As a worker at a company in the 'oil major' space, this is happening a lot of places rn. Writing has been on the wall, if your US role is capable of being effectively done remotely, doesn't require in depth knowledge of local operations, or some truly unique expertise, outsourcing is inevitable.

Glad I retired from that business. I worked for a single company for nearly 33 years. There were always boom and bust cycles. It seems to me today the industry is just harvesting what they have. And the big companies like Chevron and Exxon have to try to find big reserves around the world. Will the Permian Basin really hold on for another 200 years?

BQAg09 said:

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It's likely mainly corporate / administrative staff. Drilling is usually contracted out, so not going to do as much - just don't re-up that rig. Drilling budgets and rig counts are determined on a yearly basis. Refining is what it is. You have to have a certain number of people to run a plant and can't really go below that. They're probably running as efficiently as they can.

---

Thank you for the response. Much appreciated

bkag9824 said:

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TheEternalOptimist said:

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Dan Scott said:

---

There are 127 job postings at Chevron.

9 in the USA
73 in India
19 in Argentina

---

This is RIDICULOUS ^.

I work for SAP. And if I leave my job.... my replacement will be in India or the Philippines. They will not hire for my dept in the US, Canada, or Western Europe anymore.

Companies should have the opportunity to reduce, significantly, their corporate tax burden and payroll tax burden, by keeping employees here at home in America.

---

The offshoring of personnel is a direct result of corporations being required to squeeze every bit of profitability out of their operations. Make records profits and have tons of cash to invest? Cool. But you didn't beat your competitors TSR, so now you have to pull levers to meet the expectations of Wall Street. How dare you use that profit to, oh I don't know, invest in exploration activities to replace reserves instead of buying back stock?

The company used to speak about free cashflow and net profit. Now they only talk about total shareholder return due to lack of investment, which can be pointed squarely back at the nonsense green initiatives that were all the craze for a while.

Capitalism is good no doubt. But arbitrary metrics of growth that determine a company's "worth" leads to this type of behavior.

And no, Trump won't fix this. His policies, while good for energy independence, are actually contradictory to O&G profits unless they truly remove a lot of excess and overburdensome regulations. But even then, the net result is more product hitting the market, resulting in lower commodity prices further squeezing margins.

And no, Chevron isn't hiring all these people back by the end of the year. They are offshoring a lot of positions and will continue to do so until the average American employee is as cheap as offshore labor for routine tasks. There's a lot of redundancy in the company, and they're trying to standardize and streamline as much as they can. Not saying it's the best idea for American jobs, but it's sorely needed from an operational and executorial perspective in most functions. Lots of old timers that can't learn new tricks fast enough to pivot and adapt to things like AI, or still can't bring themselves to actually trust their employees to make effective decisions in an expedient manner without a lot of meddling.

---

"they truly remove a lot of excess and overburdensome regulations."
There is hope, during President Trump's 1st term they set a goal of eliminating 2 regulations for every 1 introduced but they eliminated 8 regulations for every 1 introduced as of a report on Jan 19, 2021.

stock up 33per cent.. Berkshire boyght more last weeek -- its 4th largest holding

Tom Fox said:

---

infinity ag said:

---

Dan Scott said:

---

There are 127 job postings at Chevron.

9 in the USA
73 in India
19 in Argentina

---

hahhahhahah

I hope you all are smart enough to see the scam.
We are getting ripped off in America. The CEO gets rich. Indians have jobs and they get rich.

We get on food stamps and welfare. So much for "US style capitalism" and "free markets" that everyone sings praises of.

---

This sounds exactly like free market capitalism to me. I absolutely want companies maximizing profits for their investors. It is their fiduciary duty.

If you are truly exceptional you will have a job. If not, why shouldn't a business employ the cheapest person that can perform the work

---

This is pretty short sided and does not promote growth and entrepreneural behavior.

This is not a new problem in fact you can trace the problem back to 1812. You had the war hawks wanting to expand west vs the entrenched industry of the east coast (fishing, textiles, and logging). The big industry wanted to stay buddy buddy to England because they buttered their biscuit. The war hawks wanted to open up the frontier and move out of the slums of the big city making pennies on the dollar for the big industries.

