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Back to Homepage of LiveReal.org Series on the Big Oil Companies: Complaints about High Gas Prices Oil Execs Lie about Cheney Meeting
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Gas Price Gouging? What is future of American big oil companies as foreign countries kick the US out -- or tax the oil profits (within foreign countries) by 50-90%? -Harold, New Mexico Well what would be so terrible about getting off the carbon based diet? What would be so bad about having leadership that stepped up to the 21st century plate and ask for Americans to suck it up and drive less and take mass transit more? And besides, you don't think creating massive green house gases that alter weather patterns, storm surges and regional climates will have an adverse effect on the American economy. It is not just moral issues I have with gas price gouging. These oil companies and politicians in love with oil and people who cannot think further than beyond one way of doing things are stopping America from progressing further away from Oil. I am glad Bush said we are addicted to Oil but he's a hypocrite because he is one of the reasons for the addiction. We should have seen this years ago --- the funny thing is that people act like they are totally dumb, totally blind to the future when its already written out for them. We all know oil prices will be $4 a gallon this summer just judging from what happened last year. We all know that hurricanes will be bad again this year (hopefully not as bad as last year but the forecasters are normally somewhat right), we all know the Iran mess is going to get worse, we all know that gas is going to go up without all of this happening, and we all damn well know there is global warming. The media is acting surprised but I think its all an act. They try to keep us dumb and it works. They try to keep everyone dumb to act like they are bringing you something newsworthy. If hurricanes start hitting the Gulf again like they did last year then it could get to $5+ a gallon? My point is we should have been finding these alternative oils "yesterday" not today. Why did we ever rely on foreign oil from countries that are always at war is beyond me. Exxon should have been investing money in gas alternatives like Sugar and diesel technology instead of investing in Venezuela. Conoco Phillips should have been spending less money in Russia who will turn their backs on us and we will loose everything we have over there as soon as this Iraq thing gets out of hand-- Conoco should have invested more in Canada. Canada has oil its just harder to get to.
-Duran, Houston I am not certain what answer you are looking for. It seems to me that America would be forced to comply with the same economic situations as other less militarized countries when purchasing oil form other countries. Maybe that is what should happen since the market is supposed to determine price. But traders actually create the prices by projecting how some event might upset the market. But yes. Serious impact on the economy since every package of food, computer and dood-ad is made from petroleum. The reason we are paying so much has nothing to do with demand and instead is happening because of failed diplomatic policies that have created tensions between countries. There is not less oil, only the fear that our supply will be affected. How these fears affect current prices seems to be the weakness in our economic model. Some people are getting really rich off this projected fear. I am paying $3.05 at the pump right now. And the lines are very long at these stations. The other stations are charging $3.19 for the cheapest regular. Premium gas is $3.40 a gallon. Los Angles used to have a top rate mass transit until the tire companies bought up the red line back in the 30's and tore up all the track so cars would dominate instead. Boy do I wish LA still had that red line. Jarod, L.A. Speaking of Venezuela: they just pay 12 cents per gallon for gas there It doesn't really matter what reason they give for the cost of gas...supply and demand, the Chinese are off their bikes and driving more cars, the international market sets the price, hurricanes, we are addicted to oil, etc. etc......it still doesn't explain why the Oil companies are making a record profit. The higher the cost of gas at the pump means the more profit the oil company makes. Furthermore, they are price gouging us at the pump. The Oil companies just say..."we don't set the price.” Gosh, we can't help it if we are getting richer and price gouging everyone. The reason they get richer is: Every time the cost goes up per barrel they raise their price (at the pump) enough to assure themselves the extra profit. If that is not gouging.. Then I do not know what is. For politicians to stand around and say they can't do anything about it is Crap. Keep in mind that all businesses raise prices whenever their costs rise. You cannot blame the oil companies for raising their prices when they see their costs rising and cannot accuse them of price gouging. Some companies have the powers to do this and some don’t --they just go out of business. This will not last forever - you will be feeling sorry for the oil companies when they all go bankrupt because some new alternative will come out that will kill them all. I am not trying to defend the oil companies - I am just saying that any business would do this. The reason I think it is bad is that they are hurting our economy by doing this and hurting very people that keep America going just like everyone else does -- but how can you regulate the oil companies and not regulate everyone else. Their are other businesses that make a lot more profit margins than big oil and deal with day-to-day operations. This is why I think we should tell the biggest players in oil that they will have to invest a certain amount in alternative energy. Everyone should be listening to AIR AMERICA to the ED Shultz show. He has had professors on this week to talk about Ethanol/Corn for/against. You can listen online at AirAmericaRadio.com. -Dave Thomas, Dallas, TX Sorry, folks. I fell off the face of the earth there, for awhile. I've been following the messages with interest, though. To me, the fascinating question this brings out is whether most Americans are truly, at heart, free market capitalists. I would say that, based on most people's reaction to the obscene wealth of these oil executives, the answer is clearly "no." While many folks are uncomfortable with a word like "socialism", we nevertheless feel that, when so many plain-old average Americans are having such a tough time paying at the gas pump, it's wrong for this industry to rake in the bucks just because it can. We live in a capitalist system and we are all, by definition, capitalists, but not that many of us support unrestrained capitalism at its best (or should I say, worst). |
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