Stifling business and a free market is never a good idea.

Posted by Laura D | June 25, 2008 4:56 PM

Subsidizing the most lucrative industry in all the land, and letting them off the hook when fines for negligence are levied is hardly 'stifling business'. If the government is to continue to play a hand in the oil biz, it should be in a regulatory capacity that looks out for its citizens.

Posted by Patrick | June 27, 2008 12:17 PM

Cap profits. Allow unlimited expenditures in alternative energy R&D. Big Oil could reward its shareholders via dividends. As a cabal, Big Oil has clearly demonstrated its lack of interest in alternative energy, or even taking responsibilty for corporate misdeeds (Read: Exxon-Valdez spill). When the disparity in real wages between workers and execs returns to 1960's levels, we can loosen the leash on the likes of Big Oil, but until then, keep tightening the leash.

Posted by Nataraj | July 14, 2008 5:19 PM

If all the time and energy spent on blocking one form of energy; No to drilling(too profitable for big oil), No to Nuclear(too dangerous), No to Wind Farms(blocks my view, bird killer), No to Solar (too expensive), No to coal (too dirty), No to conservation (too restrictive); were spent on trying to ameliorate each energy option's deficiencies, we would all have a lot more energy and wealth at our disposal and maybe we would have stumbled on a really neat solution to the mess we are in.

No one is smart enough to pick the right way forward out of the energy crisis. So let all options go forward. If we stop suing each other the only losers will be the lawyers.

Posted by Briggs Cunningham | July 18, 2008 12:16 AM

Don't cap profits, but don't provide government subsidies either. Yes, that also includes tax subsidies that other enterprises do not get. The petroleum industry has had a very long time to accrue various government benefits. These benefits, like farm and sugar subsidies, need to be made transparent and phased out or cancelled if they no longer serve the public interest.

Posted by Tom | August 26, 2008 8:07 AM

We need to nationalize all the oil and gas companies! I'm with Maxine Waters on this. Remove free market interference from gas prices and they will drop like a rock. Just look at the countries with nationalized oil companies: Venezuela has dirt cheap gas, way below $1 a gallon!

If we nationalized our oil companies then gas would be that cheap here as well. It's really time we took a cue from people like Chavez and Ahmadinejad.

Posted by Andrew | August 26, 2008 5:06 PM

The conflict among different social and econonic groups now looms at large. 'History' thus challenges us to change our approach from old perspectives, and gain new insights, so as to revise our American ideals. We should not nationalize our oil companies, for it would unfairly be compared to Non-U.S.Dictorial systems of state interfence. However, there should be set up Governmental-Link Institutions regulating company expenditures and monitoring corporate misdeeds.
The consequences of climatic-change, which flowed from the last-fifty-years, are so far certain, that it is the duty, of rational beings to hear both sides, and not to suppose that the ultimate truth lie with one particular movement. The energy-evolution comprises a very great share, in bringing a new surface-strata to all humanity everywhere. Our petroleum war-cries point out bold rebellion to remodel the Empire of 'Tyrant' oil companies; bringing down their greedy ambitions, which the public has a right to demand.

Posted by Cheryl lee Buchanan | November 15, 2008 10:56 AM