Reply #21: All of the models predict large price fluctuations

[depakid]

which is part of the underlying problem.

Even so, Ben Stein is, shall we say, less than credible in his assertions, and there's been a great deal of overt market manipulation going on for a long time- but especially in the last decade. It will continue, and people will continue to be suckered by people like Stein into thinking that all of the profits and price gouging are due to "free" market mechanisms.

The "personal responsibility" memes especially crack me up- as if demand for petroleum is magically subject to substitution or can somehow become a great deal more elastic for the vast majority of people.