So, you think the gas prices are market-driven? That quarter after quarter of unprecedented billions of "profits" were just the market reacting to supply and demand? The price gouging we have been the victims of, shows up nearly dollar for dollar as windfall "profits". And you think this proves what?
I don't think that gasoline prices are market-driven. I know they are. How do I know they are? Because there are dozens of markets the world over, and high oil prices hit everyone.
Further, if it was not market-driven, then why would the oil companies have waited the last 50 years of oil production, to suddenly boost the price of oil (shockingly) when the supply went down, and the demand went up? <sarcasm>What an amazing coincidence.</sarcasm>
There was no, and is no price gouging. The price of oil is determined in the world commodities market. If you know anything about free markets, and supply & demand, then you'd understand that. The company who produces the oil, has no control over how much that oil sells for. If they did, why would they ever allow the price of a barrel of oil drop to $65 dollars, from $150? Gasoline refineries have no control over how much they must pay for a barrel of oil, or they'd never have allowed it to reach $150 to begin with.
It's called... supply... and... demand. It's economics 101. Why do you not know this?
Your $2.10 fill-up is a SMOKING FREAKING GUN and clear evidence that fuel prices are set by something other than market forces. I won't stoop to invite you to shut up but I would politely invite you to wake up.
You are proving ignorance in this discussion. Perhaps you should shut up. Or at least learn something about the topic before speaking. The idea that $2.10 proves market forces are not at work, is about as logical as claiming a $5 Wendy's combo proves ... I don't know what you think it would prove really. The argument is insane.
In the absence of your ability to follow an obvious conclusion, the "plan" is to study why mega-corporations with unlimited financial resources continually receive unlimited tax-credits, subsidies, bail-outs and freebies. Their predatory competitive practices lock small businesses out, this is not free market competition it is bullying, the "plan" is to acknowledge that this is going on and stop it.
If a gallon of gas being $2.10 leads you to a conclusion on anything, then I'm glad I don't have your version of 'logic'.
Name one mega-corporation that has "unlimited" financial resources. I bet you all the money you have ever earned, it isn't unlimited. Same with tax-credits. You name the corporation, and I wager I can get a statement about how much taxes they paid. There are million of small businesses! The small business administration and the US Census Bureau both have numbers on this. If you were right, there would be no small business. Clearly you are wrong! You can say it again, it's still wrong.
The financial giants abused relaxed regulations to generate fee income from bad loans, this was not an act driven by liberal socialists, it was a simple case of greed and when the ponzi scheme collapsed, they are capable of running an $800 billion bail-out through congress in WEEKS, during an election year! The "plan" here is to acknowledge that this was not caused by capitalist free-market forces, but by collusion and manipulation. The "Plan" is to identify those responsible and take them to task for placing greed over preserving a proven credit-model.
The financial giants were pushed to offer bad loans. You want to blame businesses for doing what government prodded them to do? Do you want the exact legislation where the liberals in government pushed for this? I will be happy to post it. Er.. the government pushed for the bailout far more than the private sector.
I can buy this. Ok, those responsible are in government. Let's send them all to jail, and put new people in there. Then, stop the government from interfering with the market causing this stuff. Also, let's teach our citizens how bad burrowing money is, and then we won't have to worry about it.
There is no screaming, yelling and fretting here my friend, this is a thoughtful and accurate commentary aimed at the real enemies. Falling into the usual comfortable trap of blathering about screaming liberals this, or bellyaching socialists that, is just a predictable regurgitation of so-called conservative "values", whatever that is by someone content to argue "plans" rather than to seek action and change.
Well, I dispute your 'accurate' claim. You don't have much support, and most of the evidence is against you, so we can end that theory.
The thieves are in the house. "Plans" are out the window. Action is required. We know who the thieves are, either you are on the team who wants them stopped or you are part of the group of silent, apathetic fools who prefer to sling insults in debates about nothing instead of acknowledging that we are being ripped off.
I'm not being ripped off by anyone but government. They stole my earned income and hand it out to everyone else. Other than that, I'm perfectly fine.
As far as slinging insults, well if the shoe fits, ware it. Now, granted I don't remember you specifically claiming that gas was going to go to $50 a gallon, but I do know at least a few dozen here on this forum who made constant whining and crying about how we'd be paying a millions a month for gasoline, over and over again. They screamed and wailed and went on and on about how the 'evil this' and 'bigoil' that would drive the price up for eternity. Now where are they? huh? Where's the $10/gallon gas? What happened to all the Miss Cleo(s) shouting about high gasoline price predictions??
Instead the price is now just under half of what is was when the predictions went out. The fact is, no one knows what oil prices will do. Exxon CEO sent out a memo stating he had no idea what the price would be. In the mid 70s, after the Arab embargo, the UK magazine "The Economist", boldly stated that oil would keep climbing indefinitely. Instead it fell. In the mid 90s, predictions were that oil would drop to five dollars a barrel. Instead it rose.
You crystal-ball-oil-prediction-doom-and-gloom people need to keep your mouth shut. You don't know jack. You've been wrong. You are wrong. You will be wrong. Give it up for once. This group of psychic-friends-network political hacks are the only group that has a 100% false prediction rate. Go back to your day jobs, and give up the stupidity.
