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[randomness]

From http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121625520953660253.html

"Some free markets are apparently freer than others: The price of oil is free to fall, while the stock price of a bank is free to rise.

"That is one takeaway from Washington's recent response to market turmoil. By singling out "speculators" who want to push bank stocks down and oil prices up, lawmakers and policy makers reinforce a message that the free market is a wonderful thing as long as it isn't going against you."

Comments

Precisely

[fin9901.livejournal.com]

Personally, I take it even further than that. To my mind, we don't need the government ordering us to conserve energy or invest in renewable resources or any of that-- the price of oil is doing that all on its own. Just look at the resale prices of SUVs; in 1994 a friend of mine in Oklahoma (namely Charlie_Tuna) could have sold his 1-year-old SUV for more than he paid for it, now SUV prices are in the toilet.