Should the price of oil rise?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

This is what OPEC is working on and it pisses me off. No the price of oil is not too low (such a thing does not exist) and should not rise. OPEC should fuck off.

[2952-0-0]

So what can you do? If OPEC wants to restrict production to increase the price no one can stop them.

[John Dibble]

There is no "should" or "should not" here. OPEC sells oil, so it's natural they would want to sell it at a high price. We buy oil, or rather most of us buy things made from it like gasoline, so it's natural that we would want to buy it at a low price. What's desirable depends entirely on your position.

[dead0man]

They should sell it for whatever somebody is willing to buy it for.  If they sell it for too high, they want have a buyer, if they sell it for to low, they won't maximize profits.  Do lefties not take economics in school?

[SPC]

They should sell it for whatever somebody is willing to buy it for.  If they sell it for too high, they want have a buyer, if they sell it for to low, they won't maximize profits.  Do lefties not take economics in school?

[Eraserhead]

If it did, it would probably help us out in the long-term. I sure as hell can't afford it on a personal level right now though.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

No.  But we should get out of oil now, while it's low(er).

[opebo]

Should?  As someone said above, the desired price depends upon your perspective.

OPEC should try to keep the price at around $30-80 per barrel, adjusting upwards in 'good times', and downwards in bad.  So right now $30-40 is a good target during the current depression.  It was bad policy to allow the price to rise to $140, but I'm not sure they could stop it - certainly they should have been pumping all out during that period.. anyone know if they were? 

I don't think that it is that important to keep the price low to prevent the development of alternate sources, as those are quite impractical and would be more in the $100+/barrel range equivalent.  Even in the very unlikely event that oil lost some of its marketability as an energy source, in the very long run, it will retain a great deal of value for other uses (industrial, agricultural, etc.). 

[Countess Anya of the North Parish]

Yes the prices should rise. It would help public transportation. Also it would also give the hybrids more attention. People don't have money to burn now so they would look at other options.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     The prices should do what the prices do. If they rise, they rise & if they fall, they fall.

[Countess Anya of the North Parish]

     The prices should do what the prices do. If they rise, they rise & if they fall, they fall.

But the higher they are the more we will look for other sources.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     The prices should do what the prices do. If they rise, they rise & if they fall, they fall.

But the higher they are the more we will look for other sources.

     When gasoline runs out, people will look for other sources anyway. If they look for it sooner, they can spare themselves the total economic collapse that that entails, but people should really only do it if they are smart enough to do it on their own. They shouldn't have to be directed to do so.

[Countess Anya of the North Parish]

     The prices should do what the prices do. If they rise, they rise & if they fall, they fall.

But the higher they are the more we will look for other sources.

     When gasoline runs out, people will look for other sources anyway. If they look for it sooner, they can spare themselves the total economic collapse that that entails, but people should really only do it if they are smart enough to do it on their own. They shouldn't have to be directed to do so.

Sometimes we should steer people towards doing things. But sometimes we should not. This is one of the things that we should steer them.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     The prices should do what the prices do. If they rise, they rise & if they fall, they fall.

But the higher they are the more we will look for other sources.

     When gasoline runs out, people will look for other sources anyway. If they look for it sooner, they can spare themselves the total economic collapse that that entails, but people should really only do it if they are smart enough to do it on their own. They shouldn't have to be directed to do so.

Sometimes we should steer people towards doing things. But sometimes we should not. This is one of the things that we should steer them.

     Meh. Sounds too much like economic populism to me. You're welcome to like it, though.

[Countess Anya of the North Parish]

     The prices should do what the prices do. If they rise, they rise & if they fall, they fall.

But the higher they are the more we will look for other sources.

     When gasoline runs out, people will look for other sources anyway. If they look for it sooner, they can spare themselves the total economic collapse that that entails, but people should really only do it if they are smart enough to do it on their own. They shouldn't have to be directed to do so.

Sometimes we should steer people towards doing things. But sometimes we should not. This is one of the things that we should steer them.

     Meh. Sounds too much like economic populism to me. You're welcome to like it, though.

Ok. what do you think should happen?

[Franzl]

     The prices should do what the prices do. If they rise, they rise & if they fall, they fall.

But the higher they are the more we will look for other sources.

     When gasoline runs out, people will look for other sources anyway. If they look for it sooner, they can spare themselves the total economic collapse that that entails, but people should really only do it if they are smart enough to do it on their own. They shouldn't have to be directed to do so.

Sometimes we should steer people towards doing things. But sometimes we should not. This is one of the things that we should steer them.

     Meh. Sounds too much like economic populism to me. You're welcome to like it, though.

Ok. what do you think should happen?

he already stated what he thinks should happen. Nothing. And I agree.

[opebo]

     The prices should do what the prices do. If they rise, they rise & if they fall, they fall.

The whole purpose of the cartel is to try to influence said prices, Pit.

[dead0man]

Where did he say otherwise?

[Matt Damon™]

Breaking up OPEC by force and seizing the oil deposits would be perfectly justified. Until we get off of oil in a few decades it's vital to keep the flow going.

[dead0man]

The only way that would be even remotely justifiable would be if we were in a major war with somebody else and the easy way for us to win would be to have that oil (or deny it from our enemy).  Even then it would be sketchy.