[Dog Gone]

I've followed this particular conspiracy theory and have commented on a few threads. To me, it all comes down to this one particular line in the article above:

Also, many thinkers are comfortable with the conditioned response that dates back to Ida Tarbell vs. Standard Oil: When in Doubt, Blame Oil First.

Even normally sane Freepers often have this response. Every time gasoline prices rise in this country, many here blame it on a conspiracy of Big Oil. Yet, they are silent when gasoline prices fall 40 cents a gallon like they have in the last 3 months. You might think that if Big Oil were so powerful, they wouldn't allow that to happen.

Big Oil is the favorite target of the left and they use it as a whipping boy whenever they can. Most of us grew up learning nothing but hostility toward oil companies, because that is the mindset of the media. We didn't have Free Republic around when we were kids to provide a truth check to what we were being told.

Anyway, these conspiracy theories are a crock and more people are becoming educated enough to understand that. There will still be some who continue to blame oil for everything and I'll continue to comment whenever I think it will be helpful.

Thanks for the flag!

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Personally, I would love for the local gasoline stations to publish the federal, state, and local taxes which they are forced to charge at the pump along with the actual price of gasoline.  That would give people a real feel for the actual cost of gasoline...