Why do people think that a stateowned oil company that would make gas cheap and employ 1000s is evilCommunism?

	Why do people think that a stateowned oil company that would make gas cheap and employ 1000s is evilCommunism? When I lived in Alaska during the 04 elections there was a proposition by some candidate that I don't know the name of that suggested that Alaska state should allow the residents of Alaska to vote for or against a State owned oil and refinery company. and a month or so before the 04elections the idea was scrapped. The theory of the state owned oil company is that since the oil right in Alaska are on state land then it is owned by the state and therefor not under OPEC and therefore would not have to be placed on the world market and would simply be sold to America and Canada and Mexico thus eliminating the competition and making it cheaper since the government would drill for more oil unlike the oil companys who drill very little and pretend theres no possibility that producing oil is possible. I thought that was a great idea but apparently there hardcore capitalists that think low gas prices and more jobs for Americans is to "Communism" Why? Capitalism is free market and free trade but that doesn't mean that our natural resources like oil should be hauled off to The People's Republic Of China!! American tax payers should have the benefit of having a government that will not whore out our natural resources when we are paying over 4 a gallon.Shouldn't Alaska's oil fields be maned by State hourly workers instead of private companies like Exxon/HEss .I'm just wondering why the capitalist's would feel persecuted by low energy prices and spawning employment rates. can someone elaborate? I want to further explain how this system works in Alaska because the last time I posted this answer there were 1or2 people who said it was a monopoly which I find funny because according to capitalism eliminating monopolys is like taking away the incentive of producers to produce but anyway. IN Alaska since the discovery of oil the State has established itself as the rightful and legal owner of it's mineral rights and reserves the right to lease it mineral rights to Oil Companies for it own economical benefits. Alaska leases it oil rights on 10yr lease agreements to Conoco-phillips oil company .If a state owned oil company and refinery were to happen Alaska would stop leasing the mineral rights out and buy the equipment and materials from the company and probably rehire the employees and continue the same work .The oil companys would be able to set up shop anywhere else in the state or in the world if they so please and they will. Once this happens the elected officials who run the company would establish the minium price to be set that would ensure that "business" would remain cost effective. The Oil fields would be used to the full capacity to ensure there is an abundant amount of crude to keep prices low. A private company like conco phillips in this situation would simply reduce the amount of oil produced to create the falsehood of there not being enough oil and then marking the price up!!! The state owned company would atleast double the production thus creating more jobs and selling oil at wholesale prices thus making gas cheap! If you don't believe me feel free to do your research! in reply to- Ubuntu Linux A state owned Oil and refinary company is not a monopoly!! The state oned company would compete with the major oil companies. If the oil companies want to sell 4 dollars a gallon gas while the state sells it for a 1.50 then they have every right to the oil companies will make more money in actuality because the state owned companies would remove a a portion of the available oil supply from the world supply then the oil companys can have an excuse to rip off the People's republic of China and that way your family can get a huge return on the Exxon stock!!! 1 second ago in reply to username -wwpetcem_.. Who said....... Take over 1 company people don't like..it would be easier to take over more..where would it end? You did not listen there is no "taking over" The mineral rights are owned by the state and the state had the right to lease the mineral rights to the oil companies. All the state oned oil company would do is tap the oil field with there own drill and produce oil from there own property.and refine it and sell it for cheap while still allowing big oil companies to operate so as long as they pay there "RENT" because the oil companies do not own the mineral rights because no one can own mineral rights but either the state or the federal government!!! I'd also like to let all those who are about to say the government stinks when it comes to busness. My gas and electric is contracted by the state and pretty much is ran by the state with price and budget caps. Gasoline has doubled in the past 2 years!! however my electric and gas have not! I'd say the government is doing a fine job when it comes to regulating energy and commodities! Lets not forget to mention the Irs which is the biggest debt collector in the country. They have manage to collect everyones taxes no problem. Have you ever heard of the government going bankrupt because the IRS wasn't doing a good job at collecting debt.??? Ok now if your going to say the government should not run and own an oil company because they are no good at it . The I want you to explain why a state contracted heating gas company and a state ran electric company are doing just fine? Why do people fear the government when there is talk of having state owned oil companies yet they fail to realize local,state, and federal government does a great job at making your electricity,bringing you heating gas??? Are people fearful that the government might actually beable to help society?? Can hardcore capitalist explain why in Kuwait gasoline is less than a dollar per gallon ?? Kuwait has a state owned oil and refinery that take a small percentage of the oil and sells it in there own country for cheap regardless of the world market conditions!!! Why do people insist on supporting suck a strict for of capitalism when is clear that 5 dollar per gallon gas prices are now helping the economy as much as it's benefiting the few.? Asked By: jay - 7/31/2008