Now any true American would say the wrong hawks were right and that the entrenched bureaucrats of big industry in the northeast were wrong.

bkag9824 said:

---

TheEternalOptimist said:

---

Dan Scott said:

---

There are 127 job postings at Chevron.

9 in the USA
73 in India
19 in Argentina

---

This is RIDICULOUS ^.

I work for SAP. And if I leave my job.... my replacement will be in India or the Philippines. They will not hire for my dept in the US, Canada, or Western Europe anymore.

Companies should have the opportunity to reduce, significantly, their corporate tax burden and payroll tax burden, by keeping employees here at home in America.

---

The offshoring of personnel is a direct result of corporations being required to squeeze every bit of profitability out of their operations. Make records profits and have tons of cash to invest? Cool. But you didn't beat your competitors TSR, so now you have to pull levers to meet the expectations of Wall Street. How dare you use that profit to, oh I don't know, invest in exploration activities to replace reserves instead of buying back stock?

The company used to speak about free cashflow and net profit. Now they only talk about total shareholder return due to lack of investment, which can be pointed squarely back at the nonsense green initiatives that were all the craze for a while.

Capitalism is good no doubt. But arbitrary metrics of growth that determine a company's "worth" leads to this type of behavior.

And no, Trump won't fix this. His policies, while good for energy independence, are actually contradictory to O&G profits unless they truly remove a lot of excess and overburdensome regulations. But even then, the net result is more product hitting the market, resulting in lower commodity prices further squeezing margins.

And no, Chevron isn't hiring all these people back by the end of the year. They are offshoring a lot of positions and will continue to do so until the average American employee is as cheap as offshore labor for routine tasks. There's a lot of redundancy in the company, and they're trying to standardize and streamline as much as they can. Not saying it's the best idea for American jobs, but it's sorely needed from an operational and executorial perspective in most functions. Lots of old timers that can't learn new tricks fast enough to pivot and adapt to things like AI, or still can't bring themselves to actually trust their employees to make effective decisions in an expedient manner without a lot of meddling.

---

Do what tech companies do....go private for 2 years...clean up the business and then go public again.

Worked for Michael Dell. He profited on both ends...

Lol...

texagbeliever said:

---

Tom Fox said:

---

infinity ag said:

---

Dan Scott said:

---

There are 127 job postings at Chevron.

9 in the USA
73 in India
19 in Argentina

---

hahhahhahah

I hope you all are smart enough to see the scam.
We are getting ripped off in America. The CEO gets rich. Indians have jobs and they get rich.

We get on food stamps and welfare. So much for "US style capitalism" and "free markets" that everyone sings praises of.

---

This sounds exactly like free market capitalism to me. I absolutely want companies maximizing profits for their investors. It is their fiduciary duty.

If you are truly exceptional you will have a job. If not, why shouldn't a business employ the cheapest person that can perform the work

---

This is pretty short sided and does not promote growth and entrepreneural behavior.

This is not a new problem in fact you can trace the problem back to 1812. You had the war hawks wanting to expand west vs the entrenched industry of the east coast (fishing, textiles, and logging). The big industry wanted to stay buddy buddy to England because they buttered their biscuit. The war hawks wanted to open up the frontier and move out of the slums of the big city making pennies on the dollar for the big industries.

Now any true American would say the wrong hawks were right and that the entrenched bureaucrats of big industry in the northeast were wrong.

---

Then the warhawks can go west and open their own businesses and run them how they see fit.

That was my plan too.

Tom Fox said:

---

texagbeliever said:

---

Tom Fox said:

---

infinity ag said:

---

Dan Scott said:

---

There are 127 job postings at Chevron.

9 in the USA
73 in India
19 in Argentina

---

hahhahhahah

I hope you all are smart enough to see the scam.
We are getting ripped off in America. The CEO gets rich. Indians have jobs and they get rich.

We get on food stamps and welfare. So much for "US style capitalism" and "free markets" that everyone sings praises of.

