MB Civic

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1224-21.htm

Wonderful piece – highly recommend reading the whole thing. A sample…

In spite of the fact that heating oil prices have doubled over the past few years, the federal fuel assistance program faces a one-third cut this year, from $3.1 billion to $2.1 billion. Washington earns windfall tax revenues from the rising prices of petroleum products, but not a cent goes to offset rising energy costs for the poor. Nor do the poor benefit from increased royalties on gas and oil taken from federal lands and waters — if, in fact, the energy companies pay the government at all.

Criticism of our program isn’t about cheap heating oil. It’s all about Hugo. While conservative interests in this country don’t like him, US businesses don’t mind his money and his marketplace.

Otherwise, why would General Motors and Ford sell more than 300,000 cars a year in Venezuela? Why would Chevron Texaco, Exxon Mobil, Shell, and other major corporations — including Vice President Cheney’s old firm, Halliburton — invest and earn billions every year off of petroleum exploration, production, refining, and transportation in the country? Why would US insurance companies, banks, telecom firms, entertainment conglomerates, and consumer product manufacturers flock to our Latin American neighbor?…

..So, sure, we’ll distribute Hugo’s oil. Doing so is called compassionate capitalism. Right now, our country’s vulnerable families fend for themselves, while the well-to-do can afford to throw snowballs at our program from the security of their warm homes and offices.

I bet the oligarchs are angry at the current administration for going to Iraq and taking their eye off the ball in South America .. can’t let those ex-colonies start thinking for themselves.
-MAB