My god, some one that actually knows something.
Watch out, man. Your going to get a lot of abuse from the people that get their economics lessons from ayn rand novels and newsletters from da misses (van misses that is). I have to laugh on most of these economics and markets threads. Laughing keeps from screaming in terror.
We have these price dislocations today because of goobermint actions, not despite goobermint's best efforts.
I trust you've heard the clip, which has been played EVERYWHERE, of the idiot Maxine Waters for once honestly saying what she wants to do to oil companies (and presumably the rest of the economy). If not, don't miss it -- she and her ilk **intend** to try to destroy the economy. Her own words, on the floor of the Regress, clear as a bell.
Regulation is necessary, because some number of mkt participants will try to cheat others, and they must be stopped. That, however, is no longer the purpose of regulation, except perhaps incidentally, when the goobermint finds it convenient.