---

This sounds exactly like free market capitalism to me. I absolutely want companies maximizing profits for their investors. It is their fiduciary duty.

If you are truly exceptional you will have a job. If not, why shouldn't a business employ the cheapest person that can perform the work

---

This is pretty short sided and does not promote growth and entrepreneural behavior.

This is not a new problem in fact you can trace the problem back to 1812. You had the war hawks wanting to expand west vs the entrenched industry of the east coast (fishing, textiles, and logging). The big industry wanted to stay buddy buddy to England because they buttered their biscuit. The war hawks wanted to open up the frontier and move out of the slums of the big city making pennies on the dollar for the big industries.

Now any true American would say the wrong hawks were right and that the entrenched bureaucrats of big industry in the northeast were wrong.

---

Then the warhawks can go west and open their own businesses and run them how they see fit.

That was my plan too.

---

You are missing the part where the war hawks had to fight the industry who were actively trying to prevent you from doing that.

It is like saying I should be able to open up a restaurant but a company with the means of Amazon decides it isn't in their best interest for me to do that so they use their funds to prevent that. Big corporations are just as susceptible to beauracratic behavior as government. That is why they spend so many $$s lobbying.

BigJim49 AustinNowDallas said:

---

stock up 33per cent.. Berkshire boyght more last weeek -- its 4th largest holding

---

BigJim, did you really graduate in 1949? Or does that number refer to something else?

Mr. Fingerbottom said:

---

O&G is dialing back quite a bit

No more artificial demand spikes from crazy lib policy & the uke-Russia death parade/money theft joint venture is coming to an end now that the goat is back in charge

---

Just say "Biden's fault"

texagbeliever said:

---

Tom Fox said:

---

texagbeliever said:

---

Tom Fox said:

---

infinity ag said:

---

Dan Scott said:

---

There are 127 job postings at Chevron.

9 in the USA
73 in India
19 in Argentina

---

hahhahhahah

I hope you all are smart enough to see the scam.
We are getting ripped off in America. The CEO gets rich. Indians have jobs and they get rich.

We get on food stamps and welfare. So much for "US style capitalism" and "free markets" that everyone sings praises of.

---

This sounds exactly like free market capitalism to me. I absolutely want companies maximizing profits for their investors. It is their fiduciary duty.

If you are truly exceptional you will have a job. If not, why shouldn't a business employ the cheapest person that can perform the work

---

This is pretty short sided and does not promote growth and entrepreneural behavior.

This is not a new problem in fact you can trace the problem back to 1812. You had the war hawks wanting to expand west vs the entrenched industry of the east coast (fishing, textiles, and logging). The big industry wanted to stay buddy buddy to England because they buttered their biscuit. The war hawks wanted to open up the frontier and move out of the slums of the big city making pennies on the dollar for the big industries.

Now any true American would say the wrong hawks were right and that the entrenched bureaucrats of big industry in the northeast were wrong.

---

Then the warhawks can go west and open their own businesses and run them how they see fit.

That was my plan too.

---

You are missing the part where the war hawks had to fight the industry who were actively trying to prevent you from doing that.

It is like saying I should be able to open up a restaurant but a company with the means of Amazon decides it isn't in their best interest for me to do that so they use their funds to prevent that. Big corporations are just as susceptible to beauracratic behavior as government. That is why they spend so many $$s lobbying.

---

There is still more opportunity here than anywhere else. Businesses should behave in whatever manner they deem to be in their best interest.

Rockdoc said:

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FlyRod said:

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Dan Scott said:

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Wow that's a huge amount of people. 57% of their employees are in the U.S. so assuming most of the cuts will be there meaning a lot of Houstonians. It's dangerous to be an O&G employee even in the OK periods.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chevron-announces-15-20-layoff-global-workforce-source-says-2025-02-12/

---

Companies typically start layoffs when a particularly dire economic downturn is coming. They often get data well in advance of the general public.

---

Yeah Biden really did a number on them. Trump will bring it back.

---

I remember a lot of businesses that made it all the way through COVID and failed as everything was getting back to normal.....

