Why are gas prices going up and why dont we just get oil from Iraq?
369352
Answer to Question one:  There is strife in Nigeria and Iraq driving gas prices up.  There is also a potential nuclear war brewing between the US and Iran, the forth largest producer.  For some insane reason, the fact that oil prices are skyrocketing isn't causing the powers that be to think twice about causing another war.  Finally, China and India are growing in economic capacity and need oil to build their economies.  \n\nAnswer 2:  Because the insurgents are attacking the oil infrastructure in Iraq and that's Imperialism.  I guess the US could exact tribute from Iraq, but were they to do that, the country would have a revolution within a few minutes and then they wouldn't sell any oil to the US.
581781
There is NOT a supply shortage. Even OPEC and Saudi Arabia are saying there's no shortage. They are saying the gas prices should not be anywhere near as high as they are. What's raising the cost is that oil companies are gouging everyone because they basically have a collective monopoly, even though they're supposed to be in competition with each other. That's why oil companies keep scoring record profits each year while average Americans are getting poorer.
1149237
Government does not raise the price of gas.  A thing called supply and demand controls the gas prices and the price of everything else in our society.
497441
We stole Iraq's oil? When? If that's the case, why am I paying so much for gas? I have an excellent idea. The U.S. should not pay for *anything* in Iraq - no rebuilding whatsoever. Let them use their oil money to pay for it themselves. Our money can be better spent at home.
202996
I have! Oil prices go down and gas goes up. Supplies increase the price at the pump goes up. The 2nd biggest oil deposit in the world comes under U.S. control.... You get the idea. Enough is enough. His friends have all made a buck on this insanity, let's go back to $1.00 a gallon.
491113
There is none, if inflation had followed suit with everything else clothes, food, building supplies etc.It would be over 3 dollars a gallon.The problem is people actually give idiots like micheal moore and al fraken credibility, its uncanny!!!!They have both been proven to be liars.One of the biggest reasons gas prices increase is simply speculative theory!! we went to war for humanitarian reasons, those people want us there they were under dictatorship. clinton sent soliders into Bosnia in 98 and knowone had a problem with that, it was for humanitarian reasons or so we thought.The real problem a lot of people have with this is the time its taking but you cant put a time frame on something like this.
394421
Bush is one of the reasons we have higher gas prices. Don't you think he could do something about them if he wanted to? Remember the last president that had big gas price increases? It was his father, another oil man.\n\nIf people didn't want the price of oil to go up then they shouldn't have elected an oil man!!  Why do you think we are in Iraq? Why do you think the moron is interested in Iran? It's the oil stupid!\n\nHe's bumbling himself into being an extremely wealthy man in the world. Where do you think he will go to work after he leaves office? (BTW, where a president goes after leaving office says a lot about him)
436434
Actually, gas prices in the US are artificially low.  We pay about 1/2 to 1/3 of Europe's prices.  Prices here fluctuate almost arbirarily, but also in accordance with supply and demand, and, of course, the price of oil.  It's precisely because we're in this war over oil that prices has gone up. War makes production and distribution a pain, to say the least.  Other oil producing nations, like Venzuela and Nigeria have also had political distruptions.
1120593
They are but prices for gas right now are through the roof. Try at least $3.50 for a gallon of gas. Everything is more expensive. There are a lot of locals who don't like tourist/ military here.
131248
Consumer economy. Gas has historically been much cheaper than any other source of fuel. When it's price rose in those countries, only THEN did they move to alternative fuels. Same goes for what will happen here. Gas has priced itself out of our market now.
982723
Netta is right.  Also, it means that the Bush's and Cheney's personal pockets will not grow bigger.  If you will do your research, this is how their families made their money.  Bush is against for improving the environment with new technology instead of using oil because if this happens, it hurts their pocket personally.  I am surprise the number of folks in this country who does not see this.  Hopefully our government will now be able to help the country instead of just a few selected rich folks.\n\nScott, who do you think helps drive the price of oil up?  Clinton was not in favor of driving the oil prices up so gasoline stayed a better price. Bush would not use the surplus instead he bought more to drive that price up.  Clinton used the surplus.   I do not think we are so illiterate as you think we are.\n\nHi Scott,\n\nThank you for your response.  I do agree.  But I have attached a couple of links that will tell you the true reasons for the Bush Administration on the oil industry.  Looks like war is the major factor for our oil and gasoline increase.  Both the Bush and Cheney family has personal interest in oil.\n\nhttp://socrates.berkeley.edu/~pdscott/iraq.html\n\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_price_increases_of_2004-2006
464151
It's not the oil thats so high. It's Cheney. He's being like any other republican. GREEDY. I'm saying this cause I am one. He's the reason gas is so high.
486127
Declining oil resources and increased demand for oil and petroleum based products will drive prices up.  No-one would dispute this.  Many are optimistic about the market (see references below).  In fact, the oil industry in the United States has done very well under the circumstances.  Profits are up.  Way Up.\n\nUnlike other commodities, oil is complicated by heavy government involvement.  This tends to muddy the picture.  Political power applied through commercial interests and vast marketing efforts have lead the citizens of the US into a false sense of reality.  For example, the rise in SUV sales during the exact time when vehicles size and mass should be reduced.  Profit motivation coupled with buyer ignorance is not a rational economic path.\n\nGlobalization of the market is also coupled with globalization of the distribution system.  This very well might lead to more development in the area of alternative energy sources.  The most promising of these (at least for the American corn growers) is Ethanol.  This and bio-sourced oil products may hold the key to keeping prices down while allowing for expansion and development of economies worldwide.
290875
the US gets it's oil from  OPEC ( Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countires). This includes Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq and many other middle eastern countires. \nSOme of the oil does come from the south ( texas for example). As to prices google it.
68886
First, you have the price of a barrel of oil. It is set basically by OPEC and the futures market. The oil companies buy oil and this rate and send it to the refineries. Refineries then convert the oil in gasoline (among quite a lot else). Refineries in turn sell the gas to wholesalers. The wholesalers then sell to your local gas station.\n\nMany times you will see stations within a mile of each other with wildly different prices. The reason for this is quite simple: busier stations sell more gas, and therefore buy more gas than a slower station. When prices are going up, for example, the station that sold the gas faster will have to buy the more expensive gas while the slower station still has the less expensive stuff in the ground. Then people rush to the lower-priced station and the whole process repeats.\n\nGas stations make, on average, about 5-10 cents per gallon depending on the market. In short, they make more off the car wash or can of Coke than the 50 gallons of gas you just bought.
841269
I suggest reading 'armed madhouse' by greg palast. In this book he makes the arguement (with footnotes) that the reason we went into Iraq is for the oil. But not to take the oil. No ... we want to keep the oil in Iraq. You see economic supply and demand would dictate that if the second largest oil producing nation was bogged down by an occupation then prices would soar. Hmmmm and how have the oil companies been fairing since the invasion???? Who's side do you think this honest patriot is on?? http://blogs.it/0100206/stories/2004/03/15/houseOfBushHouseOfSaud.html
397625
In general gas prices are high due to the federal and state taxes piled on each gallon (24% last check).  We would be led to believe the technology does not exist to make other sources viable.  This is probably untrue, but the gas companies may have it all tied up.  The answer is we must push aside the environmental wackos and drill for our OWN oil.  There are thousands of years worth of supply in many parts to the US.  Canada does not buy foreign oil, in fact we buy some of ours from them.  All we need to do is start DRILLING.