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
Hi, again, some misconceptions. There are actually very few public utilities left in the USA, almost all of them are now private providers who have exclusive contracts with the localities that they serve. One of the real problems with state owned companies is inefficiency, because they do not exist to make profit, they exist as part of an overall national policy which is often to provide as many jobs as possible or to subsidize delivery of services, or some other feel-good idea that makes sense at the time, but always the poor economics of the institution will always catch up with the noble ideals that the entity was founded to provide. And as for your example of Kuwait, that is a very specific example and is not the norm for the rest of oil producing countries. First off, the government and the people agreed that everyone would share in the profits, and the population is small enough that there is plenty to go around. With a country like the USA, dividing the profits up between everyone leaves so little per person that there is very little incentive for even getting up in the morning to go to work. Secondly, since the oil rigs are already in existence, the cost of extracting the oil is one of the lowest in the world, and the low price to their own people is subsidized by foreign buyers who pay $120 for a barrel that cost $19 to get out of the ground. Also, in Kuwait the work force is largely imported from developing countries with very low wages and poor working conditions (although certainly better than their home country - as someone interviewed on NPR said years ago, the cure for sweat shops is more sweat shops). Right across the border, in Saudi Arabia which also has a relatively small population and huge oil profits, these conditions are not the same because there the entire oil wealth is owned by the royal family, one of the reasons why 15 out of 19 9/11 terrorists were Saudis and not Iraqis or Yemenis. Answered By: sdvwallingford - 8/1/2008

Additional Answers ()

Because they're brain-washed, can't think for themselves conservative lap-dogs of the mega-rich. Source(s): pretty much Answered By: Rev Doofus - 7/31/2008

Its a slippery slope Answered By: Matthew W - 7/31/2008

I'll be brief. When it comes to running a business, government's track record STINKS. But to answer your basic question: State ownership of industry is one of the underlying tenets of communism, so yes that would be more communist than capitalist. The cost of fuel is based upon the cost of crude. Crude is a commodity. Whoever is running the company isn't going to affect commodity prices on the world markets. Even if you plowed all of the profits back into the pricing, the cost of a gallon of gas would MAYBE drop 10¢. Big Whoopie! Most of the cost of crude today is due to the value of the dollar. Crude is priced in US dollars on the global markets. That means that foreign producers have to raise the dollar price to maintain their income stream in their own currency. The dollar is in the toilet due to the HUGE Federal deficit, currently approaching $10 TRILLION. That's more than double what it was when Bush took office. His failed economic policies are the reason for the deficit. Never in the history of the nation has an administration maintained tax cuts during an expensive war. Edit: You're confusing careful government regulation of a monopoly with State ownership. Two VERY different concepts! The State of AK does regulate drilling activity and that's as it should be. If it didn't, the North Slope would be awash with spills and the pipeline would be leakier than it already is. Answered By: bostonianinmo - 7/31/2008

I fail to see any reason for it. In fact we do have socialism for services that are considered vital to our society such as municipal fire and police departments which are paid for by tax dollars not users. By having them run by the government entity they can be sure that employees are local thereby helping the local economy and making sure that the workers have a vested interest in the community. Sounds like all good to me. Plus when there is corruption you can prosecute and/or put out of office those who are corrupt in government; but when corporations are corrupt it is next to impossible to prosecute anyone - you can't put a corporation in prison and the fines assessed for breaking laws are just viewed as one more cost of doing business. But over the years "communist" has been used as the ultimate bogey-man word to scare people much as they are trying to use "terrorists" now. Please everyone be sure to look beyond the scare tactics and try to see what is really going on before making up your minds. Answered By: ash - 7/31/2008

Nationalizing anything is a bad idea they may claim they will compete with private companies, but soon they won't Read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Answered By: lazlo_dei - 7/31/2008

Submit your answer or comment to this question

Other Career Questions

	Why is the 0bama administration refusing to remove the BS about the number of jobs saved from its website? They've admitted the data is not true, yet they continue to post it. Why are they continuing to claim they've saved or created jobs in districts that don't even exist after it's been proven and they've admitted it's a lie? http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jobs-saved-created-congressional-districts-exist/story?id=9097853 Dastardly, presenting information known to be false as true is lying, does this really need to be explained to you? 8 answers - Asked By: libs, almost as smart as lint - 11/24/2009

