SmoothOnTop

The price per barrel is not directly related to production and consumption.

Investor/brokers are gambling with higher prices and winning.

How do we stop them?

FlyingChipmunk

Its amazing how so few can effect so many.

RJtrashPilot

That is the million dollar question.

bbtp

if it's true that the price run up is more a function of speculation than it is of actual and expected supply and demand conditions, then the market will stop them the same way it has corrected real estate speculators and the housing bubble. no conspiracies necessary!

labbats

You stop them by having the government pass a law whereby anyone who wants to invest in oil commodities must put up 100% of their investment instead of the 10% needed now. Futures markets are cleared of speculators overnight.

aerospacepilot

Switch to a new form of energy. Until then, there is nothing we can do to stop them. After all, this is a capitalist world. If people are making money selling/trading oil, good for them. I happen to believe that something as vital to our nations economy, national security, and overall well being such as energy should not be controlled by nations that hate us (Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, Venezuela, etc...) Do you really think they want prices low?

If you are wondering how you can make money (like a true capitalist) off of this energy crisis, invest in alternative energy. The price of oil is only going to go up long term. There is only so much oil in the ground, and we are using it up. The demand for oil continues to increase everyday. And this commodity has been shown to not exactly follow the laws of supply and demand (meaning the prices go up even as demand levels off). It is arguably the most valuable commodity on the face of the Earth. One day it is going to get so expensive that it makes economic sense to switch to an alternative source of energy. I believe that day was about 2 years ago...I suspect the majority of the American public will come around when gas hits $6/7 a gallon.

Crude oil was a one time gift to mankind. It was nice while it lasted... now lets move on.

BoardPilot

The price of gas keeps going up, and we keep buying it. Oil companies showing record profits. Why would the price come down if we keep buying?

Though if it did come down, it sure would be nice. Airlines would have it a bit easier, food prices would come back down, etc.

DLpilot

Good news is that it has dropped over 7 dollars in the past week. We shall see if it keeps up. It is hard to be optimistic though.

papacharlie

One answer is synthetic oil, another one, hydrogen.We are not buying the way we did last year,according to some reports,so the demand has gone down but the prices keep going up.Oil prices drop like $12 but not even .01 at the pump...weird right?? then oil prices go up and you see the prices at the gas station up almost immediately.

papacharlie

please leave bush ....please....you're killing us