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From: lindley@ut-ngp.UUCP (John L. Templer)
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: perpet motion - oil companies hiding plans is self-contradictory
Message-ID: <1489@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 23-Mar-85 23:28:38 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.1489
Posted: Sat Mar 23 23:28:38 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Mar-85 06:26:28 EST
References: <295@ttidcc.UUCP>
Organization: U.Texas Physics Department; Austin, Texas
Lines: 33


> >From: davet@oakhill.UUCP (Dave Trissel)
> >Message-ID: <369@oakhill.UUCP>
> >
> >I've always thought that the ideas about oil companies buying up or
> >otherwise hiding ideas or patents which are so potent as to
> >revolutionize (and thus undermine) their field of activity is
> >self-contradictory. . . . Is there something I'm missing?

> From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath)
> Message-ID: <295@ttidcc.UUCP>
> 
> Yes, the fact that all of these big businesses are economically
> geared  to be  concerned  only  with short-term profits.  They can't
> see past the next quarter's bottom line and can't justify to their
> stockholders taking a loss for  a  year  or two even if it means
> eventual huge profits.

Along the same lines, there was an article in the newspaper today (from
UPI) about what oil companies are doing about their plight due to the
current oil glut.  They are dropping all their holdings in other
industries outside of the oil business, selling or writing off all
those services they got into as a means of diversifying.  In other
words, they are trying to solve their problems with more of the same
type of actions which got them into this mess in the first place.
-- 

                                           John L. Templer
                                     University of Texas at Austin

       {allegra,gatech,seismo!ut-sally,vortex}!ut-ngp!lindley

      "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose."