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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: chomolungma who wrote (67432)	1/29/2003 5:52:11 AM
From: zonder	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

In fact, they'll bend over backwards to avoid all appearance of exactly what you mention [US companies being awarded concessions to develop Iraq's oil fields]. You seem to think US companies will NOT be developing and profiting from Iraq's oil. I cannot decide if you are naive or plain simple "challenged". Who cares - wanna bet? :) Did you see them all flying in on their black helicopters? Notwithstanding the fact that I have not seen the identities of ANYONE flying the black helicopters over Iraq, I would doubt if any of them had Texas oil executives on them. However, try to understand that some of us are capable of abstract thought and logical deduction, and hence can understand that corporate executives don't ever go into combat themselves, but that does not mean they will not profit from the spoils after the victory. OPEC hasn't been able to "regulate" oil prices for some time now. Their previously absolute control is reduced with ex-Soviet countries coming into the market, but if you really think a group that has over 50% of the world's known oil reserves that are also closest to the surface (i.e. low-cost) does not control the price of this FINITE asset, I suggest you read a bit on the sector. In March 2000, OPEC agreed to regulate production in order to keep oil prices at USD 22-28 per barrel. That is the stability in oil prices that you are referring to, I believe. Russia joining OPEC? Not likely... I did not say "Russia joining OPEC". I said "with the cooperation of Russia, whose oil is much deeper (and costlier to extract)". Do you not understand what you read? Or is the difference between cooperation for a mutually beneficial outcome and all-out joining a cartel too subtle for you? .. and quite a reach for you to defend your argument with a wild hypothetical That was not something to "defend" my "argument" with. It is a possibility, one that I see likely, given (1)Russia's current disapproval to US invasion of Iraq, and (2) Russia's higher-cost reserves making low oil prices undesirable for them. Must not be a very strong argument to begin with. Wow. And you saw right through it, I guess. Why oh why could you not answer any of the points I cited, then, I wonder? My, I guess you will not be a happy camper when you see your illusions shatter as US oil companies move in to manage Iraq's oil fields after the invasion.