About The Price Of Gas?

Gasoline prices are on the rise again and this time I would like to make a few observations:

So let's look at some facts (or at least some common misconceptions that someone who really doesn't know the facts tosses around).

Number one: the big oil companies don't raise prices in the summer when everyone is driving to grandma's house. To hear the oil companies tell it they are non profit, and apparently charitable organizations kind of like the catholic church (I was raised catholic so the rest of you just cool it). Since the catholic church doesn't have to pay taxes then it's just not fair to ask those poor oil companies to do so either.

Number two: we invaded Iraq just to get their oil. Oh please, everyone knows we invaded Iraq because the leader of Iraq was a very mean person who should have been removed from power years ago when he raised the price of crude, oh wait...crap!

Number three: If you buy an ugly, hybrid car your gas mileage will be significantly reduced. This is true! What they don't tell you is that your self image will also be significantly reduced probably due to the fact that you have saved money driving around your hybrid, but you have lost all your friends because they don't want to ride around with you any more in your ugly hybrid car (and I have news for you, your wife doesn't want to ride around with you any more either but she has to because she is married to you).

Number four: if there is a flood on the east coast, a refinery fire on the west coast, or a war in the Middle East your gas prices are going to go up. This is true also! Its based on the laws of supply and demand which I will try and explain. So, let's say your a big oil company and you just finished paying a bunch of money to clean up the gulf after one of your oil rigs burned and sank. I am the guy who needs to buy some oil from you but since you now need to replace a bazillion dollar oil rig you tell me that oil now costs twice as much as it did yesterday because there was a fire that sank your oil rig and spilled a lot of your oil in the gulf. Since the oil is now swimming with the fishes my SUPPLY is now lower, and since your government is DEMANDING that I clean up my mess, which I don't want to pay for, I am going to charge you to clean up my mess by calling it a cost increase based on your need for fossil fuel.

This model can also be applied to war in the Middle East, or war any where for that matter. Instead of supply and demand you need to change the model name to, "Since you blew up my shit with your bombs, you need to make me feel better by paying for all the damage you caused and, by the way, I'm going to sell my oil to somebody else if I can find someone that isn't afraid your going to blow up their shit as well".

What it all boils down to is this, if I have it and you want it, I am going to make you pay for it! If I screw up and break something or destroy the environment, since you needed what I had and what I had did the damage it's your fault and you are going to pay for it! If you look at me in a manner that makes me uncomfortable and I have what you need you are going to pay for it, and last but not least; if you are going to drive a hundred miles to grandma's house and I find out about it, you are going to pay for it because you know you can't say no to grandma! I guess you could fly to uncle Charlie's instead but you are going to really pay for that I will try to control myself when it comes to lobbying for tax breaks, since I'm non profit and your not....