> Right now, I am kind of tired of the debates and blame being thrown around by politicians and oil executives. It is a hot topic because it is a presidential election year, but, c'mon, we still pay less than everywhere else and use a lot more! It does seem crazy to me, though, that you would have to by $60 for a tank of gas, so I am not begging for increases over here. I just think we look like idiots when we complain about it like we are.

The problem goes far beyond what ordinary citizens pay for gas. The dramatic price increase means significant extra overhead for corporations who need stuff shipped around. Compound that with the Internet shopping boom -- now more and more stuff needs to be shipped around -- and you've got a significant economic problem. Time will tell what will come of this, but the longer the prices remain inflated beyond the norm, the more compounded the possible ramifications. The sooner the prices drop back to what they should be, the better.