Big Oil

I, like probably 99% of all Americans who pay for gasoline, took great pleasure in watching the CEOs of major American petroleum companies squirm in front of Congress last week as they attempted to justify last year's record earnings. And, when confronted with the twin facts that the outragous price of gas has now started to affect the lifestyle decisions of even the sacred middle class, and that Big Oil seems to literally rollong in the dough because of it, I felt justified in feeling that pleasure.

But after thinking about it, I am wondering why, in a Capitalist society that encourages competition at all levels, we're so upset when a small group of shrewd capitalists actually benefit from the system? After all, they did nothing wrong - no one is claiming that somebody created an artificial gasoline shortage, cooked the books, or somehow skimmed off of the top. These executives played the game and they played it well, and it seems to me the losing team is expeirencing a case of sour grapes. To censure them for making profits seems somehow un-American.

Don't misunderstand me; I don't believe for a minute that these august gentlemen actually deserve the scale of compensation they recieve, I'm just trying to say what's good for the goose is good for the gander. Lets not point fingers unless we're willing to point at the system that created Big Oil in the first place. Capitalism is all about economic winners and losers; "fair" or "right" have nothing to do with it.