I beg your pardon? How did you arrive at that conclusion from a bunch of links?
1. The title is designed to shock and even uses that word explicitly.
2. Everything you said deals with a future contingency, not reality.
If you are one of those people who like dealing with future contingencies, you can engage today into plenty of action without dragging into this activity the "unsuspecting citizens" here on FR: trade oil futures.
In sum you pose a question of speculation as if it were a question of economics. There is no new information in your post but a great deal of emotion-provoking "facts."
( Sign in Atlanta, Ga... )
In compelling 'Oil Storm,' we pay at the pump(FLASHBACK: 6/5/2005)
North Carolina could be out of gas in a week. -- The Gov froze prices four hours ago to stop gouging after we had already run out of gas in this area.
Don't you see the connection between the two? Had they not frozen prices -- then the sellers could have raised prices (had they understood the market) and prevented panic-purchasing. Only those who need gas would pay $5.00 a gallon. Those who are just panic-purchasing would lay off for a while until the supply is replenished. There would still be gas available. When the supply is replenished, then the prices would come back down.
U.S. Calms Surging Oil Prices (Intervention Bold but Risky Move)
20 oil rigs missing in Gulf of Mexico: US Coast Guard -- The Feds should immediately authorize drilling in ANWR, offshore anywhere in CA and FL, and the construction of the Cape Wind Project (to spite those Limousine Liberals in Nantucket). And next-generation Nuclear...
Katrina-caused natural gas shortage fuels conservation call (Florida)
Michael Savage calls for price controls on gasoline
Orange County School District Running Out Of Gas
Rush Limbaugh: Capitalists, Not Environmentalists Will Rebuild
What is happening with gas in your area?
Text of Perdue's planned remarks about Hurricane Katrina (Georgia)
The best response right now is calm and conservation.
Don't go top off your tank. Just continue with your normal fueling habits.
I encourage employers to make greater use of telework in the coming days.