Can someone please explain the whole blood for oil/invade iran shit?

[Courage the Cowardly Dog]

okay so it's the refineries screwing us?
What's a sped?

[kahljorn]

I would also like an explanation of why gas prices are so high, when they used to be so low.

I just don't understand why gas prices should have increased. There's no causal connection between the war in Iraq and oil prices -- or there shouldn't be any, legitimately. Unless it caused a problem with US foreign trade relations. Or if it's just some type of general economic problem that just happens to influence gas prices. Maybe gas prices were rising before the Iraq war, and I am just assuming that they supposedly have a connection -- that could be a possibility.
Do wars always make gas prices go up? is it basically a tax? has gas or oil gotten more expensive to produce/get? is there a lot less of it because of foreign trade relations? I don't really get it :O

[Preechr]

Adjusted for inflation, gas prices are just now getting up the record high set in 1981. The American government is imperialistic when it meddles in the affairs of other countries, but meddling in the affairs of other countries is what kept oil prices so artificially LOW in the 80s & 90s. Since you guys aren't willing to go read things, I'll keep this pithy and you can just not believe it: Manipulating the oil market was a Cold War tactic used by us to fuck with the USSR and China. Now, we want China and the former Soviet States to grow and flourish, so we are starting to inch closer to paying full price at the pump.

If Exxon Mobil were to "refund" all of it's evil, heinous profit by way of lowering the pump prices for gas, you'd see about a nickel per gallon difference. If that happens, BTW, get ready for prices to double within a year... If you really must be mad at somebody about this relatively minor price adjustment* then start asking your elected officials to kindly remove some of the evil, heinous TAXES they add to each gallon you pump in your beater.

*Prices are set by the law of supply and demand. Once the price controls were removed the price of gas began to rise, and will do so until the demand begins to fall. That has not happened yet. When that day comes, the pump price will be fair. I predict it will look much more like $4 per gallon than today's $3, which is still less per unit than we pay for beverages.