Gas prices and Iraq

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

I have to say, I think my husband nailed it in a discussion with me tonight. Sometimes he just intuitively "gets" stuff that I am clueless about. Anyway, he said " If, gas is high, maybe we'll be more willing to stay in the Middle East to fight for it." In other words, high gas prices cement the American will and resolve to stay in Iraq for the long term.

Which neatly dovetails with the question I have asked before -

Do we really believe that demand has spiraled 66% in the last 2 months? If not, what is REALLY driving the spike in oil prices? Is my husband's insight correct? Are we being played just like the energy markets and Enron in California? Will any Democrat expose this? Will any network discuss it? Will any newspaper devote any ink to it?

Would it save time, effort and money if we just bled into our gas tanks?

[fishnfla]

1. husband may have it backwards

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0817/p01s02-usfp.html

read the section on the IMF report and oil prices floating the Iraqi economy, and the need for prices to stay inflated to do so

we are getting burned at both ends. 188 billion for the war from the treasury AND paying for it at the pump.

while bushes greasy friends soak in the riches

[wli]

2. yes, it's a perfectly accurate assessment

Enron-style fake scarcity scam plus political manipulation.

All completely transparent (except as regards divulging of information; rather, it's that the motives are so trivial to divine).

[FloridaPat]

3. Wow. Didn't think of that one. Or we would be more interested in

invading Iran for their oil.

There was another idea someone had. The US needs about $100 billion to come into the country every day to keep our debt afloat. (I think that's the amount). Most of the money comes in because oil is sold in dollars - like 90%. With the higher gas prices, the better shape the national debt is. Next spring Iran is going to try to make oil sold in Euros. And it seems Venuzuela and Iran are talking about closing the spigot of their oil to the US.

So white price does oil have to be before the average American wants to keep invading countries? Exactly how dumb are we?

[dweller]

4. squeek ............ squeak .......... n/t

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:HR02070:@@@L&summ2=m&

dp

[snowbear]

5. What I keep thinking about ...

Is with the obscene profits the oil companies have been making the past year or so - - -

- - - can you imagine how much $$$$ they're going to fork over to the '06 and '08 Rethug candidates!?!? :o

[snot]

6. Good question.

The price swings seem disproportionate to the explanations given.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

7. Gas prices set off an end game. We've been here before

Think back to the 70's - oil embargo -shortages- inflation- interest rate increases.

Think about what that does to our bloated real estate market. Think about what that does to everything. Get ready to relive the Grapes of Wrath. Only now you're an Okie and there is no land of opportunity. Will we try to float on rafts to India to get jobs as customer service reps for Dell?