UnitedIssues U.S. Political Debates - Debate

"Time to get tougher on oil companies?"

Original Opinion by Vultren (126)

Oil companies can do whatever they want when it comes to the price of gas. Is it right that they can control, well, just about everything in the United States?

Everything runs off of gas, this is amazing our country became so dependent on this resource. If oil companies want to charge 6$ a barrel, they could do it and get away with it, making people have to pay for this price hurting our economy.

My question is, should companies essentially be allowed to become more powerful than the government?

Responses

"That question is answered pretty clearly by most republicans." by Gaelin (136)

Government regulation hurts the enonomy. the governemt should be smaller, regulations should be removed. That's the standard republican platform. the reason that those regulations were put in place was to reign in the huge trusts and corporations that during the gilded age more or less owned the government. oil barons in particular had more political power than most senators, usually because they had a couple on their payroll. The tyranny of big buissness can be just as terrible as the tyranny of big governents and that why we need Interventionist controls to make sure that the market stays fair and isn't crowded out by the super wealthy. sadly it seems we may be headed back to the gilded age now that anyone can donate unlimited amounts of money to any politician again. Oil has established a monopoly on public life and when you have a monopoly you have great power.

"Times have changed" by Gaelin (136)

Small government worked really well back in the days of small business, but when businesses grow huge the government has to grow with them to contain their power.

"I am just going to say it..." by FreeRoamer (42)

If farmers were allowed to grow industrial hemp, this wouldn't be as much of an issue. Hemp is a much more efficient, cheaper, and environment-friendly source of fuel than oil. I hate to sound like a spammer, but I encourage anyone reading this to support H.R. 1831, or the "Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011".

As for your original question, I think you need to be more specific in terms of what you are talking about...what regulations are you proposing exactly? Some regulations are necessary of course...but there is a limit as to what level should be tolerated.

" Regulation " by Teddyroosevelt (45)

First of all shut up hippie and your hemp it's not energy it just seems like your tvs on when your burning it but back to oil I was a bit surprised in hearing that Obama would give up on his platform drilling ban keep in mind I lean conservative I actualy stand by the ban or limitation on deep water platform drilling and hydrofracking mainly cause those technologies are fairly new and looking at the gulf and the fact that my sinks of fire I can say they need a bit more tweaking before allowing a mass of new wells second the principle of regulation is took enforce certain restrictions not create new ones what I mean by this is there's already a great deal of laws and regulation that barely get enforced as it is whether it's doe to under Funding corruption or incompetence are system has allowed a great deal problems through are net