Quote:
Originally posted by smooth
Then it sounds like we agree.
If you are unwilling to engage in a hypothetical, that we are there for oil, and explicate why prices would drop (the contention of the original poster), I can't force you to. But you could have done what I did, which is explain why that wouldn't be the case.
I argue that we are there for oil, but pointed out the lack of connection between crude oil production and consumer gasoline prices.
I think I've made this position clear in each one of my posts in this thread.
I was hoping that, as an economist, you would have stepped up the plate sooner and fleshed out what I was saying from your discipline's perspective instead of offering a one-liner about class-warfare.
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As stated, there is little point in giving an economics lesson on the pricing of oil and its relation to gas prices since the mindset of the general public is one of disinterest. The two are permanently linked in their minds. I've had far too many discussions about the subject to get into another one. Strikes in South America, costs of refining the oil to make gas, increased demand due to colder than normal weather in the Northeastern US, lowered daily production from OPEC members, the tendency for OPEC members to cheat each other and not follow OPEC guidelines, arguments around oil being used to fill US strategic reserves, American's tendency to drive larger vehicles which consume more gas, gasoline taxes, mergers in the petroleum industries, etc, etc, etc. all have impacts.
The war was not only about oil. Does oil play some role in it? Of course. One of the main reasons we went into Kuwait was the fact that Iraq would have controlled an even more substantial amount of the world's oil supply. One of the main reasons we went into Iraq this time was Saddam's continued snubbing of the agreements that ended the Kuwait war.
Class warfare is exactly what you pointed to in your statements about the "elites" making themselves richer. I commented on it, that's what message boards are for.