Should oil company executives be behind bars for gasoline price hanky-panky?

I think the high gasoline prices are a bunch of hanky-panky. There is no reason for the high gasoline prices other than the oil companies' monopoly. They can charge what they want, and people will pay. The oil company executives should spend the rest of their lives behind bars.Should oil company executives be behind bars for gasoline price hanky-panky?
Oil company's do not have a monopoly as they compete with one another. Why is it their fault that they are good at business. They see Americans with cars that have horrid fuel efficiency (which means they must be willing to pay for gas) and charge them for their choices. Nothings wrong with that you communist.Should oil company executives be behind bars for gasoline price hanky-panky?
Well, this wouldn't solve the problem of prison overcrowding since you'd have to include all of the politicians. In Illinois we are getting hit hard by Ameren and the high gas prices. So, if we were to put the people in charge of the gas prices in prison, then we should do the same with the law makers, and Ameren.
No. No. Nonono! As a building requires a foundation, so an action must start on a good, solid footing. First, clean up corruption in goverment.





This of course means the criminal use of technologies at civilian level, attendant criminals such as political police, mouthpiece stooges and the like. Everything else will follow suit! Nifty, huh?!
Are you aware that oil companies cannot control demand for gasoline? But they can control supply! What they do to increase the value of gasoline and make billions is to reduce the supply of oil while demand stays steady. They can't dramatically decrease supply because that would be suicidal (they do it little by little - just enough to slightly increase the gasoline prices). This is market science and is not illegal but can be unethical.


What Americans need to do is reduce their fuel demand (significantly if necessary)! Buy more fuel efficient vehicles (hybrids or even E85 vehicles) rather than those gas-gusling SUVs and pickups - then they wouldn't need to complain so much. Carpool or take public transportation to the zoo, the aquarium, and other recreational sites (buses always run in these places).
Calm down there tough guy. You have to understand some of the basics of supply and demand before you start issuing charges as such without any proof.





First of all at least I believe this is historically true, as the price of gasoline began to increase - the usage decreased, makes sense, the more something costs, the less people buy it, the price may fluctuate seasonally or over a period of time but you'll eventually hit equalibrium based on the price the market can bear.





However in this case, we see gas prices rising to record highs with no sign of prices decreasing. Why? For 3 reasons I believe:





A. I believe that the number of gasoline buyers and the way in which they pay for gas is different than just a few years ago. I dont believe that as many people are paying for their own gas as they were 5 or 10 years ago - either they're on a gasoline allowance at their job or they're employer is paying their gasoline costs outright - the result of which keeps demand high regardless of price. I care less about cost when I'm buying something I dont have to pay for.





B. Borrowing, I believe more americans are borrowing more then ever before and they simply cannot change their gasoline consumption habits as they have in the past. When prices increased in the past people would by more fuel effecient cars, that does not seem to be the case this time around, perhaps b/c peoples credit is maxxed out





C. Gasoline is essentially a monopoly, outside of biking, walking or bussing to work, there is really no other way to get around effeciently. Thus they can 'get away' with charging more.





The idea that they should lower their costs for the common good is childish, should a Medical Doctor do the same? Should a drug company do the same?
No
yes they should! as well as bush, we will be paying over $4 a gallon here soon.
The oil companies are doing what they need to do as a business. Make money and keep the shareholders happy.





If you had a product that everyone needed you would want to and should have every right to charge what you wanted. This is the basis of our economic system and this is why we are one of the richest countries in the world.





Now is the time to be investing in oil companies and making the money as well. Oil prices will not be this way forever. Like everything else in our economic system, the prices will fluctuate.