Why you pay $4/gal of gas.

[OcciferFriendly]

Or, the problem isn't the amount of crude produced, it is the amount of gasoline that is refined that is the problem.

(Hence the suggestion to build more of them)

But let's just keep blaming stuff on the President - it's ALL his fault, isn't it? Ooohhh - and let's complain about "big oil" too.

I always say, never let reality get in the way of a good rant.

[screwballl]

the oil producing states can double the amount they export to us in the US and we would still see the prices climb as they are. Big oil has the investors believeing that some major event will happen that will create a worldwide shortage so they are speculating on whatever in order to keep the price high.
We filled up our Durango yesterday.... $80 at $3.75... If I were to fill up my Suburban at this price it would cost me around $150

[Gig-O-Ram]

Originally Posted by OcciferFriendly

Or, the problem isn't the amount of crude produced, it is the amount of gasoline that is refined that is the problem.

(Hence the suggestion to build more of them)

But let's just keep blaming stuff on the President - it's ALL his fault, isn't it? Ooohhh - and let's complain about "big oil" too.

I always say, never let reality get in the way of a good rant.

So - Why do we even have someone in the position of "President", if he's not going to help the people out? If the economy is so damned important, why would he allow things to get to the point that we see now?

Wait...I know. It's because he doesn't actually care about the people. He's in the pocket of "Big Oil" anyway, and he's so out of touch, that he thinks it would be good for national morale if he gives up golf...what a joke!

So if we don't blame the president or OPEC for what's going on, who do we blame? Oh, right...the oil investors...I forgot. Or maybe it's not even them. Maybe it's someone else bigger than that...

[screwballl]

big oil and investors are the problem...
the president is one man and most of the economy and laws in place are due tot he House or Senate, not from this one man. He doesn't create them or bow to special interests. His very own house on the Bush Ranch in Texas says where he really stands on it all. Why do you think there is this recent big push for alternative fuels?

[OcciferFriendly]

Originally Posted by screwballl

big oil and investors are the problem...

the president is one man and most of the economy and laws in place are due tot he House or Senate, not from this one man. He doesn't create them or bow to special interests. His very own house on the Bush Ranch in Texas says where he really stands on it all. Why do you think there is this recent big push for alternative fuels?

You want to get pissed at somebody, there it is - Congress. They make the rules, the President enforces them.

[screwballl]

true... another thing people may not also realize is that the president and the executive branch may not always agree with some of the laws but it is their job to uphold the law, regardless. They can work to change it but as long as it is on the books they must uphold it.

[IC Diamond 7]

It's not the oil companies and it's not the suppliers.

Ask yourself how much more they are they paying in Europe? maybe 10-20% more over the last few years. The price has doubled in the same time frame in the US.

The price is high because the dollar is worth less, about 1/2 of what is was.

Politicians - 300 billion to to the big agri businesses last week who already have record profits, Bailing out the collapsing home industry, The fed printing money like crazy to bail out their friends in the hedge fund and financial industry banks etc. This is the socialization of big business. Nazi's were Liberals, socialists, like Mussolini it's called the "Third Way" Not Capitalist, not Communist. Tony Blair and bill Clinton were "Third Way" Guys and GWB is also, government is the partner of big business . We are all going to pay and pay, But not to worry the Government will take care of us.

Inflation in of itself is not bad when you have wage inflation to go along with it. (Pay off that mortgage with cheaper dollars) > We do not have wage inflation now. Why? Cheap imported Labor outsourced by the government through illegal immigration(10-20Mil?) depresses wages for the lower income and middle class. Big business profits by holding down wages while the expenses are socialized through free medical, free schooling etc. We pay again.

The Fed pumped so much free money into the financial system most Americans felt rich. Big house, New SUV, Flat Screen TV's Cell, phones, cable tv. - How many people feel rich now? How many think it's going to be better next year?

Through inflation the government has devalued your 401K or any other cash savings by 1/2 in the last 10 years. Would you have voted for any politician if that's what he said he was going to do, Take half of what own?

We are now poor and our riches were an illusion and now we have to pay and we do not have the money while the politicians continue to spend. - We are now all peasants, surfs of the government and big businesses now.

Oil did not get more expensive, the dollar is just worth poop.

[screwballl]

The oil companies are making record profits over whatever they had previously made. Where do those profits come from? The gas pump. the dollar is not so low that they can make these kind of profits without "legal" scams by way of pressuring lobbyists and investors to make the price "appear" high.
They used the first Gulf "war" to get it around $2/gal
They used the second to edge it over $3 and continue to use it to get closer to $4. The cost to extract and pump and ship and refine the crude is maybe 20% higher now than it was 15 years ago. Big oil know the best way to scam more money from the people is to jack up the price at the pump and lobby to have alternative fuel subsidies reduced or blocked from getting federal grants.
So this is the fault on multiple levels, not just one person or one department of our government.

[drew and not u]

Originally Posted by IC Diamond 7

It's not the oil companies and it's not the suppliers.

Ask yourself how much more they are they paying in Europe? maybe 10-20% more over the last few years. The price has doubled in the same time frame in the US.

The price is high because the dollar is worth less, about 1/2 of what is was.

Politicians - 300 billion to to the big agri businesses last week who already have record profits, Bailing out the collapsing home industry, The fed printing money like crazy to bail out their friends in the hedge fund and financial industry banks etc. This is the socialization of big business. Nazi's were Liberals, socialists, like Mussolini it's called the "Third Way" Not Capitalist, not Communist. Tony Blair and bill Clinton were "Third Way" Guys and GWB is also, government is the partner of big business . We are all going to pay and pay, But not to worry the Government will take care of us.

Inflation in of itself is not bad when you have wage inflation to go along with it. (Pay off that mortgage with cheaper dollars) > We do not have wage inflation now. Why? Cheap imported Labor outsourced by the government through illegal immigration(10-20Mil?) depresses wages for the lower income and middle class. Big business profits by holding down wages while the expenses are socialized through free medical, free schooling etc. We pay again.

The Fed pumped so much free money into the financial system most Americans felt rich. Big house, New SUV, Flat Screen TV's Cell, phones, cable tv. - How many people feel rich now? How many think it's going to be better next year?

Through inflation the government has devalued your 401K or any other cash savings by 1/2 in the last 10 years. Would you have voted for any politician if that's what he said he was going to do, Take half of what own?

We are now poor and our riches were an illusion and now we have to pay and we do not have the money while the politicians continue to spend. - We are now all peasants, surfs of the government and big businesses now.

Oil did not get more expensive, the dollar is just worth poop.

Normally I don't involve myself in the political discussions, but I think you're right on target here. Stuff isn't really getting that much more expensive, our money just isn't worth anything these days.

[IC Diamond 7]

For true perspective of why oil is so expensive, begin Googling currency debasement and type in this:
this time is different & harvard
The very first search listing describes several hundred years of economic history. Bottom line, oil is this expensive because our monetary policy has been to debase our currency. Debasing/devaluaing currency is a remedy for governments to indirectly tax it’s citizens because of bad monetary policy and wasteful spending. Speculation is a part of expensive oil but a smaller portion, it was $17 a barrel when price was $110 or roughly 15%. It simply takes more dollars (roughly double in five years) to purchase the same barrel of oil.