ExxonMobil, like most oil majors makes about 10 cents profit on every $1 of sales. They could waive all profits and turn into a non-profit corporation and their gas prices would drop maybe 30 cents a gallon — for a short period. But since investment for exploration comes out of earnings, there would be no money to look for new discoveries and soon supplies would get even tighter — and prices higher.

ExxonMobil also pumps about 2% of the oil produced daily in the world. Kind of hard to control prices with that market share. The real “Big Oil” companies are national monopolies like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, and Venezuela. They’re not going to do anything to produce more because they like these high prices, so our only option is to consume less.

So demand is demand and the oil companies know you got to buy one way or the other. Don’t expect them to be good corporate citizens where profits are involved. Would you if you were in their enviable position?? It’s obvious that the oil bunch reached a consensus that they can rake us for what ever they want and are cooperating with each other by suppressing competitive activity between them – you know, it’s bad for business (I wonder if there was another meeting of the commission at Appalachia in upstate NY). I am certain they are feeling out for a pain point now and you can be certain it’s going to get a lot worse.

Here’s what you can do. Exxon/Mobil is the biggest profit taker of them all and is probably leading this assault so they are the ones that need to be targeted. You have to use boycott creatively. People need gas – they need to drive so don’t expect them to leave their cars at home and use a bicycle or the bus. It ain’t gonna happen. But what you can do is buy your gas anywhere else but Exxon/Mobil or anyone who is supplied by Exxon/Mobil. The way to win is to single out one of the oil cans to show the others what can happen to them if they play these games. The beauty of it is that it fucks up Exxon/Mobil in a way they can’t easily recover from. Oh sure, they will lower their prices temporarily to get you back and many people will take advantage of that but the moment they bring their prices back up, you boycott them again. They are constantly running a deficit because they can never make up for the losses of gas sales sold at lower prices and if the boycott is widely respected by americans, the only way Exxon/Mobil can sell gas is if it is at lower prices than the others. They will be forced to keep their prices lower which will force the other oil cans to match up with. When that happens, Exxon/Mobil gets boycotted again and the downward price cycle starts all over. In the mean time Exxon/Mobil retailers will start jumping ship further aggravating the backlash situation for Exxon/Mobil.

I think it can work if the boycott gets good enough traction but I am a busy business man who really would like to but can’t afford the commitment to make this thing work. It needs someone who can spend some time getting the word out . Please send this plan to whomever you think can help get it rolling.

Albert