Direct from Big Oil's mouth

Let's listen to Exxon Mobil chairman Lee R. Raymond. With 88% of his company's nearly $300,000 in political contributions in 2004 alone going to the Republican Party, he probably already has the ear of the president.

"We do not have the resource base to be energy independent," Exxon Mobil chairman Lee R. Raymond said in a speech in which he outlined some of what he called the "hard truths" about global energy markets. ...

Raymond scoffed at suggestions — heard commonly among politicians in Washington — of energy independence.

"We periodically hear calls for U.S. energy independence as if this were a real option," he said. "The fact is, the United States is a part of the world energy market and we must participate and compete in that market."

This is the only article I've seen on his speech; I haven't had time to search for more references. But I didn't see Raymond mention one thing about the possible development of alternative energies. So if he didn't bring the topic up, I'm guessing that he doesn't have a point against it. He just wants to deride alternative energies outright, saying that our only option is to depend upon oil.

I wonder if he's given thought to the consequences of our energy dependence once the Middle East runs out of oil. Who knows when this will happen? (I realize I sound like a crackpot when I mention oil running out, but at least give it some thought. Oil is a finite resource, eventually we will have used it all up. This is a great reason to consider alternative energies.)

Near the end of the article, there's this paragraph:

Exxon Mobil earned a record $21.5 billion last year, nearly double the previous year, and also reported record earnings during the first quarter of this year as crude oil and gasoline prices soared.

I guess we can put to rest any question as to why he's not an advocate of alternative energy.

Not only has Exxon Mobil doubled their profits from last year, but they have earned record profis in the first quarter of this year. And I have to pay $2.13 a gallon. Silly me, I thought gas prices were so high because the price of the price of crude. Instead, the prices are being pushed up so the oil companies can line their wallets with record profits.

The public is being bilked and the prices are being fixed. Why hasn't Bush's justice department sought to protect us by filing an antitrust lawsuit? Could it be because Big Oil has donated $8,706,130 to Republicans in 2004 alone; $19,899,781 in 2002, and $26,718,153 in 2000?

Just asking.

[Thanks to Matt for the link.]