Boycott EXXON/MOBIL to reduce gas prices.

[Bushknew]

I just received this email. Do you think it can actually work?

Do you have a better idea? I’m tired of bitching and want to mobilize for
some change.


>This might be worth a try and it certainly won't hurt to test out this theory:

>GAS WAR - an idea that WILL work
>
>This was originally sent by a retired Coca Cola executive It came
>from one of his engineer buddies
>who retired from Halliburton. It's worth your consideration.
>
>Join the resistance!!!! I hear we are going to hit close to $ 4.00 a
>gallon by next summer and it might
>go higher!! Want gasoline prices to come down? We need to take some
>intelligent, united action.

>Phillip Hollsworth offered this good idea. This makes MUCH MORE
>SENSE than the "don't buy gas on a certain
>day" campaign that was going around last April or May!
>
>The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't
>continue to "hurt" ourselves by
>refusing to buy gas. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it
>was a problem for them. BUT, whoever
>thought of this idea, has come up with a plan that can really work.
>Please read on and join with us!
>
>By now you're probably thinking gasoline priced at about $1.50 is
>super cheap. Me too! It is currently
>$2.79 for regular unleaded in my town. Now that the oil companies
>and the OPEC nations have conditioned us
>to think that the cost of a gallon of gas is CHEAP at $1.50 - $1.75,
>we need to take aggressive action to
>teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace..not sellers. With
>the price of gasoline going up more each
>day, we consumers need to take action. The only way we are going to
>see the price of gas come down is if we
>hit someone in the pocketbook by not purchasing their gas! And, we
>can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves.
>
>How?
>
>Since we all rely on our cars, we can't just stop buying gas. But we
>CAN have an impact on gas prices if
>we all act together to force a price war.
>
>Here's the idea: For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY
>gasoline from the two biggest companies
>(which now are one), EXXON and MOBIL. If they are not selling any
>gas, they will be inclined to reduce their
>prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have
>to follow suit. But to have an
>impact, we need to reach literally millions of Exxon and Mobil gas
>buyers. It's really simple to do! Now,
>don't wimp out on me at this point...keep reading and I'll explain
>how simple it is to reach millions of
>people!!
>
>I am sending this note to 30 people. If each of us send it to at
>least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and
>those 300 send it to at least ten more ! (300 x 10 = 3000)...and so
>on, by the time the message reaches
>the sixth group of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers.
>
>If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends
>each, then 30 million people will have
>been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it.....
>THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!
>
>Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. That's all!

>(If you don't understand how we can reach 300 million and all you
>have to do is send this to 10 people....
>Well, let's face it, you just aren't a mathematician. But I am . so
>trust me on this one.)
>
>How long would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to
>ten more people within one day of
>receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted
>within the next 8 days!!! I'll bet you
>didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you! Acting
>together we can make a difference.

>If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on. I suggest
>that we not buy from EXXON/MOBIL UNTIL
>THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE $1.30 RANGE AND KEEP THEM DOWN. THIS
>CAN REALLY WORK

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. Same dumb email I got the other day...

From Snopes:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp

Claim: Boycotting a couple of gasoline brands will bring overall gas prices down.

Status: False.

More at link

[Bushknew]

5. Damn, affecting real change through boycott isn’t easy.

I try to drive as little as possible, then again I do live in LA.

[Berry Cool]

7. Try cabs.

That's what Keith Olbermann did both times he lived there. He said not only is it easy to get a cab in LA, but when you call for one you can take your pick of whichever one you want!

[HockeyMom]

2. I only go to CITGO

I will drive out of my way to go to a CITGO. They are the cheapest around, $2.79 versus $2.85 to $2.99 for the rest.

VIVA, CHAVEZ!!! :yourock:

[Jayhawk Lib]

8. Citgo is not the cheapest

in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. I just got back from a trip from Kansas to Dallas-Ft Worth and Citgo was the same as the rest. In one instance in Ft Worth they were the highest in the area.

The cheapest gas on my trip was $2.49 in Oklahoma City and the highest was $2.85 in one of the small towns in the DFW metroplex close to the race track. The $2.85 was not the Citgo station that I mentioned before.

[silverweb]

3. Better yet:

Boycott Exxon-Mobil because they're one of the worst, most unethical corporations in the world -- and use as little gasoline as possible, anyway, because it's the right thing to do.

[Redstone]

4. No, it won't work. It's a stupid idea. Don't waste your time.

Redstone

[Jamison]

12. I agree, bad idea.

They're all raping us, no matter what company you buy from. You can't just boycott them all either...unless you wanna hoof it.

[MrMonk]

6. Whoever sent you this is as dumb as a rock.

Gas boycotts don't mean piss to the major oil companies. Only a small portion of their revenue comes from selling refined products. Production of crude is where the money is. The only people hurt by a boycott are the retailers (dealers) and their employees.

[texanshatingbush]

9. Stupid idea.........

ExxonMobil doesn't "control the price of gas". The price of gasoline is driven by the price of oil per barrel, by futures trading of that oil, by civil unrest in oil-producing countries (eg., Nigeria), by disastrous foreign policy adventures (you know who I mean), etc.

ExxonMobil's return on investment is around $8 per $100, versus the pharmaceutical companies' return of around $18 per $100. ExxonMobil has also invested a bundle of money in long-term reserves and potential reserves, to be positioned to provide as much oil as possible in the future.

If you want to stop paying so much for gasoline, then stop driving gas guzzlers, make every trip count, ride your motorcycle or bicycle when possible, shop with a friend and share expenses, or take mass transportation if it is available in your area.

High gasoline prices are here to stay, folks, and we better get used to it and modify our lives accordingly.

[TankLV]

10. I boycott them already - they're usually the most expensive here.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

11. guess what gang?

I'd boycott EXXON if it was the cheapest gas in town!

[SeveneightyWhoa]

13. This won't work.

But boycott them anyway!

Canadians should buy Petro-Canada; Americans should buy from Citgo. But that's just a suggestion..

[NMMNG]

14. I already avoid Exxon/Mobil

Not because I think this would work, but because they are red as sin, and because they are very gay unfriendly.

[joeprogressive]

15. buy Shell gas

last time I checked, they were the only oil co. that leaned blue.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

16. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO MESS WITH BUSHCO; BUY CITGO

Nothing upsets Bushco more than an increase in CITGO sales.

[Bushknew]

17. Thanks for the suggestions. nt

[sofa king]

18. It's like watching little falsehood tadpoles grow up in a pond of lies.

Variations on this bit of glurge have been around since gasoline, I think. So are most if not all of the rest of those other chain emails you get.

A still-useful reference is www.snopes.com, where you will find this:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/gasout.asp

"A boycott of a couple of brands of gasoline won't result in lower overall prices. Prices at all the non-boycotted outlets would rise due to the temporarily limited supply and increased demand, making the original prices look cheap by comparison. The shunned outlets could then make a killing by offering gasoline at its "normal" (i.e., pre-boycott) price or by selling off their output to the non-boycotted companies, who will need the extra supply to meet demand. The only person who really gets hurt in this proposed scheme is the service station operator, who has almost no control over the price of gasoline.

"The only practical way of reducing gasoline prices is through the straightforward means of buying less gasoline, not through a simple and painless scheme of just shifting where we buy it. The inconvenience of driving less is a hardship too many people apparently aren't willing to endure, however."