It takes time to take a misrepresentation of authentic facts, turn it into propaganda and then hear prestigious and distinguished voices talk their truth which has grown out of the original fallacy. History is littered with examples how cults, religions, financial skullduggery and political parties, succeeded in fooling most people, for a period of time.

The Nazi cult is a prime example how death and destruction can emanate from a spiritual belief. Yes, the Nazi party was founded on spiritual principles that became distorted by lies and propaganda to the extent that millions of followers believed in it as their truth. There are numerous other past examples in many areas of mortal existence that brought misery and suffering to humanity.

In the past twenty years many financial markets have brought agony and distress to millions of people who bought into the notion:"It is different this time."The fact is it is never different, rather, the intellectual cleverness of a few experts managed to convince the majority of investors to follow what seemed to be financial reason and logic. Certainly, it is very hard for the average person to question folks who are well respected leaders in their field of expertise.

So how can anyone determine what is truth and what is just propaganda dressed up by people with the mastery to induce people to follow their advice? Even many experts honestly believe they are speaking truth when they say prices should go to US$200.00 if oil demand keeps outstripping supply.

The dot com boom and bust, the housing boom and bust are two up-to-date examples of how people got sidetracked. Now we are at the pinnacle of the oil boom and the bust is yet to materialize. All fallacies in the monetary world depend of fear and greed to feed their audience. That is why greed makes for strange bedfellows. There are a few select groups who are making piles of money while economies all around the world are facing increasing hardship.

The experts and speculators will argue we need free markets and any interference will take away free trade. Well, in many cases they may be correct, however, when it comes to essential commodities of food and energy they are completely out of order. The criteria they base their rationale is, demand outstripping supply, so prices have to rise. Well, under the present method of commodity pricing they have a point. But the question nobody is addressing is, how fair and proper is the commodity market system at balancing the scales of what is deemed to be ethical and moral.

At the end of World War Two, in the UK, people were given ration books so that nobody went hungry. Everyone got their fair share and there was no price gouging. If we do have a future shortage of oil, (which may be twenty years from now if no new discoveries are made) then hiking the prices will not stop it. It will only make the speculators rich and the rest of the world poorer in wealth and spirit.

Just for clarity for the dexterous folks who state there is no excessive speculation in oil, any futures contract in the oil market, no matter where is comes from, is a speculation on future prices and in truth, can only be classed as a speculation. Essential commodity markets require new legislation and here are some home truths that are not spun from greed and fear.

1. There has been no shortage of gas at any filling station for the past 10 years yet prices are up 1200% because of futures trading going out more than eight years. Even the Saudi oil minister has recently stated the price of a barrel of oil should be no more than $70.00. Demand from China and India is still far less than that of the USA. The Chinese stock market is down 50% signifying a sharp slow down. This news still is not enough to stop the wild speculators hiking the oil prices.

2. When hurricanes hit Florida many gas stations are closed and there is a real shortage of gas for a few days. However, if a gas station increases its prices they will be prosecuted for price gauging. Therefore, if we take the experts argument that there is a shortage of oil then that still does not give anyone the right to profit from the shortage as this is deemed to be prices gauging. How can the USA governments have double standards and prosecute gas station owners who price gauge and not treat commodity markets in the same manner?

3. Oil is an essential commodity for every day living in the same way as water is an essential commodity. It makes no sense to trade water so why leave oil in the hands of anyone who wants to make a quick buck gambling on prices.

4. Pension and hedge fund managers have invested billions of dollars in oil futures. The futures markets are very volatile, thus, no place for pension funds to risk the money for people who trust them to build future wealth. The fiduciary duty of a pension fund manger is to find reasonable returns with low risk and the commodity markets is not that place.

5. If the price of oil was regulated between $40.00 - $80.00 a barrel, the price could go up and down on supply and demand. This would be fair to everyone, for even when supply was plentiful, the price would not drop below $40.00 which will still give a fair profit to most oil related industries. When oil is in short supply the price would be limited to a ceiling of $80.00 which is more acceptable to world economies.

6. There is a moral issue that greed cannot come before peoples basic needs ... No right-minded, ethical, principled government can allow starvation and financial ruin because of a system of trading that is completely out of control.

7. The price of a barrel of oil effects transport, food supply, industrial production and every part of modern day living. If terrorists wanted to devise a plan to destroy the world economies what better way than finding a method to allow oil to trade at $140.00 a barrel. Why play a game that makes terrorists and anarchists happy.

8. Goodwill to all people is the credo every democratic country is built upon. $140.00 a barrel oil delivers no goodwill. It only brings hardship and political uneasiness.

9. Noble deeds and fair dealing is the hallmark of success for every truly prosperous person. Since the world is made-up from people, where are the noble deeds and fair dealing in the commodity pits?

10. We are all put on Earth to help each other succeed in the pursuit of freedom, liberty and happiness. There is no freedom when people are slaves to greed. There are only liberty takers when oil trades over $80.00 a barrel. And finally financial hardship brings misery and discontent.

The time for change in essential commodity trading is now. To quote a few voices from the past...

"Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor"      --Thomas Jefferson

"For greed all nature is too little."--Seneca

"He who is greedy is always in want."--Horace

"What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?"--Jesus Christ

"Before a person can be found they need to realize they are lost" --Michael Levy