BigOil is evil. That’s something everybody knows. BigOil
co-operates with all kinds of corrupt regimes around the world. When conflicts
escalate towards war, energy prices rice, and BigOil make more money.
I work for BigOil, doing technical work. The scientists and
engineers are good guys. The evil part is taken care of by the corporate-strategy
department.
However, I also own some shares in BigOil. I’ve been
thinking about selling some of my shares for some time (we need the money to
pay for the refurbishing of our house). This week I sold my shares, and the
price was quite good.
The recent increase in the share price is of course due to
the escalating conflict in Ukraine, and on the Crimean peninsula. This means I've
become a war profiteer. That’s no good. What should I do with the added value
of my shares? Donate the excess money to the Salvation Army, or just keep it?
What would you have done?
(The cartoon is from The Moscow Times, which is a very good
and interesting newspaper. I used to get it on the door of my hotel room when I
travelled frequently to Russia. The Moscow Times is published in English.
Therefore it has few readers in Russia, and is basically a newspaper operating
under the radar of Putin’s regime.)
Donation to NU (or Bellona or something if you don't like NU) WITH explanation would be so lovely ironic and funny and sweet.
ReplyDeleteBelona is a good candidate. I like Belona because they have science and insight behind their arguments >:)
DeleteHmmm. Very difficult dilemma. Why not chose the golden mean? You worked hard for your shares, and so deserve all the rewards. On the other hand, there is the moral concern of profiteering from a war and all that connotes. To find the path of the golden mean between the two extremes would suggest that you keep x% of the net profit from the sale of your shares for yourself and chose to donate the remaining y% profit to a cause that's close to your heart - not to prove a moral point, but simply as a way to share.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about computing the value if my shares 1-2 months ago and subtract it from the actual present value, and donate the difference to a good cause >:)
DeleteIt's great that you're thinking of balancing out the bad with the good.
ReplyDeleteWe all have some good sides and some bad sides. I might show the good this time >:)
DeleteSince you're one of the good guys, I'm sure you'll find a good way to spend it. Personally, I like the idea of a good guy ending up with some of the profits. That seems like balance to me.
ReplyDeleteI will end up with some of the profits anyway. I was just thinking of giving away the extra war profits. Anyway, my main issue was just to point out that whenever there is war and conflicts coming up, the oil companies (and some other industries) get an advantage from it. It happens every time.
DeleteBTW, It's not a big amount if money. I only own a few shares, like most people working for BigOil
DeleteI inherited some mineral rights that by the time I got them were basically played out... until 2012 when a new company wanted to lease some of the land and intended to drill. they did and now I am getting more in royalties every month than I make as an artist. It has given me a cushion I never had, some money to fall back on when I can't work or have no more work. As an ardent environmentalist it causes me a considerable amount of conflict even as it has lifted my fear and reduced my stress level.
ReplyDeleteGood for you that you have the mineral claims. It's not a problem that we exploit various natural resources (we have to, to keep a high-tech society going). It's more a question of how we do it. Unfortunately, a large part of the world's natural resources are in corrupt countries. The top three industries when it comes to corruption and war profits are petroleum, mining and weapons (not sure about the order).
ReplyDelete