Ash256, yes we do have it good here for gas prices, but there are a lot of reasons for recession and such, just not your petrol prices.

Jack, yes I would believe it. Here is one thought also... what is oil made of? That process continues. The supply is inifite on the earth as long as the earth continues to function as a closed ecosystem the way it does... the problem with that inifinity is time. The time it takes for oil/gas/petroleum products to be produced in nature will not keep up with our removal of it. So the supply technically is infinite, in a sense. Though that isn't what you meant

Spoon, what my problem with your luxury statement is... Why would it be right to government mandate that I spend money on a charity? Then it isn't a charity, it is a tax. I know it was a fantasy scenario, but I can't think of one way to make it work where you take from one to supply another and can make that fair? I'm just trying to understand... again relating it to poker, why is it fair that you win so much and I don't? Shouldn't you hit a win 'quota' and then be forced to lose to me?

And lastly, yes, Oil companies make huge profits... 2-6% of a billion is a lot more than 2-6% of say $50,000. The fact of what the total is doesn't matter. Here is what matters. You I am sure have insurance or a 401k or other stock/financial plans. Those plans/assets are often tied to the oil companies... and if you cut their profits you hurt yourself. Also, you reduce the incentive for them to be in business. While this is basic, it is the root of the issue. With thousands of employees, hundreds of thousands if not millions of shareholders, Oil companies are in it for profit... as they should be. They need to make a profit to satisfy all of those people. Without shareholders, employees, they go out of business. Then supply dwindles because fewer producers, thus prices rise even more drastically... everything is interconnected. Controlling one thing won't control the others except to have the opposite effect.

And anyway, even if the oil companies are say making 10% on their products... do we want them to stop?