	Why is the Obama administration reporting jobs created from districts that don't exist? Http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/jobs-saved-created-congressional-districts-exist/story?id=9097853 I understand the desire to show that your policies are working-but outright lying isn't the way. Is this the "transparency" and "change we can believe in?" Cookie--Nice-I forgot about that. 9 answers - Asked By: MADDOG - 11/17/2009

	Compare negative and positive from the Republican and Democrat Parties? Is there any sites that has all politics records? Like the bills Senators voted for or vetoed. All politics accomplishments. job lost and gained percentage from the Governors. Please do not give me that one sided crap. I'm open minded, so I want to here both positive and negative from the Republican and Democrat parties. 1 answer - Asked By: Raphial Lee - 12/5/2008


Content is not owned or controlled by Monster. Any content concerns should be addressed with Yahoo! Yahoo! Does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any Yahoo! Answers content. Yahoo! Disclaimer.

Popular Questions

	Is this normal for an interviewer to do this? So today I went in for an interview and I was going in for the 2nd interview by the head chief executive. now this is where it got weird, so she asked me about my previous jobs and said how much she liked that product over that product. then she started talking about her daughter? an her divorce ...then how she didn't finish college because she was making more money doing what she did for this company ... then she talked about how her teenage daughter is a handful... I just played it cool thinking she was using some sort of psychology thing to trick me into saying something stupid. the interview ended and she seemed happy an I was escorted to the door... now I'm freaking confused? is this normal behavior for an executive? like it felt like she was going to burst into tears at one point and tell me her life problems... is this normal? was she trying to see how I react or something? 6 answers - Asked By: Clone - 11/7/2012

	How do I get a job with Dodgy work history and no experience? Basically- no degree, although I have tried completing one in the past and stopped because of physical and mental health issues which were overwhelming to deal with along with going to classes full time. I'm not stupid and I am quite articulate. I am 23 and have only worked for about two years retail in high school and stopped working to go to university. I worked a few months in 2010 retail after I dropped out but it was only a seasonal position, and the only reason why I have not been able to constantly work is because of mental health issues. I had also tried going back to community college during my free time since i left university in 2008/9 and I had panic attacks while in community college, which made my anxiety worse from then on. Well recently I met a good doctor and he prescribed me some meds that are stabilizing my moods and I feel the best I've felt in years, and I'm ready to work. Thing is, I don't know how to get a job now since I've spent literally years being depressed and anxious doing nothing. I don't really have anything to put on my resume, and I never finished my AA degree either. All I've done is cashiering and although I do the job well and I get promoted easily when I do these jobs because I'm a hard worker and I try to go above and beyond what they ask of me,which is the attitude I have no matter what kind of work I'm doing as long as I'm getting paid. But I hate cashiering because it's too easy and I want a job that is more interesting. Any suggestions for me on how to get a job that is NOT Retail with the type of background I have right now? I also realize I have to go to college to get certain types of jobs, I am talking about what I can do right here right now. 1 answer - Asked By: Alex Prieto - 10/14/2012

	Why honesty, hard work and dedication have no place at work? Recently I have overlooked for a project at work and I am unable to accept it why? I am hard working, dedicated, maintain a very professional decorum, very cordial with my colleagues and bosses, give respect to one and all. Still people who take the p***, argue with managers, gossip mongers have been selected for some very responsible positions at work. I seriously can't get my head around it why, why unprofessional people who have no work ethics being selected over me, whereas I have a track record of excellent performance and never shy away from any work my manager ask me to do? I am at my lowest point and not getting hold of my manager to ask the question why not me, why them who can't even bother? I am feeling like a complete loser, giving years to this place, building my performance, trust and this is how I get rewarded. Why my life is so shit, anything I wish for turns to dust? 1 answer - Asked By: network7 - 11/6/2012

	What do you say when they ask what you want to be paid? ? Wen you apply at a job and they ask how mch you want as a salary what do you say? 2 answers - Asked By: Colette - 11/24/2011

