Oil and Water Don't Mix

     Lately, I've seen a lot of posts on social media sites, where people are complaining about their family members or friends being laid off in the oil industry because gas prices have dropped so low. They scold other people for rejoicing over the extra savings in their pockets by saying that they aren't thinking about the "bigger picture": unemployment. So, let's talk about this for a minute. On one hand, I understand the argument, and on the other hand, I simply don't.
     I understand it because it is absolutely logical to argue that unemployment is not a good thing for the economy. This cannot be disputed. We need people working to contribute to overall production and to provide for their families. People should not lose their jobs because gas prices drop to an affordable price for the general public. From personal experience, during the 2008 recession, I was extremely upset that my father was laid off from his job that he had worked his ass off at for over 20 years, simply because the company could hire three young people straight out of college for the same salary that he was making at the time. He was then forced to start over from the ground floor at a completely different job in his 40's, after he started working at the age of 12. So, I understand the anger. I understand wanting things to change for everyday citizens and so our loved ones aren't dispensable and suddenly struggling when they have worked hard their whole lives.
     But here's the part I don't understand. We must ask ourselves: why are low-level employees dispensable to begin with? Is it only because production suddenly drops? Or because the market takes a hit? Or because the company just isn't bringing in enough profit to be able to afford to pay all of its employees anymore? Or is there another, more prominent explanation for it? Why yes, yes there is.
     If any market takes a hit, or production drops on any good/service, then company profit will decline. This seems fairly logical. But why is it that the very first thing that happens is low-level employees lose their jobs? Especially when the CEOs of these companies are making the money that they do? I'm not saying that being the CEO, President, or Vice President of a company is easy or doesn't require a lot of hard work to get the job. I know it generally does. But is it so difficult that it deserves an average of 331 times the salary of the average $35,000/yr worker and 774 times the salary of the minimum wage worker? Just take a look at the reported executive salaries of Exxon (http://www1.salary.com/EXXON-MOBIL-CORP-Executive-Salaries.html):

• Chairman & CEO - $28,138,329
• Senior Vice President - $11,618,518 to $13,520,676 
• Vice President - $10,030,031

     The salaries at other oil corporations are fairly similar. I mean...seriously?!?!?! You're telling me that the oil industry took a hit so badly, gas prices declined so much, and company profits have dropped so low that you immediately have to start laying every day workers off...but the executives are still making the same amount of money they were before declining profits? This is where the problem lies with all of this. Put simply, it's called priorities, people. Every day workers aren't dispensable because of a "bad" economy. Every day workers are dispensable because corporate executives choose their own personal wealth over the betterment of society as a whole and the lives of their workers. Their companies make the profits they do because of every day workers working their asses off for them, but when profits drop, they keep their money and throw the peasants at the bottom out. 

     Yet, again and again and again, the citizens of this country choose to give the government and corporations the power that they have, or at least to turn a blind eye to it as if they don't know it's there to begin with. We fight among ourselves, blame each other for not doing enough or not voting for a particular political party, being a particular race that is just "lazy", etc., opposed to turning our anger towards those that deserve it. These big wigs that are laughing their asses off at you right now.

    So, to all of those that keep posting angry posts about how we all need to stop being so joyful over these low gas prices because it's bad for your family or those you know, you're absolutely wrong. Your argument is watered down, and oil and water don't mix, my friends. Because the real reason that things are bad for your family right now is because of your ignorant thought process and support of a political party that you are absolutely convinced looks out for your best interests, while they are really only concerned about their own personal wealth. Let the rest of us enjoy the low prices since we know that we have to take what measly scraps we can get because people like you with your watered down, illogical arguments exist. Maybe one day, everyone in this country will wake up, realize that this is the real problem, and face these assholes together. But right now, yay for low gas prices!!!! Carry on.