Argument against high gas prices

"Matt Barrow" wrote in message
...

There's a number of people doing stock analysis who made their fortunes
starting with just a few hundreds. Before my wife "retired" from the stock
brokerage business to run OUR business, she knew, personally, dozens of
self-made millionaires.

What do they have that Dean hasn't got?

People used to defend Enron. An electrician down the road from me that
worked for PGE--whom Enron acquired--lost his $330,000 retirement
investment.

Apparently, the Enron book-cookers were just smarter and had something they
the electrician didn't have. Nobody defends Enron anymore, but, at the
same time, nobody listened when a handful of people predicted disaster.
(People did the same with the dot com industry, but as long as people were
making money hand over fist, they didn't bother to listen.)

-c

"Matt Barrow" wrote in message
...

"kontiki" wrote in message
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Nomen Nescio wrote:

And don't forget that political BS promoting ethanol blends. Save the
planet,
higher prices and lower gas mileage.

Yeah, sure doesn't work for Brazil, does it?




-c

"Cubdriver" usenet AT danford DOT net wrote in message
...


Someone said 20 years; it's actually 30 since a refinery was built in
the U.S.

Yeah...apparently the oil industry can't afford them or something. It's
those pesky environmentalists. It's getting to be so as an oilman can
barely make a living anymore. That's why there haven't been any refineries
built. There's just no money in oil.

It's not because if there aren't any refineries it throttles the oil supply
and makes it more profitable. They'd never do a dastardly thing like that.
Why...look at how broke they are!

-c

"Paul kgyy" wrote in message
ups.com...
In response to the original post, the oil companies are doing what
they are supposed to do; maximize value to their shareholders, which
you could become if you care to.

I could become a pornographer, pimp or mercenary, too.

Ethics.


Whatever became of those guys who swore they had observe a fusion
reaction in a laboratory bottle about 20 years ago?

Scientific ridicule, but just think if the US had spend $500 billion on cold
fusion research instead of chasing WMDs around Iraq while our actual enemies
hide out in Afghanistan. Might be half a trillion dollars closer to giving
OPEC the star-spangled finger once and for all.

-c

"gatt" wrote in message
...

"Paul kgyy" wrote in message
ups.com...
In response to the original post, the oil companies are doing what
they are supposed to do; maximize value to their shareholders, which
you could become if you care to.

I could become a pornographer, pimp or mercenary, too.

Ethics.

It is not unethical to sell your product for the highest price possible.
People tell you what they are willing to pay because they stop buying or cut
back when the price gets too high. In the US there is still quite a bit of
gasoline use for recreational purposes and people driving SUVs that are the
size of small neighborhoods. I don't believe that the price is anywhere
near as high as it could actually go before the people doing the complaining
start to think about conservation.

BTW, I suspect that if you had your own business you would sell your
products at the highest price possible too.

Whatever became of those guys who swore they had observe a fusion
reaction in a laboratory bottle about 20 years ago?

You can see one right now - just look up in the sky. That's all it takes.

BDS

On Jun 7, 10:35 am, Paul kgyy wrote:
In response to the original post, the oil companies are doing what
they are supposed to do; maximize value to their shareholders, which
you could become if you care to.

In the long run, though, it's worth considering that worldwide oil
production will probably peak and trend down in the next 5 years,
while demand from China and other emerging economies continues to
rise. There's only one outcome from that unless we learn to use
what's there more efficiently.

Ethanol is a bum's rush because it requires a lot of energy to
produce, and so its cost of production can only go up. Same for tar
sands.

I guess it's time to really get to work on that fission reactor for my
PA28. But if everybody did that, the supply of yellowcake would
probably run out too.

We have an entire world economy built around the assumption of
unlimited supply of cheap energy.

Whatever became of those guys who swore they had observe a fusion
reaction in a laboratory bottle about 20 years ago?

Will it really peak in 5 years? I think not. Google Thomas Gold and
non-biogenic oil and you will find that the party line may not be
true.

wrote in message
oups.com...