	I have applied for over 100 jobs I have gotten no calls for a job interview, what can i do? As stated in my question I've applied for multiple jobs and gotten no job interview, you name a place I've applied there. I've said i will work ridiculous hours from like 12am to 5am and nothing. I've said I am willing to work weekends public holidays everything and I have gotten nothing back I am so desperate for money it's not funny. 9 answers - Asked By: Jamie - 1/9/2012

	What to wear to a job interview VS a career fair? So I have a nice white button up shirt, business skirt and pants, and a suit jacket. I'm applying for a software development job and I'm very short and can look young so I'm trying to look adult, yet professional. I'm also attractive so I'm trying not to look too sexy. For the career fair I'm thinking of wearing just my nice shirt and a skirt with low heels. My reasoning being it's approachable and attractive without going overboard since the career fair hosts are mostly younger male recent grads. I want to be remembered but not intimidating. For my interviews I was thinking pants, suit jacket (power suit). My reasoning being it'll be older execs and HR people (mostly women) so less sexy with the pants but more powerful with the suit jacket. What do you think?! 2 answers - Asked By: Beast - 9/23/2012

	What is NOC Engineer ?. What are his responcibilites ? 1 answer - Asked By: vishal - 2/23/2006

	How can l find a job in the pharmacitical field as a sales and marketing manager,in south africa? L want to study medicine and work as a doctor but l am limited due to luck of required monyes. however l swtched on to anther career but still within my career interests as a care giver, but this is somthing to do with sales and marketing in the pharmcitical industry. 2 answers - Asked By: tonnydanabwembya - 12/24/2005

	What questions should I ask at a job interview for a healthcare recruiter position? I have an interview tomorrow with a healthcare recruiting firm and I want to have a few good questions to ask about the job/industry, but it will be a new field for me and I'm not sure what to ask about. Any suggestions? 1 answer - Asked By: stephinrado - 5/8/2006

	I want to become an events/party planner. Does anyone know how I would begin my own business in this field? I am in the process of planning my own wedding and I am having a fantastic time doing so. I have always enjoyed planning things: group vacations for my friends and I, road trips, etc... I could be described as a slight control freak and I am a perfectionist. I know I would exceed, and enjoy my career, if I were to make this a possibility. How do I do it? How do I get my name out there? How much do event planners charge for their services? I have a lot of questions, and hope that people who are self employed would be able to give me some pointers on getting my business up and running. Thank You in advance for your time and help. 2 answers - Asked By: Careerdriven - 4/24/2006

	Job description of supply and logistics manager? I am applying for a job of supply and logistics manager so I need to know more about the this job 1 answer - Asked By: waelasfour - 6/19/2006

	I am a student who is working at Deloitte during this summer. What is the dress code during the summer? Being a student my budget is limited so any help regarding specific retail outlets to go to would be very helpful. I am working in downtown toronto for Deloitte (accounting firm) and the summers are very hot here in Canada. Any specific advice on what clothing items this MALE student should wear to work would be helpful. The dress code is "business casual". As if any student knows what that means. 2 answers - Asked By: kamol_yason - 5/3/2006

	What is the difference between a nurse practitioner and an ARNP? Is there any difference between a "nurse practitioner" and an "advanced registered nurse practitioner"? 1 answer - Asked By: lucysmom - 3/27/2006

	Debenhams job application/interview help? I'm applying online for a job at Debenhams. It's just a temporary part time job but I have no previous retail experience, just in customer service, and I am finding some of the questions rather difficult. Our commitment to training and development encourages our people to grow their futures with us. If successful in joining our team, how will you become an expert at what you do? and At Debenhams, our people make all the difference to our customers. If you were a Stock Movement Adviser with us, how would our customers know that you are focused on their individual shopping experience? Any help in answering these questions would be greatly appreciated, many thanks! 1 answer - Asked By: Mac - 9/7/2012

	What does marketing communications means to a manager? 1 answer - Asked By: Gotti girl - 7/23/2006

	Math Teacher? I am going to college in about a year or so and planning on going to school for teaching...I am hoping to be a high school level math teacher and just wondered if you guys knew of any good schools with a good teaching or math program? 3 answers - Asked By: ♥Special K - 8/20/2006

	Where to find Java Mobile Application developer in Singapore ? I am looking for someone (or company) to program a simple (I think) java mobile application, but do not know where to look. Any ideas where to start ? 1 answer - Asked By: ppb - 7/11/2006

