do you think that the price of crude/gasoline would decrease if we pulled out of iraq or if bush stepped down?
364050
no.\nbecause the root cause of gas prices in the world is shortage of supply.\n\nthis is mostly because oil reifineries conviently shut down or do not produce enough to meet demand. (all compainies have to do is agree to all inflate prices and everyone benifits)\n\nthe other problem is that big countries like China are buying up huge quanties of oil... which make there less supply and thus greater demand \n\nand price jack up...but never underestimate greed\n\nin iraq we control thier oil. if bush steped down cheney would still let the oil companies rip you off.\n\nwhy do you think all his energy meetings were secret and the white went to court to  prevent freedom of information acts
114774
Anyone who believes OIL had nothing to do with the Bush Decision is living in a fantasy world.\n\nOn the other hand the author of the second article ,Amir Butler,e xecutive director of the Australian Muslim Public Affairs Committee (AMPAC), obviously didn't realise how unsuccessful  we would be as shown by the quote below, Cetainly $36 billion for exxon is not a short term reduction.\n\n"An American-backed junta in Iraq would also enable the US to smash OPEC's hold over oil prices. The US or its client regime could increase Iraqi oil production to levels well beyond OPEC quotas, driving prices\ndown worldwide and weakening the economies of the oil producing nations,thus lessening their likelihood of abandoning the dollar. It would have the short term effect of reducing the profits of domestic oil companies, but the long term effect of securing America's economic hegemony."\n\nHe continues on "The frequently offered canard of the Left that this war is being fought to secure oil revenues for American oil companies may have some truth to\nit. However, a more plausible explanation may be that the Bush administration is waging war to protect the dollar and smash the OPEC hold over international oil prices. It's a war whose purpose is bigger than Halliburton or Exxon: it's a war being fought to maintain America's\nposition in the world.\n\nIn hindsight it certainly looks like exxon and Halliburton to me as America's position in the world has only taken a beating
616003
Um... well, that'd be good for us - the Euro is worth less than the U.S. Dollar, right now.  We'd get more oil for less money.
2776
i believe that a slow and thorough withdrawl over a period of the next year is the only way out of iraq.  we made the mess, and now we MUST do our best to leave them with a non-explosive situation once we are gone.  many of the iraq's don't want us there, but are afraid of an immediate withdrawl will land their society into the hands of the political extremes and possibly fundamentalist elements.  we cannot pull out now, but over time with control.
508834
I would just like to start off by saying that Bush has no power over the price of gas.  This last gas spike was calsed by Iran uping the price of there gas.  Becuse they know the U.S. don't want them to have WMD.  So they up our's and give cheaper gas to countrys they want or there side.\n\nWhen the gas price goes up the people who make the gas dont make more monney.
430448
I think we will probably see gas go to $3.75 a gallon this summer.  I drove to New York this past weekend and a gallon of regular gas was $2.80 and super was $3.05 (Ultra was $3.11)   I really feel sorry for all those people with their super big SUV's.  I think that as long as we keep on making these large cars that are like houses on wheels and keep paying to fuel up the prices are not going to come down...  just think what will happen if Iraq gets sanctions imposed on them by the west....
989569
Truthfully and without sarcasm: no. Plain and simple. The hike in gas isn't just because of us invading Iraq. More and more people are using gas: it's the law of supply and demand. If the demand for a product goes up and there's a little supply (there really isn't a small supply, but these countries have to supply the whole world) the price goes up. Plus, with us being in the Middle East, other huge oil producing countries like Iran--especially with the controversy over their nuclear weapons program--might sell less oil to us, thus lowering the supply with the high demand, increasing the price.  And as long as the American people can and will pay for the gas, they'll keep selling it.  Also, as a result of whatever sanctions or mandates are out there on some foreign oils, prices will go up.  Just because there are oil fields in Iraq, doesn't mean that we went in there for that. Why would we do that? If the gas prices were moderate while Saddam was in power, without this huge hike in prices, why would we go in there specifically for oil? What would you do if you suspected a foreign power was invading you to overthrow you, take your money from the oil away and put it in their pockets? You'd do the same thing Saddam was doing (sabotaging oil fields and the pipelines).  The only reason why the oil prices went up to begin with during the Invasion was because Saddam felt that he wasn't doing anything wrong (like the genocide, even building up his military) and that the only reason the Coalition (led by the U.S.) was invading his country was because of the oil. And when the oil prices get high enough, don't you think people will find different venues around them? Like more carpooling, public transportation, bicycles. I know when they get so high that it's really burning a whole in my pocket, I'm buying a train pass.
871653
Doesn't matter.  We need oil and will burn oil. If the recent price gouging did nothing to curtail our oil use I don't think the oil companies have to worry about loosing any business any time soon.
