The Oil Paradox

I can not disagree that oil prices are ever growing due to internal economic growth in the oil producing countries. (More self need= less exportation) or even that there is a declining oil field production, however there is another piece to this equation. Ours is a greed driven economy. Where there is an opportunity to gain a buck so shall it be gained. If oil prices were driven strictly based on export quantiies, then it would stand to reason that Exxon would not then be reporting record breaking profit increases. It seems to me that it would be a much more "break-even" profit report or even a loss. Exxon reported an $11.6 billion quarterly profit and a $40.6 billion annual profit (both are record breaking). If it cost me more to get the oil to the consumer or there was less to be given to the consumer, then it would seem logical that increasing prices would only allow the company to barely break even or even lose money. However, this is not the case. What we are seeing is "Big Oil" shoveling piles of money into executive pockets. I know a driver for Exxon who has not gotten a raise since they began reporting record breaking profits. This, then, interprets to companies raising prices unnecessarily in order to fill the coffers. This is nothing more than price gouging in the worst fashion- Supported by the Governemnt. This works to the benefit of our very own federal government as their take comes from a percentage of the selling price in some instances. Once again, translating to higher prices= more money in the federal coffers.

People who think Dems will get oil prices down need to remember the 1970s. It isn't politics, it's practicality. We need to drill our own oil AS WELL AS do other resources. We're in a period where the George Soros/Mark Rich type commodities traders (the ones who really make money off oil - gas companies make a few cents a gallon at the pump, the rest is refining and oil cost they have to pay) are keeping oil up. Only way to drop the price is to add supply, diversify energy resources, or wait for the oil bubble to pop, and the ommodities folks would lose a lot of meney if that happened so they'd rater keep squeezing us, and they will no matter who is in office unless the market or new drilling corrects the situation.

We will get alternative energy when the oil companies own the means of production .

Oil prices will never go back down. Oil companies know a Democrat is coming to town. They've decided to get the price of gas up as HIGH as they can before Jan 09 -- they think Americans will be USE to paying triple what they were paying back in 2000 before Bush took office. They are probably right. We Americans have been stupid enough to believe their lies and excuses for over 7 years now - we'll continue to do so.

There is no other company that has benefited MORE from having Republicans in charge -- except maybe companies that make military gear.

Let's hope Americans REMEMBER this little tidbit when they go to the voting booth.

Coonsey's View
www.freewebs.com/coonsey

If the U.S. truley wants to stay out of recession it needs to get some control of the oil prices. The common american, who the goverment doesn't have a clue about, does not have any money to spend after fueling his inefficient car((all he can afford) to get to work.. More and more Americans have to drive futher to work at less paying jobs just to feed their familys. The better paying jobs(his old job) have all moved to China.

WE NEED OIL. WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER the current system. WE HAVE NO ConTROl oVER oil compainies there is not transparency. THE same applies to drug companies and insurance companies. We do not know how much they are really making. OBVIOUSLY ENOUGH TO WASTE MILLION LOBBYING government officials. THE ONLY SOLUTION Is ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, HOWEVER that well take twenty years at least. AND even then we will need OIL.

Some should remember that the USA was the #1 supplier of oil to the world until the early 60's. The companies which first tapped into this resource are pretty much the same ones who develop new fields, run the existing ones, and got rich and amazingly powerful from the old oil fields. In what playbook does it say that these companies should do anything but maximize their profits. I think it is pretty obvious that they are not in business to reduce the price of oil or give it to the needy. It also must be said that they have nothing to gain by supporting conservation or alternative energy. The only way that the problems associated with oil, pollution, global warming, inflation, war, etc. can be addressed is if we accept that hard choices must be made. Until we accept personal responsibility for making a change away from an oil powered world we will be help hostage every day at the pump. And here is a sobering thought. We may have already have reached peak oil (we can not produce any more per year than we currently do) and demand is only growing. Yes, oil may go down a little but don't expect that to last. We have seen the last of cheep oil.

Some should remember that the USA was the #1 supplier of oil to the world until the early 60's. The companies which first tapped into this resource are pretty much the same ones who develop new fields, run the existing ones, and got rich and amazingly powerful from the old oil fields. In what playbook does it say that these companies should do anything but maximize their profits. I think it is pretty obvious that they are not in business to reduce the price of oil or give it to the needy. It also must be said that they have nothing to gain by supporting conservation or alternative energy. The only way that the problems associated with oil, pollution, global warming, inflation, war, etc. can be addressed is if we accept that hard choices must be made. Until we accept personal responsibility for making a change away from an oil powered world we will be help hostage every day at the pump. And here is a sobering thought. We may have already have reached peak oil (we can not produce any more per year than we currently do) and demand is only growing. Yes, oil may go down a little but don't expect that to last. We have seen the last of cheep oil.