$3.05 for unleaded regular & $3.25 for premium tonight...

...while the plucking oil companies reap unparalled profits.



This snip from a friend:

Concurrently, individual Americans are increasingly fretting about whether the US budget deficit, current account deficit, low saving rates, high levels of household debt, soaring oil prices, rising interest rates and slowing earnings growth will converge to undermine the US economy.

A boom in assets, rising profits, favourable treatment by market-friendly governments, and improved productivity have allowed the wealthy to prosper at the expense of the working class.

Clearly class not race will emerge as the great divider.

Rich versus poor.

Three examples can be highlighted:

1. Defense: Increase in defense spending. Iraq war & Vice President Dick Cheney. Dick Cheney claimed to have stepped down from Haliburton but continues to receive millions from them and award them no-bid contracts in Iraq and New Orleans.

2. Oil: Increase in fuel prices. Exxon Mobil Corp. posted record profits. $10.71 billion for the fourth quarter and $36.13 billion for 2005 as the world's biggest publicly traded oil company benefited from high oil and natural-gas prices and solid demand for refined products. A $69.7 million compensation package and $98 million pension payout to Exxon Mobil Corp.'s former chief executive and chairman Lee R. Raymond.

3. Pharmaceuticals: Increase in prescriptions. Donald Rumsfeld, former chairmen of the Gilead Corporation were the creators of Tamiflu. He holds significant shares in the company. As the bird flu scare increases, Tamiflu stands to pull in record amounts of cash and now deals are bing worked out between a multitude of companies wanting to manufacture Tamiflu.

Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld are modern day Prince John and the Sherrif of Nottingham. They steal from the poor to give to the rich. The Generals are a modern day Sixpack of Robin Hoods sporting a Six Gun.

Greed versus Honor.

Found here: [link to www.vivelecanada.ca]

And, so it goes....