Who is to blame for higher gasoline prices?

[Dezaad]

I can't stand Bush, and I'd love to blame him for the high prices. But, the evidence doesn't support that.

Some people here hate environmentalists, and would love to blame them for the high prices. But, the evidence doesn't support that either.

Barrels of Oil have been going up in price til, right now, they are hovering at $65. The Middle East is operating at capacity. That is, they are pumping their little hearts out as fast as they can. New supplies may be brought on line due to the high prices (the high prices make bring new supplies on line more attractive). New supplies in ANWR would be sold, if they were already on line, would be sold at the going market rate (just like the Alaskan Prudhoe supplies are), and would barely affect that market rate, lowering it minimally. Republicans are using the ANWR issue to deceive their constituents. Democrats are trying to deceive their constituents using different tactics about the same issue.

The real culprit is the free market. The invisible hand driven by supply and demand. And demand is WAY up. China is starting to luv oil. This is new demand. Anyone who wants to believe differently is simply not taking into account ALL of the facts.

Bush actually did the exact correct thing. He has signed an energy bill that will encourage the development of perfect substitutes to oil. Now I have to go wash my mouth out with soap. That was painful.

But, it is the one single major thing he has done right. So there.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

And one more thing, if Clinton were in office and prices had jumped so much....you republicans would be storming the White House.

I believe that the WH should stay stormed w/o regard as to who is in office.

 

[Fantasea]

The obvious reason isn't in the poll.... It's the law of supply & demand with the market setting the price not helped by greedy 1st world oil consumption along with China's increasing demand.

The USA is 5% of the world population but uses 25% of the oil !

What are you worried about.
You still get your gas dirt cheap.
We pay 90 pence/litre due to the high tax !
x 3.78 = £3.40 per US gallon x 1.81 = $6.15 per US gallon !!!!

They typical US consumer has no interest in conserving fuel until the price gets so high that it becomes uncomfortable.

The argument about 5% versus 25% is ridiculous on its face. The overwhelming portion of the other 75% has absolutely no use for oil.

The only reason that 'petrol' is so much higher in Europe is that the governments there place high taxes upon it to make up for what they cannot collect from their underground economies. The thinking is that if you have a car you're probably into something that keeps the government from getting its fair share of your income.

The typical European country is so small, so compact, that cars are not really necessary for the 'common' man. That's why bicycles and public transport are so popular.

 

[Navy Pride]

Well, considering our oil reserves are sitting at about 96% capacity..higher then they've ever been in history, I think a good start would be to release some of this oil to help lower prices.

Of course, this is no solution. The real solution is to lower our dependence on foreign oil. Bush could go a long way by demanding Detroit simply increase gas mileages by 3 miles per gallon. There should be no vehicle that gets less than...oh, say...20 miles per gallon.

Of course, this would hurt our auto industry, thus hurting our economy, and hurting the oil companies..and all the rich fat cats won't make as much money, so Bush is never gonna do that.

We're spending one billion dollars a week in Iraq...think what that money could do if put toward alternative fuel research and development?

And one more thing, if Clinton were in office and prices had jumped so much....you republicans would be storming the White House.

Yeah really brilliant we use the oil reserves and then OPEC shuts off the spigots..........

President Bush is the first president to side aside Billions for hyrdrogen driven cars.............

The president can not make the auto plants do anything..If he could Clinton would have done that in 2000 when gas prices spiked..........

As far as Iraq goes we are there...we ain't cutting and run like you liberals had us do in Nam causing the deaths of millions of Vietnamese and cambodians............If you want to pull out elect some bleeding heart liberal like Kerry.............Even Hillary is for completing the job there and she is going to be you libs next candidate.............

 

[Napoleon's Nightingale]

They typical US consumer has no interest in conserving fuel until the price gets so high that it becomes uncomfortable.

The argument about 5% versus 25% is ridiculous on its face. The overwhelming portion of the other 75% has absolutely no use for oil.

The only reason that 'petrol' is so much higher in Europe is that the governments there place high taxes upon it to make up for what they cannot collect from their underground economies. The thinking is that if you have a car you're probably into something that keeps the government from getting its fair share of your income.

The typical European country is so small, so compact, that cars are not really necessary for the 'common' man. That's why bicycles and public transport are so popular.