688162
In regards to Bush leaving, it depends on who would replace him. As for the world being better off with out the entire USA, I guess much of the world would have serious financial problems considering how much money, food, and aid the USA gives to everyone else.
283967
Well, the invasion of Iraq may have occured because of that in part. However, the securing of oil reserves is also part of it.  The Peak of Oil production has limited the remaining oil in the world to approximately 1 trillion barrels, that means as more is pumped out there will be less for increasing demand. (Picture the top of a bell curve)  Holding onto oil allows for the continued supply.\n\n   As for the bourse coming online at the end of this week in Iran, it may lead to the dumping of US currencies by countries like China and Russia as well as the European Union.  These state actors won't dump all their currency, but since China holds over 800 million US dollars, they may divest a few hundred million in order to pick up Euros a more stable currency that has far less debt behind it. (Over 8 Trillion dollars if you've been following the news).  The result is a devaluation of the US currency and inflation to prop it up.  \n   Will the USA go into Iran?  I doubt it, it's 3 times the size of Iraq and the US does not have the military to put soldiers on the ground to hold what it might initially be able to take.  Also, since Iraq and Iran are, for religious reasons far closer than than have ever been, the prospect of fighting a mass uprising in Iraq while in Iran is too real to consider.  \n   There have been suggestions of nuclear weapons being used to neutralize threats.  I doubt the USA wants the political fall-out domestically and internationally to let the nuclear genie out of the bottle again.  \n  Will oil be sold in Euros?  Almost certainly, will it negatively affect the US economy, definitely.  Can it be moderated?  Possibly, by negotiating with Iran to sell in Euros in increments.  Will negotiations take place?  It doesn't seem likely given the current political tone.  Is it a mess?  One like that hasn't been seen since World War 2.
724775
The chances that big oil has tried to influence the election by selling cut rate gas are pretty high. I am sure they can see that a Republican House and Senate is definitely an advantage to them. As is, the the Dems will make some gains, but no where near what they would if gas was above $3.\n\nI don't think they would let it be so obvious by letting the price rise to $3 by Jan 1. But, $3 by July 1, 2007? Very likely.
1048038
I think Iraq will come to peace when we leave them alone. The only reason we are there is to get their oil. Before she worked for the gov. Condileeza Rice worked for Chevron with her expertise being the middle east. Sound funny to you? Read the article "The Price of Oil" printed in the New Yorker Magazine years ago. It tells how after the fall of the Soviet Union all the big oil companies starting buying or bribeing their way into all the oil in the middle east. Guess who did some of that dirty work? Condi. Also Check out the book "The Grand Chessboard: American primasy and it's geostrategic imperatives" written 1997 by Jimmy Carter's national security advisor and also a cofounder of the trilateral commission. Ironically enough he outlines where exactly the next big conflict would be. And quess what? We are smack dab where he said we would be. Bush just needed a reason (9/11-yes he had prior knowledge but with trillions $ on the line do you think he'd stop it?) for public support to send our troops over to secure all that wealth. As far as the continuing wars. I think that we will invade whoever we want in order to get what we want. So until we have control of all the oil we will be in the middle east for a long time.
671618
George Bush has nothing to do with the gas prices. OPEC does. He's the US President, not God and ruler of all the world.
409202
no, the more we war with the middle east, the higher prices are gonna go. south america is laughing because they arent gonna sell to us either. we are alienating ourselves. by this, we'll choke off any oil contacts & grind our production, tranportation & economy to a halt. uk isnt gonna back us anymore, we lost any european alies with the last iraq campaign, the saudis have other customers & dont necesarilly need us & irael has always sabbotaged usa, obviously not our friend. we have 20 years of oil at best here at home. china & russia wont buddy up. who do we have left. we're wedging ourselves into a position of having to attack & steal. yeh, the global economy will change in the near future, for the worst.
30554
No oil prices won't drop and the oil companies will continue making huge profits. Bush has interests in oil companies thats why the prices began climbing, the day he came into office. Katrina was a legit excuse for raising prices so oil companies won't let go of this excuse.
1094896
Yes, there's an effect, but no it won't affect today's price.  It takes a while for the cheaper oil to make its easy through the refineries and actually get to the gas station, so there's a bit of lag time.\n\nThere's a decent article here about prices: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5365439
143318
Our troops would get to come home. People would stop dying for a LIE. We would stop spending billions on somebody else's country. (Wasn't the OIL supposed to pay for the war?) We would stop giving the cushy contracts to Halibutron at taxpayer expense. We would get to spend some of the money going to Iraq on domestic problems: pick your favorite, we have enough domestic problems to go around. Need I go on?