tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19937890.post4829165754736415917..comments2023-10-15T08:15:46.205-04:00Comments on Mike's Eyes (Spotted By): Preparing the Sacrificial AltarMichael Neibelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15321103608597264855noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19937890.post-62720240746871747782008-08-16T12:39:00.000-04:002008-08-16T12:39:00.000-04:00Darren:You're right that he might not even read it...Darren:<BR/>You're right that he might not even read it. I am bouyed by the fact that he's read others of mine before and had his spokesman reply to me.<BR/><BR/>And you're right again about his dishonesty in slanting his words against oil companies. That's why I'm losing my patience with him and others like him. Last year I urged him to draft legislation to open up offshore drilling. His spokesman said those offshore sites don't have any oil under them anyway--and expected me to believe it.Michael Neibelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15321103608597264855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19937890.post-27756590436461984442008-08-15T13:12:00.000-04:002008-08-15T13:12:00.000-04:00Nice email, but I bet he won't even read it. And ...Nice email, but I bet he won't even read it. And if he did, I bet he'll just ignore it. Maybe I'm just assuming the worst from him, but when I read arguments like his I can't help but question the honesty of the person who wrote it. He points out a lot of true facts about oil company profits, but he leaves out the ones that won't lead his reader to side with him. Such as, the fact that oil companies paid more in taxes than they earned in profit, they had to spend many billions in costs to earn their profit, and their profit margin is in line with other businesses. The truth is, there's nothing different about how the oil companies do their business than other businesses. Oil companies just do business on a larger scale.<BR/><BR/>Don't get me wrong, I believe that the oil companies have the right to earn whatever they make, no matter what the scale, the tax rate, or the size of the profit margin. And the right to keep what you earn and to do trade with others freely is the essential point that people need to understand. But it doesn't change the fact that when he complains about large profit the way he did, he's essentially lying. He's hiding relevant facts from his readers in order to get them to agree with him. In other words, he's not just trying to make an argument with a picture... he's also doctoring the picture!Darrenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15582845477209516725noreply@blogger.com