> Also, another major factor in the cost
> of fuel is the lack of imagination, and the blindness to reality of our
> legislative types, when it comes to allowing drilling and exploration in
> "environmentally sensitive" areas within our borders.
I, on the other hand, feel that I would rather pay current prices for
foreign oil and leave our own potential untapped for future use. Why be in a
hurry to deplete our resources when we can be busy depleting someone else's?
There is nothing wrong with making a profit, but it is significant that the
profit in question set an all-time world record. It was mostly the result of
CYA pricing (raising prices the moment that it looks as if there will be an
availability problem, but not lowering prices until there is no possibility
of loss) repeated a lot of times due to international relations getting
stressed in so many different directions. Add to that the burgeoning energy
markets in India and China and they hit a windfall. It happens. I would not
mind it as much if the people who actually made the bulk of the profits ever
actually made a significant loss, but they really are not the ones at risk.
David Lieb
|