UCAN

you make very good points my friend, however, it's highly unlikely you would ever find direct evidence of one ceo explicitly talking to another ceo about price manipulation. The reason is: they don't need to. You are right that the pricing similarities are more than pure coincidence, but in today's information economy, there is no shortage of services reporting the price of oil and gas and other information about rival companies. besides, sending a couple of ceos to jail would hardly change the status quo as they would merely be replaced by ceos with the same agenda and slightly more discretion. bush was right when he said your country was "addicted to oil." the part that he conveniently left out is that he and his buddies at shell, exxon, haliburton, gm, ford, lockheed and the rest of the military-industrial complex (including the democrats) are the PUSHERMEN. the oil companies are simply playing the game by the rules set out by the government. and until the interests of consumesr and citizens are put above those of the other "people" (corporations) inhabiting this world, not a whole lot is going to change.