You just refuted your own argument. Distances are too great to use a bicycle here and public transportation is MUCH different here than it is in Europe. The governments fair share of YOUR income? :lol:

 

[Jquest]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3708951.stm

The economy is on the up. China and India are growing economic powers and thus...they also have a thirst for more oil. And 5 to 10 more years...we're gonna have to go head to head with China.
You also have to note that China is building up it's military. It ain't cause they wanna come over and say "hi". It's to secure oil. Plain and simple.
And finally...you have the latest energy bill. SUV tax write offs and tax cuts to oil Companies. Nothing in that bill promotes and gives incentives to alternative energy. IT's all about the black gold.
But things are changing with the prices this high....alternatvies such as bio-diesel and now cost effective to refine. I know cause I drive a Turbo diesel truck. See how in the future more and more people are going to be switching over to diesel car/trucks. They are already doing it in Europe. You can run them will oil from Corn, soybean ,even used vegetable oil from MickyD's. Nothing like going down the road and your truck smells like french fries. :lol:

 

[teacher]

MY GOD.........have you ever had your IQ tested by a Professional?

I'm sure a Sub-70-IQ as you must have is ...eligble for Disability SSI, welfare or something.............how the hell did the Environmentalist.........suddenly effect GAS prices!

PRICES ABOVE $2.00 A GALLON THRU 2004......TILL A COUPLE OF MONTHS BEFORE THE NOVEMBER ELECTION WHEN GAS WENT DOWN........BUSH WON ....PRICE JUMPED BACK UP TO ABOVE $2.00 A GALLON........AND CONTINUES TO RISE......THANK GOD I HAVE NO CHILDREN.......CAUSE IF YA'LLS MOMS AND DADS DID NOT MARRY AS BROTHER AND SISTERS ......THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO EXPLAIN YOUR IGNORANCE OTHER THAN EATING LEAD PAINT CHIPS THE FIRST 10 YEARS OF YOUR LIVES................GOD.............

Did he not know who he was insulting here? Talk about a sub-70-IQ. I'm sure vague is as smart as he is handsome.........oh god I can't do it. Half my monkey army is smarter than vague, and they're all better looking. The banishment is worth it.

 

[teacher]

WHEN do you IDIOTS go to bed so I might have a reasonable ADULT conversation with someone.

This is (how do I put this outside the basement?) the ....ah...most correct post so far in this thread. Though I'm not agreeing with Factologists points and would love to take him a smacking in the basement. You people are not wearing your thinking caps. How about some clues?

Refinement- not production. (Just part of the whole answer though).
Don't look at this through partisan (or national) eyes.
Who profits?
Who profits from those who profit?
Who keeps those who profit profiting?
At todays technology level, what do we NEED oil for?
Think of ALL the reasons we aren't drilling hand over fist in this country.
Think of all your links and statistics. Where do they come from?
Ask not only who but why.


BIG picture people, think harder. The answers are all right there. You don't need links or statistics. Figure this one out and you'll be ashamed of ALL your leaders. W. MIGHT be the first not to play ball. Well see. Think more of human nature. This thread is the most important on this site.

 

[nkgupta80]

isn't it ultimately profit? Demand for oil means the companies must raise prices to keep the demand checked? Im just wondering..

 

[Napoleon's Nightingale]

isn't it ultimately profit? Demand for oil means the companies must raise prices to keep the demand checked? Im just wondering..

Not when the people who work in that companies factories can't afford to drive to work. It's not the same as the diamond companies.

 

[ban.the.electoral.college]

Here's my theory:

Oil companies in cahoots with GWB are hiking gas prices to fuel (pun intended, of course) american consent for our presence in afghanistan and iraq.

It makes perfect sense. Right.

 

[Napoleon's Nightingale]

Here's my theory:

Oil companies in cahoots with GWB are hiking gas prices to fuel (pun intended, of course) american consent for our presence in afghanistan and iraq.

It makes perfect sense. Right.

You're excluding the fact that OPEC, which Bush has absolutley nothing to do with, is what controlls the price of oil per barrel. They've been raising the price for 2 years now. It only should follow suit that since the oil is more expensive for the companies to buy they would raise the price for the consumer.

 

[cnredd]

You're excluding the fact that OPEC, which Bush has absolutley nothing to do with, is what controlls the price of oil per barrel. THey've been raising the price for 2 years now. It only should follow suit that since the price of oil is more expensive for the companies to buy they would raise the price for the consumer.

That's a good point.

Apparently, you have an evil twin on another thread...