I didn't go anywhere... not at these prices! I'm not claiming its the
oil companies fault anyway, its really our EPA restrictions that
prevent new refineries from being built. Think that is going to
change?

Depends on whether people want to believe every excuse the oil industry
comes up with while it's making record profits by throttling the oil supply.

Do the math. There's a theoretical finite amount of petroleum. As an oil
baron, your job is to extract the maximum value out of every drop that you
can. Abundance reduces profit margin. All you have to do is keep the supply
limited an blame the war, Katrina, lack of refineries, unrest is the middle
east, speculation that oil prices will rise, EPA regulations, treehuggers,
"unexpected holiday shortages", whatever. If everybody had diamonds, they
wouldn't be worth a fortune.

Energy supply and rate manipulation worked for Enron, they just didn't do it
as smartly or with as much support.

-c

"BDS" wrote in message
et...

It is not unethical to sell your product for the highest price possible.

It is if people are going hungry or out of business because of it.

I don't believe that the price is anywhere near as high as it could
actually go before the people doing the complaining
start to think about conservation.

Don't think about recreationalists, think about FBOs, flight instructors,
charter services, independent truckers, couriers, farmers and everybody else
who is suffering because people still make excuses for record profits.

BTW, I suspect that if you had your own business you would sell your
products at the highest price possible too.

Is that what Jesus would do? I wouldn't do it if I was making billions
while my neighbors and my nation suffered.

-c

gatt wrote:
"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...

You seem to be under the misconception that it is the oil company's
job to keep prices as low as posible. This is not the case. It is
their job to keep profits as high as they can. Obviously the market
is able to deal with prices at thier current rate because according
to all the reports I've seen holiday driving didn't drop a bit this
past memorial day weekend.

How's general aviation doing? How are the airlines doing? Who do you
suppose is subsidizing all those federal bailouts?

Notice that the cost of groceries and postage are going up? Notice
how the cost of airplane rentals is going up?

At what point do we say "It's not the oil company's job to keep oil
prices as low as possible, but it's America's job to protect its own
economy instead of letting Exxon make record profits while the entire
US economy suffers?"

If you guys want to get Draconian about it, I think it's perfectly
fair for Uncle Sam to push back. Don't Tread on Me, et al.

-c

All America has to do to stop Exxon from making record profits is to but
less gas. Since the amount of discretionary driving this past Memorial Day
weekend didn't drop it seems that the American people really aren't that
concerned with the current price of gas.

General aviation sucks as industry though there are several bright spots.
Fuel costs are part of the problem especially in the recreation sector I
don't think that's all of it. For some reason people just don't seem to
won't their own airplane. People are spending just as much on boats that
burn just as much if not more gas than aircraft do.

As far as bailouts go they need to stop. I might not say that if it weren't
for the fact that there are airlines out there making money.

It's when the government gets involved that everything will get really
screwed up.

"gatt" wrote in message
...

"BDS" wrote in message
et...

It is not unethical to sell your product for the highest price possible.

It is if people are going hungry or out of business because of it.

I don't believe that the price is anywhere near as high as it could
actually go before the people doing the complaining
start to think about conservation.

Don't think about recreationalists, think about FBOs, flight instructors,
charter services, independent truckers, couriers, farmers and everybody
else who is suffering because people still make excuses for record
profits.

BTW, I suspect that if you had your own business you would sell your
products at the highest price possible too.

Is that what Jesus would do? I wouldn't do it if I was making billions
while my neighbors and my nation suffered.

YOUR NATION ISN'T SUFFERING!

Some people are suffering, other's aren't. If everyone had a "Mr. Fusion"
powering their cars and planes tomorrow, would that be a good thing? Think
of all the suffering of the gas station owner, FBO, etc. There are always
winners and losers. Any system that attempts to make sure there aren't
losers, keeps other people from being winners. And the funny thing under
such systems, is that even in an absence of winners, there will still be
losers.