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so, senators want to consider a windfall tax on oil companies who've made enormous profits this year. i'm not so convinced. the oil companies respond (rather correctly) that its a market situation. they've had lean times and now they're getting their due. but, if they want free markets, why don't they give back the subsidies? you know, the enormous tax breaks? give 'em back. if they want to benefit from the markets, they ought to make the markets truly free.

same for walmart. their mantra has always been about the efficiency of markets. they decry any sort of union or regulation because it is inefficient. but they too get subsidies. where's the efficiency in that?

incidentally, corporate subsidies (corporate welfare) costs taxpayers considerably more than welfare ever has. so many profitable companies don't pay any taxes. scandalous.

end of bushism. bush learned well from the handlers of reagan. project an image of strong morality and good leadership and voters will back you, regardless of ideology. what happens when you are no longer coated with teflon?

bush and co's mantra "who would have known", just doesn't wash when you consider that all the anti-war protesters knew. duh. the same with katrina and the nahlans levees. they've been saying for years that they needed more money. the administration cut it.

tomdispatch has some good content.