	How much does an Electrical Engineer make? I'm thinking of completing an Electrical Engineering degree and was wondering what people are making just out of college and those that have been in the field 5+ yrs. The main careers I am looking at are Design Engineer and Technical Sales Engineering. Any input from people with those jobs would be great! 3 answers - Asked By: MacDadRaj - 3/23/2006

	Why does NCO-RMH in Manila give delayed paychecks to their resigned employees. it's a call center company? I was told by the people in the HR department that our checks have to come from Pensylvannia. Does it normally take that long? I mean more than two months for a paycheck that i worked hard for.? 1 answer - Asked By: nightshades9678 - 8/28/2006

	I want to become an Escrow Officer, does anyone know how to go about it? What kind of training will I need? I know that Escrow is within Title industry in Texas. What would be the best way to get my foot in the door. I am assuming I will have to start as an Escrow assistant and work my way up, but I would really like to find out more about this career path. How does an officer usually get licensed? Are there classes we need to take and exam to take? Any response is appreciated. 2 answers - Asked By: schang25 - 2/10/2006

Monster Communities

Teaching Community: Where teachers meet and learn.
ArtBistro: Create and connect.
Excelle: Networking for the career-minded woman.
Nursing Link: Where nurses call the shots.
More Monster Communities

Monster Partners

Scholarships: Scholarships, financial aid and more ways to pay for school.
Education.org: Find top campus and online degree programs.
Military.com: Military portal for the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
Financial Aid: Scholarships & financial aid.
Staffing for Government Jobs: Staffing and hiring solutions for federal government agency jobs.
More Monster Partners

Job Hunt Strategy

Six Ways to Make a Recruiter Hate You

If you want to blow your chances with recruiters -- and, by extension, with the companies they work for -- here are six perfect ways to do so.

Resumes & Cover Letters

Rev Up Your Resume to Relocate

Hoping to relocate? Get the ball rolling on landing the right job in the right location with these expert resume and cover letter tips.

Interviewing

100 Potential Interview Questions

Interview questions can run the gamut. You probably won't face all 100 of these, but you should still be prepared to answer at least some of them.

Salary & Benefits

10 Questions to Ask When Negotiating Salary

Most of us aren't natural negotiators, but asking these 10 questions during salary negotiations can help you get everything you deserve.

Attracting Candidates

Facebook for Employers: Make Friends, Not Fans

Recruiting? Go where the talent is. See why recruiters have befriended social networks.

Employee Sourcing

Employment Index

November Monster Employment Index Grows 13% Year-Over-Year, Tenth Consecutive Month of Positive Annual Growth.

Interviewing Candidates

Improving Interview Skills: Learn from the Experts

What’s the key to a great interview? According to experts: Practice, practice, practice.

Workforce Planning

Enhance your Small Business Marketing Strategy with Social Media

Social media. It’s everywhere. But how can it help you? Learn how to utilize social media even monetize it.

For Seekers

Campus and Online Degrees: Advance your career and earn more with an online degree.
Free Salary Wizard: What are you worth? Find out and negotiate a better salary.
Research Careers: Get information on jobs and career paths to help guide your choices
Questions & Answers: Find answers to all your career related questions -- powered by Yahoo! Answers
Resume Distribution Service: Our distribution service puts your resume right in the hands of recruiters.
Resume Writing Services: Our experts will craft a keyword-rich resume that stands out in the crowd.
More Career Resources

For Employers

Career Ad Network: Target your job posting to more candidates on thousands of websites.
Hire Right Background Checks: Explore our background check packages to improve the quality of your hires.
Hiring Home Page: Find the best candidates for your business with Monster hiring solutions.
Job Postings: Find the right solution for your hiring needs. Starting at $99.
Power Resume Search: Monster's new search technology precisely matches people with your jobs.
Resource Center: Find staffing insights, labor trends, HR best practices and more.
Target Post: Connect with skilled, hourly and administrative candidates for only $99.

Social Media

Jobs on Twitter: Find jobs in your area and industry.
Monster Careers: Tune into our career advice and discussions tackling a wide range of topics and industries.
Monster Corporate & PR: Stay up-to-date on the latest news. Get the 'Who', 'What', 'When', and 'Why' on all things Monster related.
Monster Customer Service: Got a Monster question? We've got the answer. Whether you're a job seeker or employer, we can help you find the answers you need.
Monster for Employers: Find advice on hiring.
Follow Us: Check out our many pages and stay connected with the latest industry news, events, career advice and job openings.

Are You An Employer?