Okay let's play this out. It is say always cheaper to hire overseas individuals. So companies outsource everyone but executives. That means all the wealth is being concentrated in just a few hands and all the wealth is being extracted from America. That will suck value out of America and give it to another country. The rich executives then move to a country with better conditions.

I'm not saying socialism is better. But mechanisms that prevent big corporations from destroying society are a reason to have a government.

texagbeliever said:

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Okay let's play this out. It is say always cheaper to hire overseas individuals. So companies outsource everyone but executives. That means all the wealth is being concentrated in just a few hands and all the wealth is being extracted from America. That will suck value out of America and give it to another country. The rich executives then move to a country with better conditions.

I'm not saying socialism is better. But mechanisms that prevent big corporations from destroying society are a reason to have a government.

---

This will not happen. There will always be jobs that cannot be as successfully outsourced and always American starting their own businesses.

It may end up further stratifying our society, but generation gets a lottery ticket at birth. Some generations may have had more opportunity, others less, but you can still come from nothing and be wildly successful in America. Most millionaires are self made, not inherited. And if you do not make it big, your kids will get their chance.

And it will not always be cheaper. If you remove our entitlements, qualified Americans will compete for those jobs. Our government utilizes a bunch of tactics to remove meritocracy from both the opportunity and outcome sides of the equation.

First they came for the call center jobs. I didn't work in call center so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for manufacturing jobs. I didn't work in shift work so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for the IT jobs. I didn't work IT so I didn't say anything.
Theny they came for the accountants. I didn't work in accounting so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for analysts, supply chain, marketing, contract admin, engineering...
And there was no one left to stand up and fight with me when they came for my job.

Truth is if all the big firms are outsourcing entrance jobs they are disenfranchising a generation of the workforce. That will have crime and society implications. It is evident by how hard it is for engineers, IT, etc to even get jobs now.

texagbeliever said:

---

First they came for the call center jobs. I didn't work in call center so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for manufacturing jobs. I didn't work in shift work so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for the IT jobs. I didn't work IT so I didn't say anything.
Theny they came for the accountants. I didn't work in accounting so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for analysts, supply chain, marketing, contract admin, engineering...
And there was no one left to stand up and fight with me when they came for my job.

Truth is if all the big firms are outsourcing entrance jobs they are disenfranchising a generation of the workforce. That will have crime and society implications. It is evident by how hard it is for engineers, IT, etc to even get jobs now.

---

This right here!! And they only hire people that look like them and it's protected because diversity.

texagbeliever said:

---

First they came for the call center jobs. I didn't work in call center so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for manufacturing jobs. I didn't work in shift work so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for the IT jobs. I didn't work IT so I didn't say anything.
Theny they came for the accountants. I didn't work in accounting so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for analysts, supply chain, marketing, contract admin, engineering...
And there was no one left to stand up and fight with me when they came for my job.

Truth is if all the big firms are outsourcing entrance jobs they are disenfranchising a generation of the workforce. That will have crime and society implications. It is evident by how hard it is for engineers, IT, etc to even get jobs now.

---

Ironically, that is my clientele and it is booming. People seem to find a way to pay for their health and their freedom regardless of their economic circumstances.

Look, I am for the free market. The impediments of DEI and AA were noticeable when applying for colleges and jobs. Having overcome that, now the government wants to tax my economic class and give it to those that failed to succeed to keep the torches and pitchforks at bay.

That is not the role of the government. And it is not the role of the government to dictate to businesses whether they can or should maximize their profits and returns to investors.

I pay my people some of the highest salaries in my area and industry. Why? Because I have found that to be valuable in making my business profitable. Having the very best has value in my business. But if my business could make more with slightly lower quality people and consequently lower salaries, that is my concern and mine alone.

VP at Pierce and Pierce said:

---

texagbeliever said:

---

First they came for the call center jobs. I didn't work in call center so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for manufacturing jobs. I didn't work in shift work so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for the IT jobs. I didn't work IT so I didn't say anything.
Theny they came for the accountants. I didn't work in accounting so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for analysts, supply chain, marketing, contract admin, engineering...
And there was no one left to stand up and fight with me when they came for my job.

