[FreeorDie2]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by CslRkH2:

I am not against big profits or looking for any more laws. I think the current laws against collusion should be enforced in this situation.

When a company like Walmart or Microsoft dominates a market through competitive practices (i.e. volume purchasing and lower prices than their comp) that is one thing. When the 4 oil companies collude and decide to stick it to EVERY American, not just the ones that can afford a HUMMER or several $40k cars then that;s just wrong. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Collusion? Really? Interesting. . .So, over the last 35 years or so, when the price of gas has gone up, would you say that the oil companies are in collusion? If so, how about when the price goes down as it always does to some extent?

Your suggestion that the oil companies got together and agreed to boost the prices for a period of about a month are patently rediculous. If they were agreeing to raise prices, then why not just keep them at $3 a gallon? Or $3.50? Did they collude to keep the prices at a buck a few years ago? Every time the price of gas goes up, people scream that the oil companies get together and impose high prices, but if they had the power to do that, why do the prices always go back down again? Why not keep the price of gas and heating oil high all the time?

Like I said, gas is cheap by comparison to almost anything you can buy now compared to 30 years ago. Oil companies aren't charities. . .oil is a market based commodity. Some folks seem to think that, along with "privacy," you can find some kind of kind of right to cheap gas in the US Consitution. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but unless you want to refine the oil yourself (which you do have a right to do), you've got to pay the market rate.