You get mad at them when gas is starting to push $4 / gallon
and the oil companies keep reporting ' record profits ' to
the tune of multi-billion dollars.

Most of the other companies you listed sell what I call
'optional' merchandise. You don't have to purchase any of
it in the event you can't afford it.

Gasoline, on the other hand, is like insurance. It's one
of those things you cannot do without. The oil companies
know this, and price it accordingly. What are you going
to do? Not buy any ? Good luck with that.

The percentage of people who can live without a
gas powered vehicle in the US is laughable.
For probably 95%+ of Americans, no vehicle =
no job = no money = very sh*tty life.

Oil and it's derivatives are critical resources and
should have some serious oversight in just how freely
the price can swing.

However, while the greedy bastages that are Big Oil
rake in billions and the expense of the rest of us, one
of the primary reasons for high priced gasoline is the
falling dollar.

As the dollar continues to plummet vs other world currency,
the price of just about everything is going to go into
orbit. Oil just happens to be in the spotlight atm.