 

[IndiConservative]

Speculators for oil futures are driving the prices up.
The possibility of a war in Iran or maybe that Iran will stop exporting oil to the USA and EU because of the nuclear talks.
Speculators are preparing to make a lot of money from a shortage.
Just an opinion I could be wrong.

 

[SixStringHero]

If I remember correctly America hasn't had a rinfery built on our shores in over 26 plus years the last being thr Garyville La plant. Now take into account that refinement costs are incorporated into the cost of the oil. Couple that with the fact that China is importing more oil along with Europe and it's fairly obvious what needs to be done.

Saudi Arabia will give us all the crude we want we just can't refine fast enough to make a difference. If we had refinerys, we could make up the cost exponetially eventually and keep costs down.

And all of you people blaming Bush for gas prices are a laugh riot.

 

[ban.the.electoral.college]

You're excluding the fact that OPEC, which Bush has absolutley nothing to do with, is what controlls the price of oil per barrel. They've been raising the price for 2 years now. It only should follow suit that since the oil is more expensive for the companies to buy they would raise the price for the consumer.

That makes sense. Good thing I don't have a car!

 

[Napoleon's Nightingale]

That makes sense. Good thing I don't have a car!

:lol: Never thought I'd hear an american say that.

 

[Youve Got To Be Kidding!]

This question is to all the people who blame President Bush for the high gas prices..........

What would you like him to do?

I wish he would choke on another piece of popcorn.

 

[cnredd]

I wish he would choke on another piece of popcorn.

Pretzel, not popcorn...If you're going to show your vulgarity, at least do it correctly...

 

[Napoleon's Nightingale]

Pretzel, not popcorn...If you're going to show your vulgarity, at least do it correctly...

:rofl Why spend thousands on an assasination plot when all you have to do is hand the man a bag of pretzels?

 

[Parmenion]

Why isn't "a lack of oil" up there as an option? Oil reserves are being depleted and as you deplete a non-renewable resource, its kind of obvious that it becomes rarer and so it costs more

 

[Gideon]

Lots of people are to blame
The government. They get more taxes off of gas, so why bother spending money on other ways for cars to get around?

Car companies. They know it costs a lot to make any type of "hybrid" and making a profit has happened, but that is hard to make money off of.

The people who have the oil (you know who i'm talking about)
They can make more money at higher prices, so basically theyre smart enough to realize that.

Woah, I almost forgot, The only way to counter this is to have alternative energies. Gasoline will just keep getting steadily higher over the years and eventually it will be hard to get.

 

[Napoleon's Nightingale]

Lots of people are to blame
The government. They get more taxes off of gas, so why bother spending money on other ways for cars to get around?

Car companies. They know it costs a lot to make any type of "hybrid" and making a profit has happened, but that is hard to make money off of.

The people who have the oil (you know who i'm talking about)
They can make more money at higher prices, so basically theyre smart enough to realize that.

Woah, I almost forgot, The only way to counter this is to have alternative energies. Gasoline will just keep getting steadily higher over the years and eventually it will be hard to get.

Acctually a lot of european cars are hybrids. I find it interesting that the government is telling us that we are years away from developing alternative fuel sources even though I've seen many cars that run on them in Europe.

 

[ludahai]

That is very ill-informed. There is an estimated 11 billion gallons maximum in the ANWR 1002 region (possibly 3.5 billion also, most scientist guess at 7 billion, but I will use the biggest number just for arguments sake), which is the region in dispute. The Prudhoe Bay fields, which are almost completely tapped, yielded 13 billion gallons. Less than two years worth of oil for the US. So, optimistically speaking, if we drill in ANWR, we will have oil for AT MOST one and a half years. source

The amount of oil left in the Gulf of Mexico has been estimated at 2.98 billion barrels proven, and 2.40 billion unproven. As you can see, even if all the unproven reserves are true, and if we can drill for all the oil (which, if you know anything about drilling, you would know is impossible) that leaves us with only 5.39 billion gallons of oil from the Gulf. Maybe a little less than a years worth. source

So if we drill for oil in the Arctic and the Gulf of Mexico, we will have three years TOPS independent of OPEC. Not such a great solution.

This is if those are our ONLY TWO SOURCES of oil, which is not the case. ANWR would be a key in our overall oil supply, not the sole source.

 

[ludahai]

Third off....

Bush started opec.

Is that something akin to Gore inventing the Internet?

FACT: OPEC was founded in 1960! How could Bush have anything to do with that?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

:rofl :think: :think: :think: