Are oil companies controlling the world economy.

[waynne]

It would appear to many that the oil companies (countries) are controlling the world (Discuss). Is this just idle speculation. How much are market forces at play here? Every time we buy a new item we are contributing money to the oil companies via manufacturing costs or delivery costs. Are we too dependent on oil now? Will we kick the habit?

An oil commentator predicts the cost of a barrel of crude oil will hit $300 by 2012? This could mean petrol prices around £4 per litre. What effect do you think this will have if this prediction is accurate?

[pgarner]

yes we are to dependant on oil. nearly everything you use has used or made form oil at somepoint in its production.

sticking with the scottish fuel crisis, the grangemouth oil refinery make £3million pre tax per DAY.
oil currently sits at around $118 a barrel it was around $80 a year ago. so it wouldnt surprise me. they could get away with charging that now and we would still buy it.

the old saying of the rich get richer the poor poorer springs to mind

soon well not be able to afford oil. look around. old people are freezing as they cant afford it. more and more people are giving up the car as they cant afford fuel. gas and leccy have both went crazy in the last few years

[Shao]

Tbh its time there was another fuel protest - nobody seems to be kicking a stink up about the fact were paying nearly £5 a sodding gallon! yes I know that crude is dear but the bloody government could take a hit in tax - as the higher the crude is anyway they get more VAT - which motorways shall we block

[pgarner]

thats an easy one. block the M25 that more or less brings London to a standstill
next M6 and M74 as its the main north south road, M8 along with the M74 would bring most of scotland down. and the A1 ( if you can get from london to edinburgh on 1 road it must be shut ) any ideas about any others in england

but please note its illigal to block a road, instead you need drive really slow. 15-20mph on A roads and 35 on the motorway

[waynne]

The M25 is blocked most days anyway! If the Government lose tax from fuel revenue we can be sure they will add it on somewhere else.

[Prince]

£4 per litre is a rip off! It could cause a lot of people to stop driving because of the costs! Sodding government!

What replacements are there for oil though?

[waynne]

We could buy horses like that guy in the news section! (I'd need at least 4 horsepower, maybe a few shire horses crossed with shetland ponies so I can have a lowered look )

[Prince]

We could give them huge chrome shoes and strap a sound system to their back!

[waynne]

The price of oats will shoot up to £1.10 per litre!

[HDi fun]

Rather than block the roads, why not all have a 'green' day. Let me explain:
Stay in, wrap up warm; turn off central heating.

Don't cook. No lights until absolutely essential.

Don't drive, don't buy fuel.

Don't go to work (take unpaid leave so that's a whole days income tax gone from the entire working population). Don't go on a jolly either - theme parks pay VAT.

Basically, do NOTHING from which the government reaps any financial reward.

It would only take a couple of days of this to bring the government to its knees.

[Shao]

yes but unfortunatley it takes everyone to do that (or at least half the population) and a lot of people are "too comfortable"