Truth is if all the big firms are outsourcing entrance jobs they are disenfranchising a generation of the workforce. That will have crime and society implications. It is evident by how hard it is for engineers, IT, etc to even get jobs now.

---

This right here!! And they only hire people that look like them and it's protected because diversity.

---

I do the exact same thing.

NPH- said:

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HoustonAg9999 said:

---

learn to code

---

Isn't AI quickly making this obsolete?

---

It's definitely making it more efficient.

Tom Fox said:

---

texagbeliever said:

---

First they came for the call center jobs. I didn't work in call center so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for manufacturing jobs. I didn't work in shift work so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for the IT jobs. I didn't work IT so I didn't say anything.
Theny they came for the accountants. I didn't work in accounting so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for analysts, supply chain, marketing, contract admin, engineering...
And there was no one left to stand up and fight with me when they came for my job.

Truth is if all the big firms are outsourcing entrance jobs they are disenfranchising a generation of the workforce. That will have crime and society implications. It is evident by how hard it is for engineers, IT, etc to even get jobs now.

---

Ironically, that is my clientele and it is booming. People seem to find a way to pay for their health and their freedom regardless of their economic circumstances.

Look, I am for the free market. The impediments of DEI and AA were noticeable when applying for colleges and jobs. Having overcome that, now the government wants to tax my economic class and give it to those that failed to succeed to keep the torches and pitchforks at bay.

That is not the role of the government. And it is not the role of the government to dictate to businesses whether they can or should maximize their profits and returns to investors.

I pay my people some of the highest salaries in my area and industry. Why? Because I have found that to be valuable in making my business profitable. Having the very best has value in my business. But if my business could make more with slightly lower quality people and consequently lower salaries, that is my concern and mine alone.

---

I would have agreed with you 100% in high school - a few years out of college. Then I evolved to realize free market and capitalism aren't this universal "good". Bureaucracy can take place in business and is just as dangerous as in government.

Pfizer, Moderna, and big corporations push DEI and vaccines just as much as the government. Once you realize there isn't really a difference between big business and big government you will become less rah rah free market. Just look at the boards for Pfizer (full of FDA people). Look at how the banks manipulated the rating agencies to cause the surprise mortgage crisis. Those weren't government failures as much as they were big company problems.

Tom Fox said:

---

VP at Pierce and Pierce said:

---

texagbeliever said:

---

First they came for the call center jobs. I didn't work in call center so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for manufacturing jobs. I didn't work in shift work so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for the IT jobs. I didn't work IT so I didn't say anything.
Theny they came for the accountants. I didn't work in accounting so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for analysts, supply chain, marketing, contract admin, engineering...
And there was no one left to stand up and fight with me when they came for my job.

Truth is if all the big firms are outsourcing entrance jobs they are disenfranchising a generation of the workforce. That will have crime and society implications. It is evident by how hard it is for engineers, IT, etc to even get jobs now.

---

This right here!! And they only hire people that look like them and it's protected because diversity.

---

I do the exact same thing.

---

But do you hire people and use their green card or visa status as a bargaining chip to pay them low wages? All too common practice.

I have never worked in corporate America, so I have no frame of reference. I spent almost two decades in government and now 7 years in a small business.

I know I do not want the government to touch a thing outside of infrastructure, military, criminal justice, diplomacy and other public good endeavors. It is rotten to the core. Having them involved in my business management is a non starter and I have a hard time seeing the benefit to the owners and investors in corporate America with having the feds directly involved with their business management.

VP at Pierce and Pierce said:

---

Tom Fox said:

---

VP at Pierce and Pierce said:

---

texagbeliever said:

---

First they came for the call center jobs. I didn't work in call center so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for manufacturing jobs. I didn't work in shift work so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for the IT jobs. I didn't work IT so I didn't say anything.
Theny they came for the accountants. I didn't work in accounting so I didn't say anything.
Then they came for analysts, supply chain, marketing, contract admin, engineering...
And there was no one left to stand up and fight with me when they came for my job.

