Yes, Dax, one or the other. They can't have it both ways without hearing a very loud protest from the masses who provide their bottom line. Is the US financing its' battles with gasoline taxes? Where does it all end? Their motives for war are well cloaked in cleverly designed descriptors, such as "liberation" and adjudication of "human rights violations". I see none of that... all I see in their eyes are dollar signs and the protection of their vested interests, lives of innocents be damned. Why aren't they or their sons and daughters on the front lines fighting? Is that beneath them?

I agree with you that windfall profits should not be unreasonably taxed. I have nothing against anyone making money, even bonus profits, but I think the profiteers should be honest about their bookkeeping and their motives. Are there any efforts being made to decline their subsidies and tax breaks?

This country is going to hell in a handbasket, and there are those in power -- those we've supposedly put there -- who don't even give a shit that some of us have to work ourselves to death to feed, clothe and shelter our families.

I'm not ranting at you, Dax. It's just that oftentimes I feel quite powerless -- and I know others do as well -- to affect the future. How do we untie our hands and make progress?

I am all for eliminating the tax breaks and the subsidies...I am just worried about the knee jerk reaction calling for "taxes on these windfall profits." There is something profoundly suspect about such a move. It says, damn near explicitly, that you can only make so much profit...anymore than that and the government will come in and take it away from you. This then raises the issue of how much profit is "too much?" What is going to trigger this governmental theft? Perhaps if Winddancer gets a bonus at work the government will step in and take it from her because its a windfall?

On the other hand, if the windfall profit is made because the companies gouged, or colluded to fix prices, or bribed some Senator for special favors from his committee, etc. then a punitive tax on that profit, perhaps in the form of a fine, as well as criminal charges, would be apt.

There is such a thing as unconscionable profits, not measured by size, but by how earned.

Re; Windy's bonus, which I hope she gets.

The gov't won't take it, but they'll sure as hell tax it, and not give Windy any special dispensations.

Crude oil dropped $6.00 a barrel today. Who wants to bet that gas prices do not fall in proportion to this decrease in oil prices as they do to an increase? I bet the price of gas will not come down as much or as fast as when the price of oil goes up.