Who's to blame?
[B]ut blaming Big Oil for high gas prices is a little like blaming McDonald's for obesity.That's very correct. But don't let that get in the way of political grandstanding and a sound-bite collection convention.
Big Oil makes its money by pumping oil out of the ground, not refining and selling it as gasoline. Of Exxon's mammoth haul, only a tiny fraction came from making and selling gas in the U.S.This is where most anti-Big Oil tiraders stick their heads in the ground. OPEC and rising foreign demand on limited supplies? You can't get votes and write a screed about that on a protest sign!!! Stay local! Bitch and moan to your congressman!!
American politicians love to grill big oil execs about the ethics of their business. Stop for a moment and let that irony soak in. Also note that large percent of our Senators and congressfolk probably own stocks or bonds from... oil and gas companies (hint: they're a very solid investment - especially if you like dividends).
But, what they never do is mandate higher mileage standards for cars.
Because Americans love large SUVs, trucks and cars with high horsepower. And all of those things aren't fuel efficient. So rather than look at ourselves, realize that we're the problem and start burning less fuel on our end, we applaud our representative bloviators for really stickin' it to those evil oil CEOs.
So in summary, tired of high gas prices? You can drive a smaller, more efficient car and/or invest in oil and gas companies to recoup some of the expenses of driving.
Just think, with the money you'll save and earn, you can buy that 400HP Corvette you've always wanted!
Cross-posted at Willisms.com
