2008 Woodie Awards
Letters to the editor
Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Opinion
Oil editorial biased
I was deeply disturbed by Wednesday's editorial titled "Supply, demand and gas prices."
First of all, I was saddened to see that it came from The Heritage Foundation, a seriously right-wing political organization.
I don't understand why The Arkansas Traveler often uses editorials from other papers - it seems to me there are enough writers and issues here on campus to fill our need for editorials. However, if editorials from other sources must be used, please obtain them from respected journalistic sources, not some obviously biased political think tank - liberal or conservative - that cares more about promoting a viewpoint than informing its readers responsibly.
Secondly, the editorial itself was stunning. I'm not a business major and I certainly don't understand the finer points of global economics. However, I am like most Americans and I can understand when I am being cheated.
Maybe it's just me, but I can't see the fairness in the connection between continually record-setting gas prices and the continually record-setting oil company profits. The editorial makes it sound as if Americans don't understand what needs to be done about the issue.
I don't think Americans want overarching government intervention on gasoline as the editorial implies - we simply want accountability. I am all for the success of enterprise in America, but when a corporation's success impinges upon a regular citizen's ability to pay his bills, then questions should be asked and accountability should be expected.
Also, the fact that the article asserts that increased taxes will lead to the control of oil by unfavorable regimes like Iran is simply irresponsible fear mongering. I think big oil would be able to survive a $10 billion profit instead of a $20 billion profit. They just won't be able to get that gold plating on their yachts.
Jonathan Langley
Senior
English and French
Global food and energy crisis almost certain
Anything the Heritage Foundation says should be taken with a barrel of salt. The idea that price controls always cause shortages is questionable. At present, the U.S. has a shortfall in both supply (an enormous amount of our petroleum is imported) and in refining capacity.
The Foundation assertion that penalizing the oil companies by taxing them (what an un-American idea!) will put more reserves into inimical foreign hands is just typical Republican scare-mongering. In case the Foundation hasn't looked lately, any significant new reserves discovered would almost certainly be controlled by a foreign country, no matter who drills the wells. And in case you hadn't noticed, recent American foreign policy has not endeared us to anyone except Osama bin Laden, who is finding Global Jihad much more easily because we've managed to alienate almost everybody.
Basically, oil is a limited resource and we have already tapped the easiest supplies. Instead of encouraging conservation and alternative energy production, our bumbling government has tried to ignore both possible solutions to impending shortages.
Congress waited almost three decades before raising fuel economy standards, and even then the standards are ridiculously low, having already been achieved and surpassed by Japan and the European Union. Alternative energy research has been under funded for decades and "Oil-man Bush" certainly has not shown any disposition to change that.
In summary, the world (particularly the part friendly to us) is running out of oil. Congress and the present administration have failed to articulate any policy that instills confidence that they perceive the problem, let alone have solutions. And the prospect of climate change is looming in the background to make global food and energy crises almost certain.
Malcolm K. Cleaveland, Ph.D.,
Professor Emeritus
Geography
I was deeply disturbed by Wednesday's editorial titled "Supply, demand and gas prices."
First of all, I was saddened to see that it came from The Heritage Foundation, a seriously right-wing political organization.
I don't understand why The Arkansas Traveler often uses editorials from other papers - it seems to me there are enough writers and issues here on campus to fill our need for editorials. However, if editorials from other sources must be used, please obtain them from respected journalistic sources, not some obviously biased political think tank - liberal or conservative - that cares more about promoting a viewpoint than informing its readers responsibly.
Secondly, the editorial itself was stunning. I'm not a business major and I certainly don't understand the finer points of global economics. However, I am like most Americans and I can understand when I am being cheated.
Maybe it's just me, but I can't see the fairness in the connection between continually record-setting gas prices and the continually record-setting oil company profits. The editorial makes it sound as if Americans don't understand what needs to be done about the issue.
I don't think Americans want overarching government intervention on gasoline as the editorial implies - we simply want accountability. I am all for the success of enterprise in America, but when a corporation's success impinges upon a regular citizen's ability to pay his bills, then questions should be asked and accountability should be expected.
Also, the fact that the article asserts that increased taxes will lead to the control of oil by unfavorable regimes like Iran is simply irresponsible fear mongering. I think big oil would be able to survive a $10 billion profit instead of a $20 billion profit. They just won't be able to get that gold plating on their yachts.
Jonathan Langley
Senior
English and French
Global food and energy crisis almost certain
Anything the Heritage Foundation says should be taken with a barrel of salt. The idea that price controls always cause shortages is questionable. At present, the U.S. has a shortfall in both supply (an enormous amount of our petroleum is imported) and in refining capacity.
The Foundation assertion that penalizing the oil companies by taxing them (what an un-American idea!) will put more reserves into inimical foreign hands is just typical Republican scare-mongering. In case the Foundation hasn't looked lately, any significant new reserves discovered would almost certainly be controlled by a foreign country, no matter who drills the wells. And in case you hadn't noticed, recent American foreign policy has not endeared us to anyone except Osama bin Laden, who is finding Global Jihad much more easily because we've managed to alienate almost everybody.
Basically, oil is a limited resource and we have already tapped the easiest supplies. Instead of encouraging conservation and alternative energy production, our bumbling government has tried to ignore both possible solutions to impending shortages.
Congress waited almost three decades before raising fuel economy standards, and even then the standards are ridiculously low, having already been achieved and surpassed by Japan and the European Union. Alternative energy research has been under funded for decades and "Oil-man Bush" certainly has not shown any disposition to change that.
In summary, the world (particularly the part friendly to us) is running out of oil. Congress and the present administration have failed to articulate any policy that instills confidence that they perceive the problem, let alone have solutions. And the prospect of climate change is looming in the background to make global food and energy crises almost certain.
Malcolm K. Cleaveland, Ph.D.,
Professor Emeritus
Geography
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Matt
posted 4/21/08 @ 10:56 AM CST
Jonathan, I think you're missing the point of editorials. They are SUPPOSED to promote a particular viewpoint and are not by any means intended to inform readers responsibly, other than responsibly informing them of the editorial staff's viewpoint. (Continued…)
Tom Millican
posted 4/21/08 @ 4:51 PM CST
Both the American consumer and the oil companies are at fault with what so many Americans are whining about: high fuel prices.
The oil companies are exploiting our (the consumers) weakness of being utterly dependent on something we have no control over the supply of (oil). (Continued…)
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