[ChurtleDawg]

well, I don’t exactly have subpoena power to access oil company records, nor can I prove that the speculators have fixed the commodoties market, nor can I prove the OPEC drives prices up deliberatly

I do know a few things: BP is being investigated for price fixing in natural gas

oil companies also voluntarily reduced refining capacity in the past to drive up the price of oil and cut costs. In fact, it isn’t the EPA that shut down all the refineries-—it was the oil companies themselves

[cweese]

“oil companies also voluntarily reduced refining capacity in the past to drive up the price of oil and cut costs.”

Ahem...you have a source for that, or did it just sound good in your head?

[cweese]

By the way, if you truly believe that oil companies are price gouging then why in the world would they aspire to only making 10% profit? One would think that a price-gouger would be interested in making more like 30-40% or more. No?

[the OlLine Rebel]

They’re always being “investigated”, exactly because of the whining and not understanding commodities markets or markets in general. (Never mind all the gov. prohibitions and other regulations.)

And they’re ALWAYS found innocent.

Yeah, it’s a big conspiracy.

Why do you think there is “big oil” as a WHOLE rather than several competing companies? Yeah, I’m sure Exxon is in cahoots with Chevron.

[cinives]

oil companies also voluntarily reduced refining capacity in the past to drive up the price of oil and cut costs

Clearly you have never studied economics. Your proof of shutdowns for the sole purpose of driving up the price of gas is ?