You may be driving up the price of oil

response to Geoff-313357:

If our vehicles got 1000 MPG, the price of gas would be $150 / Gal.

BTW if we were talking supply/demand there would be shortages or at least cutbacks. We do not see it. Rather the (speculators) are testing the waters to see when we say"uncle". We have already shown the world that $5/ gallon is no big deal. Keep on going - maybe $10/gallon??

The real reason that we don't hear outrage is that the typical fuel purchaser is under the mistaken impression that this is only temporary.

I'm nearly seventy years old and, after working more than forty of them, hope for a decent number more in comfortable retirement. Yet, I find the thought that my retirement savings might be invested in oil futures to be obscene. If our country's future is put at risk by investments in a commodity that will disappear in the not too distant future, I want no part of it! I'm going to look into what my retirement fund is doing and, if I don't like what I see, theyre going to hear about it. I'd rather flip burgers at Mickey D's than participate in this insanity.

Well, I see the Catch 22 here, but when it comes to investing for your retirement, you have to put money where the prices are rising, and right now oil seems to be the only thing going up. Now, if we can lessen our dependence on oil then the price will go back down and retirement investors can start looking somewhere else to put our old-age cash.

where greed reigns, stupidity follows.....................don't expext things to get better !!!

The imbalance created by this situation should prompt a rethink. If you can only have enough retirement savings by sort of fleecing people (which the current gas price does) then other methods of retirement funding ought to be developped, probably having a mix of funding sources. Private pensions were to relieve the taxpayer from funding old age, but when this structure creates worldwide upheaval and inflation, it must be changed. To reduce the influence from the falling USD, oil barrels need to be priced in a basket of currencies, or something similar. I know that hurts America's pride, but if outcomes are important, like injecting a little more stability into the situation, then this must be done.

Hot dang! I'm calling my broker this morning. Sink more dough in oil! I can be just a greedy as the next guy!

As long as Americans continue to like driving their S(uper) U(seless) V(ehicles)s oil will continue to be an excellent investment.

We aren't driving up the prices of anything. Google "Energy Non Crisis" and watch the 75 minute video. You will hear who is really making the oil prices high. Thank our government for making a deal MANY years ago to buy oil from the Saudi and other countries in US dollars only in exchange for underwriting our national debt (now 8 trillion plus). Why do we have a 200 year supply of oil and natural gas in Alaska not being used? Why are we piping back natural gas into the ground there? Why are we really in Iraq and probably soon in Iran? Is it really Iraqi freedom and nukes? No! Lies from our government for decades all part of a plan by an elite few calling the shots. Google "Lindsey Williams" and read about the man who lived with these elite few for years and has blown the whistle. Wake up people! It's not democrat or republican. They just want you to point the fingers at the wrong people. It's not even the big oil companies. It's the middle man you haven't paid any attention to--yet. World Bank and IMF! One government in the future by design. One currency by design. Check out your Bible if you don't think its coming. People believe too much of what is allowed to be shown and heard on the news. Why should we believe our own government any longer? Because the have been SO honest and responsible with our tax dollars and with our sons and daughters in the military? How many people have to die for the control of oil bearing countries? We can't have Iraq and Iran selling oil to other countries cheap and in other currencies than the US dollar can we? Who will take care of our bill (national debt)? What would happen to our dollar? Who wrote off the third world countries' debts? How could they do it? What is the rest of the story?

Uncontrolled "investment" is a problem for the entire economy. Look at what happened to our retirement plans, both group and personal, when the fed caused the bursting of the dotcom bubble a few years ago. What we need is not a change to allow retirement investment in the stock market (legalized gambling but without the pretty girls and free drinks of Vegas) but to allow us to invest our 401k funds safely, in government bonds and bank CD's. Why aren't we allowed to do that now ?

Allowing companies and commodities to be publicly traded causes everything from outlandish insurance premiums and difficulty in getting claims paid to the current ridiculous fuel costs that are wreaking havoc on the entire economy worldwide.