "jesusofjonesboro".....seems like people have forgotten about the 2000 coup right here in america....

This article gives us a very clear explanation for Bush and Cheney's disregard for the well-being of the American people and their opinions.

In its own terms, the Bush/Cheney coup has been a unqualified success.

jj

"I do not buy ExxonMobil gas no matter how low my tank is — I'll push it up the street to the next filling station if need be."

A tour-de-force in logical thinking. I don't buy from ExxonMobil because they are robbing me. Instead I push it up the street to the next filling station to pay basically the same price to another company, who isn't robbing me.

Brilliant

CRIMINALS!! I do not buy ExxonMobil gas no matter how low my tank is -- I'll push it up the street to the next filling station if need be. These guys are robbing you and me blind, and loving their Record Profits. Shame on these war profiteers! I say not another dime to this company. Anyone else for a boycott?
-Bucky