Truth is if all the big firms are outsourcing entrance jobs they are disenfranchising a generation of the workforce. That will have crime and society implications. It is evident by how hard it is for engineers, IT, etc to even get jobs now.

---

This right here!! And they only hire people that look like them and it's protected because diversity.

---

I do the exact same thing.

---

But do you hire people and use their green card or visa status as a bargaining chip to pay them low wages? All too common practice.

---

F no I don't do that. I hire the best people and so far that has always been a white male attorney.

If you guys want to restrict who can come here to work. Giddy up! I support you. But a business should be free to offshore its operations if it is more profitable for them and deal with tariffs or whatever other problems associated with doing that.

But they should be free to hire whomever they want that is legally in the US and the government should remove entitlements that skew the wage market.

Both big business and big government act to preserve and expand their power.

Look small business is so hard and difficult in part BECAUSE big business is writing the regulations to limit their competition. Healthcare insurance....barrier to entry. OSHA... barrier to entry. Employment diversity lawsuits... barrier to entry.

texagbeliever said:

---

Both big business and big government act to preserve and expand their power.

Look small business is so hard and difficult in part BECAUSE big business is writing the regulations to limit their competition. Healthcare insurance....barrier to entry. OSHA... barrier to entry. Employment diversity lawsuits... barrier to entry.

---

Again, there is no big business of criminal defense firms. The major firms may have white collar practices, but my firm if one of the largest in my market doing general criminal defense and we are the ones sucking up the market share now. So I have zero experience with the majors being able to stop start ups in my industry.

We opened 7 years ago and were competing mainly against solo practitioners where attorney merit allowed us to achieve market supremacy. Now, we have more dollars and are able to outspend the others in marketing which further cements our position. How is this not capitalism?

A new startup wouldn't have as permissive a market as I did 7 years ago when several older excellent attorneys exited my market. But that shouldn't require government intrusion to level the playing field. Didn't all of these major corporations do the same thing when they started? Obviously there should be anti-trust enforcement, but absent that I do not really see the place for government.

Look you are in a niche field. But practice some empathy to understand how others would be impacted. Then think how there change of outcome Will impact society. Then ask is that the society you want.

Note empathy =! Sympathy as the left have come to misuse that word.

BigOil said:

---

FTACo88-FDT24dad said:

---

No industry hides the incompetence of its CEOs and BoD by gutting employees like the O&G industry. I have been watching it from the inside since 1998 and it never changes.

---

Since 97 for me. The problem is we are a long term resource depletion investment company that has to manage to the whims of quarterly reporting and the knee jerking of spot oil and gas prices. That presents conflicts that leads to the reality that occurs. That said there's always horrible mgmt and the reliance of just regurgitating what BCG or McKinsey tells you in terms of what to do.

---

BCG has a good strategy. Anytime Shell BP XOM CVX brings them in to benchmark, all they do is flip the quartile ranks with the LTIP competitors to make everyone thing they are lagging behind. Then the operator will ask them 'what is different between them and us?'

Then you have this new operating model

texagbeliever said:

---

Look you are in a niche field. But practice some empathy to understand how others would be impacted. Then think how there change of outcome Will impact society. Then ask is that the society you want.

Note empathy =! Sympathy as the left have come to misuse that word.

---

I spent the majority of my government/public service career either training for or using violence against others. I spent many years in austere and dangerous third world environments. I also grew up poor, so I am very familiar with that lifestyle and pitfalls.

I am not a particularly emotional or empathetic person. I highly value skill, drive, competence, intelligence, and perseverance. I have failed many times in my life and pushed onward. I deeply love and am loyal to my friends and family. That is who I care about. Nobody else.

I want a strict meritocracy and do not want to pay for people that fail, for whatever reason.

The one area where I waiver on this philosophy is access to quality public education. I am willing to pay for that so others can change their circumstances. But you and I know there is only a small subset with the IQ to take advantage of that.

My younger brother went to prison for drug trafficking at 19 and has afterwards opened his own fabrication shop and is now in the top 1%. Both of us come from an uneducated, low income, single parent household and my mom succeeded in going 2 for 2 with her boys. The common denominator: we will do anything, move anywhere, and take whatever risk is necessary to make it. And if we fail we will do it all over again until we succeed.

