The memo's of the greedy oil companies is by no means a conspiracy but fact. Do your own research. There is cynical reasoning behind attacking this illusive issue and an effort has been launched to conceal the truth.Thusly, rather than argue the point further here are some of the details as disclosed by (FTCR):


"US oil giants planned to manipulate gas prices, memos reveal
08-09-05 Three major companies each discussed strategies for manipulating pump prices and profit margins long before the current “crisis,” adding fuel to the fire raging over suspicion of present-day manoeuvring and gouging.
As oil prices rose over the last several years, some domestic oil companies decided to reduce output, causing prices to spike even higher, according to internal memos from three major fuel companies by a consumer watchdog organization.

The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), a California-based consumer watchdog, published corporate memos showing a purposeful effort to reduce domestic gasoline production on the part of three major oil companies: Mobil, Texaco and Chevron.
Organizations keeping an eye on the oil industry have insisted that the recent rise in gasoline costs is due, in part, to an intentional effort by oil companies to keep prices high and profit margins wide.
"Large oil companies have for a decade artificially shorted the gasoline market to drive up prices," FTCR President Jamie Court said. "Oil companies know they can make more money by making less gasoline."

The three memos, all from 1996, provide evidence for such claims that reduced refining capacity in the US -- a major factor in the price of gasoline -- is no accident, but instead has been engineered by the oil industry.
The March 1996 memo from Texaco reads: "As observed over the last few years, and as projected well into the future, the most critical factor facing the refining industry on the West Coast is the surplus refining capacity, and the surplus gasoline production capacity…. This results in very poor refinery margins and very poor refinery financial results. Significant events need to occur to assist in reducing supplies and/or increasing the demand for gasoline."

An internal document from Mobil shows that company was thinking along the same lines and sought to prevent a smaller, out-of-business competitor from obtaining an environmental waiver, reopening and selling cheaper fuel.
"Needless to say, we would all like to see Powerine stay down," a Mobile employee wrote. "Full court press is warranted in this case and I know Brian and Chuck are working this hard. One other thought, if they do start up, depending on circumstances, might be worth buying out their production and marketing ourselves. Especially if they start to market below our incremental cost of production."

For its part, Chevron was also thinking about how restricting refinery capacity would affect prices.
"A senior energy analyst at the recent API convention warned that if the US petroleum industry doesn’t reduce its refining capacity, it will never see any substantial increase in refining margins," noted an internal document.

Other companies have been implicated in price manipulation through adjusting refinery capacity as well. Last year, FTCR began an ultimately successful battle to prevent Shell Oil from shuttering its Bakersfield, California refinery following the disclosure of a number of documents allegedly demonstrating the company’s desire to manipulate the fuel market.
Oil costs have been generally rising slowly and steadily for the past several years, with an accelerated yearly growth since 2002, according to data from the US Department of Energy. Prices dropped between 1997 and 1999 and again from 2001 to 2002."



Source for the above: The NewStandard

Well is it not ironic that economist are starting to agree there is more than supply and demand behind the record breaking profits being made by OPEC. No! Absolutely not! If someone argues to the contrary; be sure to check out his/her investment portfolio there's oil shares in there some where. If the endless supply of worlwide reserves were tapped into gas prices would plunge and look more like Venezuela. Needless, to say unless the American people educate themselves these oil gluttons will continue to thrive using terrorism as a means to take control/imperialize all countries with cheap & abundant oil supply. Thusly, oil supplies will continue to be deliberately wanned and demand in conjuction with grossly inflated futures will swallow any government infastructre whole. Mark my words the truth will come to the light but OPEC will not go down without a fight. Even worse they have already begun building thier own military with the money they continue to steal from the american taxpayer and consumers at the gas pump worldwide.
Without an IRS we the people will not have a self sufficiant government that is accountable to the people. In conjunction with food shortage inflation and America on the brink of a great depresion you the American will be faces with the perfect concoction with which to create an oil controled police state. Sounds extreme; well is it any wonder that the cost of commodities is getting so far out of control and world food supply is being stressed in some countries to the point of war over food? Chaos is most ncessary in order to create a need for a policed government. Americans most move for power or become permanently POWERLESS!

Needless to say in some way or another those countries whose oil prices are unreasonably cheap will be linked in one way or another to terrorist so that ofcourse OPEC can steal thier oil too.The list of fraudulently accused future terrorist with weapons of mass destruction are as follows:

Where gasoline is cheapest
Rank Country Price/gal
1. Venezuela 12 cents
2. Iran 40 cents
3. Saudi Arabia 45 cents
4. Libya 50 cents
5. Swaziland 54 cents
6. Qatar 73 cents
7. Bahrain 81 cents
8. Egypt 89 cents
9. Kuwait 90 cents
10. Seychelles 98 cents

Perhaps amazing to most the oil companies only show about an 8% profit whereas many companies show profits well over 15% or even 20%.

So why do people complain about the oil companies which really aren't making all that much profit compared to their investments?

According to what doctored records.The slick oil company tactics that managed to get America this far into war and debt? Who? What? Trust no greedy companies doctored reports. Wait until a cleaned house Justice Department investigates...

I lived through the Arab oil embargo of years ago. There was a gasoline shortage. There was evidence of a shortage as signs saying "Out of Gas" were seen at many gas stations.

Again it is said that we have a gasoline shortage. I have not seen any signs saying "Out of Gas", at the gas stations. There is no gas shortage, there is just a short memory of what is actually a gas shortage. This is price gouging, not shortage.

OP. Where are your references for your claims? It would be nice to see where that information came from. I am talking about links.

D.

Explination for ya. There is not a shortage in the traditional sense. What we are experiencing here is a bit different.

There were out of gas signs because they were out of gas. Now what is happening is simply this. Demand is high, supply has dropped. We are not running out. It is being held back.

The oil producing countries are intentionally not operating at full capasity so they can drive the market value up. Market value goes up, prices go up. More money can be earned without profit margins going up.

It is not the oil companies, it is the oil producing countries.

__________________
"America is not at war. The U.S. military is at war. America is at the
mall."