Exactly, although I wouldn't discount the fact of the cheap and falling dollar. The dollar is worth less, for all the reasons stated above and a critical fact is that Oil is priced in dollars.

So...the dollar is worth less; oil is priced in dollars; oil is going to cost more cheaper dollars.

Speculators too are driving up the price; it's sort of what Wall St. and stock markets are all about: buy something at today's prices with the expectation that it will be worth more in the future.

This is a good case where uncontrolled and extreme speculation and greed is hurting the "average man."

It strikes me that this is similar to what I've read about other depressions: Speculation driving price...

Exactly, although I wouldn't discount the fact of the cheap and falling dollar. The dollar is worth less, for all the reasons stated above and a critical fact is that Oil is priced in dollars.

So...the dollar is worth less; oil is priced in dollars; oil is going to cost more cheaper dollars.

Speculators too are driving up the price; it's sort of what Wall St. and stock markets are all about: buy something at today's prices with the expectation that it will be worth more in the future.

This is a good case where uncontrolled and extreme speculation and greed is hurting the "average man."

It strikes me that this is similar to what I've read about other depressions: Speculation driving prices up, inflation, cheaper currency AND some people are actually stopping working --- because, like truck drivers -- when working, driving their trucks with gas at such higher prices -- they are no longer making money. So why work is you're actually losing money?

Also, people are stopping selling products for similar reasons that the cost of making (growing or milking) the products is more than any profit from sales.

Although it is not so obvious to see and often lots hidden behind the scenes (like the Bear Sterns Wall St. scam) it's robbing billions of bucks and the Bush economic policy is exactly similar to the way FEMA helped in New Orelans (they didn't help and have continued to screw up).

The Bush economic policy is exactly the way Bush decided to get bin Laden by making up deliberate lies about WMD's in iraq and leading us into a Trillion Dollar war.

Why should we have expected any different?