Cost of War...or Price Gouging?

Here's a link to a NYT story (and I'm sure you have your own to tell)...

NY Times

The latest spike in gasoline prices was met by angry protests in a Los Angeles neighborhood that could least afford it.

"We feel profiteers are using war as a method to gouge us," one protestor said.

As CBS News Correspondent Sandra Hughes reports, in just the last week the average price for gasoline increased more than five cents and reached a nationwide average of a $1.66 a gallon $0.54 higher than last year.

This is too high for Charlie Crist, the Florida Attorney General who is calling for a Federal Trade Commission investigation into possible price gouging.

"The price of gas in Florida now has never been higher in the history of our state," Crist says.

But the petroleum industry blames crude oil increases due to a possible war in Iraq and the Venezuelan political crisis.

"Prices have gone up because of world supply and demand conditions. You know it's a case of you either believe in supply and demand or conspiracy," says John Felmy of the American Petroleum Institute.

Yaknow, (I'll prolly get a lot of shite for this), if gas and oil prices were higher, like in europe, we'd use less and find alternatives. Gone would be SUVs (in case anyone doesn't know, I hate SUVs) except for the very rich. Hybrids would suddenly seem more affordable.

Buuuut, right now, it sucks. People with little extra cash still have to get to work. I know.

I don't feel that a lot has really been happening. How about a public show of enthusiam such as a violent strike like they have in places like Ecuador and the Dominican Republic.

Not that you mention it, there is room for skepticism. Crude might be up, but what is reported are spot prices. Most crude is under long term contract.

This is nothing less than the Bush Familia lining their pockets at the expense of the citizenry they care nothing about.

Make no mistake, when the smoke clears in Iraq (no pun intended)
and the Familia controls the oil fields prices at the pump will rise further.

Then GWB will come on tv behind a backdrop of American flags, Toby Keith will sing "Courtesy Of The Red White And Blue" and we will be told that gas prices must rise in order to pay for the cost of the war that has made us safer. However, we will be told that this is only the beginning and that now we have a place to stage the invasion of every other Middle Eastern country war must continue in order to secure a safer America, and that we will have to pay more to finance this. We will then be asked if we're for peace and safety or against it, and the majority will fall in line and pony up at the pumps with their life savings so as not to be called unpatriotic.

Then Lee Greenwood will come out and close with "God Bless The USA".

Meanwhile Halliburton and the big oil companies will profit in ways never before imagined in the history of the world and the Bushs' Cheneys' and their underbosses and capos will continue to collect dividend checks.

Of course, that's just my opinion