I am convinced that when people fail that it was because of weaknesses inherent to them. I hear people all the time tell me: I won't do that, that is beneath me. I won't move there. I'd rather have less opportunity here where I like it than move to that shlt hole. Or my favorite, I am afraid of failing. None of that is my problem.

Meritocracy is a good goal. I'm just saying businesses, especially those with the purse to influence our politicians and high level government employees also oppose meritocracy.

Should success be based on how much capital a company has to dispense or based on the idea and value of the products produced? Because if the latter that requires a more nuanced system then free market capitalism. Power left unchecked whether government or not is generally a source of bad.

Other examples would be how cigarette companies influenced the FDA. How our food and beverage companies influence the FDA. We saw how Pfizer bought influence via pointless advertisements on all major news networks.

texagbeliever said:

---

Meritocracy is a good goal. I'm just saying businesses, especially those with the purse to influence our politicians and high level government employees also oppose meritocracy.

Should success be based on how much capital a company has to dispense or based on the idea and value of the products produced? Because if the latter that requires a more nuanced system then free market capitalism. Power left unchecked whether government or not is generally a source of bad.

Other examples would be how cigarette companies influenced the FDA. How our food and beverage companies influence the FDA. We saw how Pfizer bought influence via pointless advertisements on all major news networks.

---

I understand but believe that we are currently closer to govt mandated socialism than the ideal amount of government involvement in business. Until the federal government is pared back to the founders intent, I will push for pure meritocracy. Only then can we add back some small and carefully measured government intrusion.

But honestly, it does not matter what I want. Your version is winning and we will slide inextricably towards more socialism and more governmental control in our lives. I just want you to look in the mirror and stop telling yourself that your viewpoint is conservative. If you can live with that, that is what matters. I could not.

Edit: I never smoked and did not get the covid vaccine. I am capable of doing my own research and making my own decisions. Free speech is key. I am also willing to accept the consequences of my decisions when I am wrong without looking to daddy government to rescue me.

I was fired from a big corporation may of 2022 for not getting the covid jab. I also refused to fill out a religious exemption because I didn't feel that should be required. I was capable of working fully remote so it was purely a political stunt.

Pure meritocracy is libertarian not conservative. So technically you are the one arguing on non-conservative principles.

Conservative takes many aspects of a meritocracy but also factors in the impacts on society.

texagbeliever said:

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I was fired from a big corporation may of 2022 for not getting the covid jab. I also refused to fill out a religious exemption because I didn't feel that should be required. I was capable of working fully remote so it was purely a political stunt.

Pure meritocracy is libertarian not conservative. So technically you are the one arguing on non-conservative principles.

Conservative takes many aspects of a meritocracy but also factors in the impacts on society.

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That blows. And it should have been the role of government to stop that because it violated your constitutional rights. However, in 2022 the government was pushing the same agenda on its employees. My best friend at HSI and his fellow conservatives were told he would be fired if he did not get vaccinated.

If our government continues on the path it was on after Trump leaves office, it will be the government mandating things like that. That cannot happen with a small, hands off central government.

Fortunately in the free market, you have the ability to go work somewhere that did not require it or open your own shop adn run it however you want. I know that answer still sucks, but government overreach will eliminate that option.

When you make XOM seem agile this isn't a surprising outcome.

Lots of opportunities to improve operations for CVX. They better hope the Hess deal goes through so they get access to Guyana. The Venezuela access isn't producing as hoped.

FlyRod said:

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Dan Scott said:

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Wow that's a huge amount of people. 57% of their employees are in the U.S. so assuming most of the cuts will be there meaning a lot of Houstonians. It's dangerous to be an O&G employee even in the OK periods.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chevron-announces-15-20-layoff-global-workforce-source-says-2025-02-12/

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Companies typically start layoffs when a particularly dire economic downturn is coming. They often get data well in advance of the general public.

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Is it not possible that with the price of gas and oil going DOWN because of Trump policies.

there are less profits for O&G companies...

hence they have to cut back on employees?