[AzCal Retred]

@ #12: Oil and Gas are just resources, like sunlight & wind. Most petro is from leased public land. The issue is when decoupled, mercenary folks that already have more spending cash than God skew the system for even more control over the game. Money is just a game at the stratospheric income levels, money/net worth are tokens of status, with zero relationship to their survival. They'll never miss a meal, they'll never get evicted and have to live in a car or cardboard box. They lose touch. You cannot extract the amounts of money from the whole system they do and not have it affect the base survival of the other 95% of us. Tax rates in the 50's were in the 90% range for some of these folks monies and there wasn't a millionaire shortage then.

I think it's absurd that oil companies have shown windfalls for the last year and it took the President threatening them to get them to back off even a little bit on fuel price. Food companies are the same, the farmers aren't buying yachts, but the middlemen seem to be doing well. $6 per 1/2 gallon of milk and $7 a pound for hamburger make it real hard on folks with kids. If you squeeze folks hard enough, eventually they grab torches & pitchforks. Common sense, history & self preservation says don't go there.

Getting back to Zeeho, apparently sometimes the Board of Directors son just needs a job he can showcase his Art School degree on...

[Karl Childers]

^ A big +1!

[GlennF]

I think it's absurd that oil companies have shown windfalls for the last year and it took the President threatening them to get them to back off even a little bit on fuel price. Food companies are the same, the farmers aren't buying yachts, but the middlemen seem to be doing well. $6 per 1/2 gallon of milk and $7 a pound for hamburger make it real hard on folks with kids. If you squeeze folks hard enough, eventually they grab torches & pitchforks. Common sense, history & self preservation says don't go there.

but but ... according to neo-liberal economic rationalism if we give those supermarkets and oil companies big tax cuts and government subsidies and eliminate any laws restricting their profits, the trickle down effect will be all those struggling poor people will become millionaires 

[AzCal Retred]

That's why I like it here - always learning something. I only knew it as "Reaganomics". It's funny that the name implies or connotes some connection to "liberal" politics. A win-win: If it succeeds the conservatives are uniters & inclusive, if it crashes somehow it's the "liberals" fault. It's also a great methodology to accelerate social decay, if that's your intent.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/neoliberalism.asp
Neoliberalism: What It Is, With Examples and Pros and Cons
Neoliberalism is a policy model that encompasses both politics and economics. It favors private enterprise and seeks to transfer the control of economic factors from the government to the private sector.
Many neoliberal policies concern the efficient functioning of free market capitalism and focus on limiting government spending, government regulation, and public ownership.
Neoliberalism is often associated with the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, the prime minister of the U.K. from 1979 to 1990 (and leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990) and Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the U.S. from 1981 to 1989.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
The policies of neoliberalism typically support fiscal austerity, deregulation, free trade, privatization, and a reduction in government spending.
Neoliberalism is often associated with the economic policies of Margaret Thatcher in the United Kingdom and Ronald Reagan in the United States.
There are many criticisms of neoliberalism, including its potential danger to democracy, workers’ rights, and sovereign nations’ right to self-determination.
It's also been accused of giving corporations too much power and worsening economic inequality.
However, neoliberal initiatives concerning free trade, industry deregulation, income tax and capital gains tax cuts all had bipartisan support. (Surprise! Big Money protects itself first and nobody likes rules that limit their behavior, especially folks that get to write the rules.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_United_States_Congress_by_wealth#:~:text=As%20of%202020%2C%20over%20half,database%20website%2C%20maintained%20by%20OpenSecrets.
https://ballotpedia.org/Personal_Gain_Index_(U.S._Congress)
>>The average increase in net worth in the Top 100 was 114% per year.[4]
Of the "Top 100", 56 are Republicans, 43 are Democrats and one is an Independent.
In total, the (2004) study looks at 320 Republicans, 296 Democrats and two Independents.<<

Liberalism vs. Neoliberalism
At its core, liberalism is a broad political philosophy. It holds liberty to a high standard and defines all social, economic, and political aspects of society, including the role of government.
Neoliberalism is essentially an economic ideology. The policies of neoliberalism are more narrowly focused and are primarily concerned with markets and the policies and measures that influence the economy.
Criticism of Neoliberalism
There are many criticisms of neoliberalism.
Misguided Free Market Approach to Public Services
One common criticism of neoliberalism is that advocating for a free market approach in areas such as health and education is misguided because these services are public services. Public services are not subject to the same profit motivation as other industries.
More importantly, adopting a free market approach in the areas of health and education can lead to an increase in inequality and the underfunding of resources (health and education) that are necessary for the long-term health and viability of an economy.
Monopolies
The adoption of neoliberal policies in the Western world has run concurrent with a rise in inequality in both wealth and income. While skilled workers may be in a position to command higher wages, low-skilled workers are more likely to see stagnant wages.
Policies associated with neoliberalism tend to encourage the presence of monopolies, which increase the profits of corporations at the expense of benefits to consumers.
Increased Financial Instability
Contrary to what proponents of neoliberalism typically claim, capital deregulation has not necessarily helped economic development. Rather, capital deregulation has led to an increase in financial instability including economic events that, at times, have sent shockwaves around the world.
In fact, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report into neoliberalism reveals that an increase in capital flows has been a factor in the increased risk of adverse economic cycles.
Inequality
Neoliberal policies have been proven to increase inequality.
 This inequality can hinder the long-term growth prospects of an economy. On one end of the spectrum, those who earn a low income have limited spending power. At the same time, those who become richer have a higher propensity to save.
In the latter scenario, wealth doesn't trickle down in the way that proponents of neoliberalism claim that it will.
Globalization
Finally, neoliberalism's emphasis on economic efficiency has encouraged globalization, which opponents see as depriving sovereign nations of the right to self-determination.
Neoliberalism's naysayers also claim that its call to replace government-owned corporations with private ones can reduce efficiency. While privatization may increase productivity, they assert, the improvement may not be sustainable because of the world’s limited geographical space.
In addition, those opposed to neoliberalism add that it is anti-democratic, can lead to exploitation and social injustice, and may criminalize poverty.
What Is Neoliberalism in Simple Terms?
It's an economic model or philosophy that emphasizes that, in a free society, greater economic and social progress can be made when government regulation is minimized, government spending and taxes are reduced, and the government doesn't have strict control over the economy. Neoliberalism does not oppose all government intervention. However, it does wish to see it limited to only when it's necessary to support free markets and free enterprise.
What Are the Effects of Neoliberalism?
Some effects might be freer markets, access to more products and services to meet consumer demand, greater revenue and higher profits. Price reductions due to greater competition can also be an effect. Savings can result from a more efficient allocation of resources. The better organization of workforces and ability to hire needed talent for specific jobs can result from neoliberal policies, as well. Others might point out some of the negative effects believed to be associated with neoliberalism. These could include economic inequality, the growth of monopolies, a lack of job security, the loss of jobs due to outsourcing, and an increasing indifference to the needs and well-being of individuals.
What Is an Example of Neoliberalism?
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is one example. By this agreement, Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. agreed to remove all trade restrictions between their countries to open up trade and increase the economic benefits for each.