POLL: who is really to blame for oil prices?

Question

is it

a: oil companies

b: we the people

c: the speculators

d: the goverment

i really do think that this country has replaced all kindness and morality with greed. what say you to this?

Answer 1

Pretty much all of them have combined together have pushed them up. I think it's the option you've left out though that's more important, the industrialization of China and India and the lack of willing in the West to reduce their usage has pushed up demand, causing production to need to soar levels we don't have the technology to handle.

Answer 2

b).

Co2 ommited from your cars pollutes the enviroment and causes global warming, i'm sure that everyone would love to blame the government, but seriously. Take some responsiblity. Ride a bike, get a smaller car, walk, public transportation

Answer 3

d: the goverment

Answer 4

We the people are largely responsible because we stupidly believe that we have some god given right to as much gas as we want, coupled with huge cars and wasteful driving habits.  I do believe that speculators have a role, and as for George W. Bush, I don't see that he has done anything to inspire or encourage conservation, greater accountability by the auto industry, or to seriously support expansion of R & D in alternative energy solutions.  As the nation's leader, he should be leading instead of waiting until the last minute to decide we do indeed have an addiction to oil (as if he somehow discovered this notion all on his own) and whose most passionate argument is to blame the liberals and insist we need to drill off shore.

Answer 5

B.

we are responsible, no question about it.  We got addicted to it back when it was cheap.

Answer 6

Over indulgent owners of suv's.

Answer 7

I think it's a combination of things.  High Demand, Greedy Oil Companies, Oil Tycoons that happen be running things in the White House, and the powers that be that run the oil industry in the middle east.  It has come down to any and every reason or excuse will be used to jack up the oil prices.  

This country has gotten greedy.  But it's not just the U.S.  I believe its the world in general.  We no longer hold kindness or morality as the reason anymore.  They have taken a backseat to greed.

Answer 8

NONE OF THE ABOVE... George Bush because he made war with the people who supported us with oil, making our gas. So now oil is harder to get, and gas is harder to make.

Answer 9

ITS THE PEOPLE THAT WONT LET US DRILL FOR OUR OWN OIL IN ALASKA!

Answer 10

big company do what they feel, as they are few.

politics mainly America.............

Answer 11

Probably all of them;

a) oil companies should face it that they wont be making the same millions profit anymore (as if it wasn't big enough!).

b) we the people are to greedy and should have a serious think about how greedy we are being before we start moaning.

c) the speculators put allot of pressure on the oil companies to make money so the oil companies don't want to lose profit in case they lose their shares.

d) OK, so they try there best and I probably couldn't do better, but they need to take a step back and seriously look at the situation instead of trying not to address these problems.

I hope this was OK as I am not American but in Britain we are having the same problems. I hope now people will at least now stop blaming everyone else.   xx

Answer 12

As a 'futures' commodity, the price of oil today is the cost it will take to replace what is being used today . The price of oil today is for oil that has not even been pulled out of the ground . Thus the price of oil on the trading market is set by c) speculators.

That said, the speculators have to factor in availability and consumption . If an oil well goes down or a pipe line is closed or a refinery is undergoing maintenance, these will affect the availability to the consumer - us, as well as just about every other industry that relies on oil for production, like plastics, steel, chemicals, transportation, etc . If consumption drops off from people not driving as much and taking other forms of transportation, or getting laid off, or getting the oil changed every 5 or 6000 miles instead of 3000, then the supplier will have more inventory than can be stored . The only way to move it is to lower the price at the store . Just to top it off, the price of oil is pegged to the value of the US dollar . And right now, the dollar is not doing too well . Pretty complicated.

Answer 13

b. we the people.........if you are willing to pay it business can charge it if you don't like the prices don't buy the gas.

Answer 14

You can blame anyone you want!

Thats the problem with all those listed above they all blame the other.

They all have their roles in this and should all take responsibility.

will never happen.

Oh and you left out Opec, Russia(largest oil producer) Suply and Demand and anything else you want to throw in there

Answer 15

george bush and d**k cheney.  they need money to live on when they lose their current jobs.  which won't come soon enough.

Answer 16

Investors, the same people who fukt up the housing market. Most mainstream financial sources will tell you that the price should be well under $100 a barrel, but investors are jacking it up the same way flippers bought and sold houses until the prices were unsustainable. It won't be long before the price of oil is unsustainable, and because it is crippling the economy all over the world, we're in for an oil price crash. A lot of people are going to get screwed by it.

Answer 17

There is nobody to blame, with more industrialization and increased middle classes in countries such as China and India, more people than ever are requiring the use of oil.  As labour cost continue to rise, increased transportation cost due to oi prices,  as well as a very intense demand for the product, prices naturally rise.  Currently the United States has one of the lowest gas prices in the world due to there involvment in refining.  The current prices of approx $3.80/gallon (approx 80 cents/litre) are considerable lower when you look at Canada with &1.40/L and europe at approx $2.60/litre (all in american currency)

Speculators can be to blame for short term fluctuations in the market as shown when the british economist predicted oil to reach $150/barrel and caused an overnight increase of $6/barrel.  but these are short term fluctuations and the demand in the market right now will continue to cause increased prices anyway.  Currently the prediction is that oil will reach $250/barrel by the end of 2009.  Look for gas prices doubling what they are now in the next year and a half.

Answer 18

e: all the above

f: as emerging economies such as China and India want/get cars that causes tremendous demand on oil. Not to mention pollution.

g: the war, really. Think about the demand for oil that all the bombers, fighter planes. tanks ....

h: that coke bottle you just tossed out. Yes, plastic is a petrol product. Want an easy way to reduce demand for oil? Reduce, reuse, recycle especially plastic. When asked paper or plastic - choose neither, bring your own bag, recycle that plastic bottle or use tap water. It's better for the enviornment and you'll probably drop a few pounds drinking less pop.

Answer 19

e) Demand for oil has risen worldwide as more countries become industrialized.

Answer 20

Who cares? It is what it is. Yeah, George Bush made war and now my gas costs a lot. This country is doomed!

Answer 21

a: oil companies not producing enough,

b: we the people consuming too much.