why are we letting big oil companies get away with robbing us on oil priceses?

Answer 1

Caus we cant drill the oil are self's

Answer 2

Oil prices may seem to be high, but on an inflation-adjusted basis, they were higher 16 years ago. Oil producers buy a commodity, crude petroleum, and convert it into gas and oil. When the price of a commodity is rising and you contract to buy it, you may make a lot of money when you finally receive the commodity and process it three months later. The opposite happens in a falling commodity market, and it is possible that profits can be driven to zero when commodity prices are falling. Oil companies are owned by the public, not by the President and his friends. Oil companies have historically not been a good investment until recently. The difference between a tight supply situation and a soft market is very small. If everyone in the US used one gallon of gas per week less, prices would probably fall. The idea that we could influence gas prices by not buying fuel for one day is laughable. What would you do if gas was $10 per gallon in, say, five years? Think about this carefully, then do it. Get a small car. Buy a hybrid. Combine trips. Sell your RV. Ditch the V8 SUV. Buy a bicycle.

Answer 3

It is not "big oil companies" unless by "big oil" you mean the members of OPEC. Exxon and the gang do not control the world's supply of oil. They once did, but now they are also subject to market forces they don't control.

Did you notice that in Venezuela, the government unilaterally and without compensation took over more than 50% of the oil business in that country? The oil majors squeaked, but they couldn't stop nationalization. If they can't deal with HUgo Chavez, do you really think they control the House of Saud?

In any event, I think high oil prices are the best thing that has happened to us all in quite a while. We aren't getting hybrid vehicles because of environmental benefits. They weren't selling or popular when all they had to offer was cleaner air. Now that they offer savings in real money at the pump, people are clamoring for more hybrids.

Only when oil prices are high enough to make other forms of energy cost-effective are we likely to get real change to alternative energy. So, if it is "big oil" robbing us, I say "bless big oil."

Answer 4

Big oil companies are not the real problem. They are, however, a convenient target for the Liberals and the Environ-mental-ists and their willing dupes in the main-stream media.

The commodity price for crude oil is set by the market, which is where the problem starts. Every time some arab sheik gets his turban in a knot, the barrel price goes up a buck or two. The guys who pump oil out of the ground and sell it to Big Oil make about 30 cents per gallon. Big Oil then refines it and distributes it to wherever it needs to go, and makes roughly 6 cents per gallon. The gas station owners who sell gas make 2 cents per gallon if they are lucky. Now the fun part - the Federal, State and Local governments collect a combined 35-40 cents per gallon in taxes (in some places it's more than that), and they have absolutely nothing to do with production, refining or distribution!!! The Gubment just leeches off of us, like they do for almost everything else in this world. So where is the real problem with oil prices?? Follow the money and you'll find out.

If you really want the price of oil and gas to go down, we need to elect people to Congress who actually have the balls to let Big Oil drill and develop our domestic oil sources (ANWR, shale conversion, drilling on coastlines and in Gulf of Mexico), while at the same time moving ahead with development of alternate energy sources (hydrogen, solar, wind, NUCLEAR).

After a few years of showing the Middle East we can live just fine without their oil, they'll have to practically give the stuff away. The key to all of this is weaning ourselves off of foreign oil first. There's plenty of it here at home we can find and use if the Gubment would get out of the way.

Answer 5

Good Question! I would think we need to ask Mrs. Pelosi that question and then check the oil lobbyist's interactions with her and those sycophants of her's like Reid, etal. to see how close they are to each other. It's pretty obvious that some old debts are being repaid to the oil industry at the cost of the US taxpayer. Hate to say it, but GWB is probably involved as well, because of his oil background. Just too obvious that the oil companies can raise prices like this with impunity. Somebody's got the secret combo at Justice or something.... say is that why the dems are making so much smoke over our current ATT GEN? Deflect, obfuscate, confuse...yep, I think I've answered the question!

Answer 6

The issue is supply and demand in a capitalist market. The demand is higher than ever with emerging fuel markets such as China and India. One of the reasons, it is high here in the US is due to the lack of new refineries and oil wells. Recently, there was a huge oil reserve that was found in the Gulf of Mexico that could remove our dependence on foreign oil. The problem with using it is all of the tree hugging hippies that refuse to allow offshore drilling and keep new refineries from being built.

Answer 7

I think it's because oil is so integrated into our comforts and lifestyle that it's hard to make the sacrifices necessary to "stick it to the (oil) man".

We just have to change our lifestyles: prefer mass transit to driving, car pool, walk or bicycle; drive less often, buy hybrid and/or fuel-efficient cars (read: no SUVs), drive less aggressively...

The oil business is just like any other: they will raise prices as high as they can to maximize profits. As long as *enough* people pay the higher prices, the oil companies are more than happy to rake in the profits.

I think that a lot of people---myself included---find it very hard to make the sweeping life changes necessary to make a difference.

Answer 8

Because we aren't willing to cut consumption to show them we won't pay the prices. Putting off filling up for a day only causes a rush for gas a day before and a day after. We need to refuse to drive, and to refuse to fill up as often. If we usually use 20 gallons in two weeks, but cut it down to 10 (and I mean everyone cut consumption in half), they'd have to do something. Oil companies won't change until we don't need it.

Answer 9

Because right now "we" is George Bush, my friend. And he is the best buddy of the oil companies. Such a good friend that he started a war over oil and is still fighting it four years later. Some friend.

Answer 10

Because the politions don;t have to pay for their own fuel . if they did ,they might get serious and do something. There is no reason for the high fuel prices except greed ..Consumption is down and so is the barrel price. Whats wrong with this picture?

Answer 11

I guess people won't do anything until it costs on average $100 to fill up. I heard that on the news. A lot has to do with the fact that most people have credit cards so they just charge it and worry about it later.