Well, you can stop worrying about this sector of the economy. From the BBC we learn that this little corner of capitalism is running just fine:
Exxon Mobil made a profit of $14.83bn (£8.97bn) between July and September, smashing its own record for the highest quarterly profit by a US company.
And of course, some of that cash is trickling down.
Massive profits ...have also allowed Exxon to distribute significant cash to shareholders - it paid out $2.1bn in dividends over the quarter.
It will be interesting to see the level of outrage around these outsized-profits. In a time when Americans are losing their houses, their jobs, their credit, their banking system - basically when their whole way of life is threatened - the oil companies, running amuck with government-sponsored tax breaks and little regulation are pocketing huge profits.
Will people still be cheering "Drill, baby, drill?"