greed

Question

How do you describe figuratively that oil companies are drawn to new oil sources by greed. The sentence I'm looking for starts as follows:

Oil companies are ___ new oil sources like oil sands in Canada.

Could you give me a couple of choices with focus on greediness of the companies?

Thanks.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

How do you describe figuratively that oil companies are drawn to new oil sources by greed. The sentence I'm looking for starts as follows:

Oil companies are ___ new oil sources like oil sands in Canada.

Could you give me a couple of choices with focus on greediness of the companies?

Perhaps Oil companies covet / **** for . . . ?

Clive

RayH · Answer

Begin rant.

I take exception to your characterization of oil companies. I'm sure everybody who posts on these forums either currently works for living or is retired after a lifetime of working for a living. Are we drawn to work because we are greedy? Are companies that build cars for sale greedy? Are doctors who practice medicine for money greedy? No, everybody needs to earn a living. Oil companies in general earn no more on their investments than any other company and much less than many. If you want to talk about greed you should be talking about the various levels of government that impose massive taxes on people and companies (including oil companies) for no better reason than that they can.

I'm not attacking you personally N2G, but I get very tired of politicians filling people with hatred and anger for the companies that supply the necessities of life in order to further their own agendas. Especially when, as is true in the vast majority of cases, the politicians themselves have never held a productive job in their lives.

End rant.

Optilang · Answer

Good rant.

Clive · Answer

[Begin rant about rant ]

By the same token, I don't think it's right to characterize governments as greedy because they tax people. It's very easy to pick on governments because they are an easy target and no-one jumps to defend them. Yet when I consider my personal situation, for instance, I have free health care as do all my fellow citizens, because of government taxes.

[End of rant about rant]

This thread may be heading towards being moved to the controversial forum.

Best wishes, Clive

New2grammar · Answer

I mostly agree with you, RayH. I don't take any of your comments as offense. A couple of weeks ago, CNN interviewed one of the CEO's for the oil companies in the US. According to him, I think he told the truth, the ratio of profit margin to operating cost has not increased, meaning though their net profits have increased dramatically, so do their operating costs. So, in my opinion, they are not cheating but are doing legal business. However, when many major companies are affected by the sluggish economy, partly due to rising oil prices, oil companies are not at all impacted. Relatively, the oil companies are doing far better than a couple of years ago. Politicians believe that oil companies should help the economy in some ways to get through these difficult times, though they have no obligations to do so. I guess that's the reason they are constantly under attack. Just my point of view.

RayH · Answer

CliveI have free health care as do all my fellow citizens

Begin rant about rant about rant... or something like that.

Sorry, Clive. No one has "free" health care. You and your fellow citizens are paying through the nose in both taxes and government imposed rationing (long waits, denial of some services to those deemed not worth the cost, etc.) for your "free" health care.

If you will re-read my original post I think you will find that I didn't make a blanket claim that all taxation represents greed--just most of it. How else do you explain that most of Europe pays the equivalent of about seven to nine dollars per gallon for gasoline? About half of that is taxes. A example of greed if ever there was one. On the other hand the oil industry earns about ten cents per gallon of gasoline.
You tell me where the greed is.

End rant about rant about rant.

CliveThis thread may be heading towards being moved to the controversial forum.

Quite possibly.

New2grammar · Answer

If the comparison is betweeen the oil industry and my government, I have no doubt my government is way more evil.

I didn't know the oil industry made only 10 cents per gallon. Interesting.

Clive · Answer

Hi Rayh,

So many points to argue, so little time.

As you know, 'free health care' is a shorthand phrase meaning 'free at the point of treatment'. That's an important point for those at the bottom of our society who have no money and thus pay no taxes.

I was just baulking at what I saw as excessive government bashing, just as you saw excessive company bashing.

Let's quickly try a different approach to the original topic. Would you agree that all capitalism is driven by greed? Then it just becomes a matter of deciding what is excessive and what is not. You probably know the quote from the character, Gordon Gecko, in the movie 'Wall Street'.

The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind.

Best wishes, Clive

CalifJim · Answer

Which part of this thread is about English grammar?

CJ

RayH · Answer

CliveWould you agree that all capitalism is driven by greed?

No.

CliveThe point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind.

I try mightily not to take my economic advice from Hollywood script writers and/or producers who have probably never given a second thought to where the necessities of life come from or what it takes to produce and distribute them.

CliveThen it just becomes a matter of deciding what is excessive and what is not

So, who decides? You? Me? Some nameless bureaucrat? Some corrupt politician? Some committee of wise men?

greed

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