Thursday, October 27, 2005

Big news day

Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination today. Or, let's be frank, W withdrew her nomination today. Everyone's got something to say about that, so what do you think? What does this teach us? Was it her views (or the lack thereof) that sank her? Her qualifications (or the lack thereof)?

In more important news, however, oil companies are now reporting their 3rd quarter earnings, and the numbers are ridiculous. Exxon raked in $10 billion (that's for the quarter, mind you), ConocoPhillips' profits rose 89%, and BP's rose 34%. Think about that next time you fill your tank. Especially you libertarian types. This is what happens when private companies dealing in commodities that people can't live without are not adequately kept in check by a responsible governing body. This is the kinda thing that would be rampant in your small-government utopia.

This is not the fault of oil companies. They're private enterprises; they're designed to bilk consumers for as much as they can get away with. That's the whole point of capitalism. This is the government's fault, because it's their job to ensure fair play in the marketplace.

That's my take on it anyway.

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