A response to RocDoc, then signing off....
1. I stand by my statement that most Americans would consider a $400 million retirement package for one person (the past CEO of ExxonMobil) to be excessive. If you think it's not excessive, that's of couse your personal opinion, but I challenge you to disagree with the statement itself that "most Americans" right now in 2008 would find that excessive.
2. If the private oil industry desperately needed more money to explore for oil, they wouldn't be paying out huge and growing dividends to their shareholders at this time.
3. Your ideological comments about Leninism and Communism are just name-calling. I'm a capitalist raising legitimate questions about how the world would fund a massive transition away from fossil fuels. One position would be diverting profits from the oil industry that were not being reinvested in exploration or refining capacity.
4. Your comments about my Christian beliefs and objections to using my Saviour's name as an obscenity are quite revealing. If you need to insult someone's cherished religious beliefs to get your point across, I have doubts about your reasoning ability. Is it not possible to be respectful in a forum like this, or does it always have to degenerated into name-calling, nastiness and obscenity? If the later case is true, I certainly don't belong here and neither do others who have sincere religious beliefs.
The question is: Do you want to limit the discussion and drive away people like me for the sake of being nasty about their religion? If so, you win, buddy.
A note to BigTex:
As a new member of PeakOil forums, I had hoped to be able to at least have one discussion on a legit issue without being called a "Leninist Commie who worships blow-up dolls." It's not that I have a thin skin (I'm 50 and I've been in far rougher places than most people -- 32 countries in all -- including multiple life-threatening situations, detention by secret police, etc.). It's just that I hoped that PeakOil would have a higher level of debate and discussion.
Others posters have added valuable insights, but the general direction is down the toilet here. I won't add my thoughts to PeakOil again for that reason. I bet that lots of other posters have had the same experience.
Best of luck.






