so by your point of view, the oil companies have the RIGHT to brutalize the world economy with artificially inflated prices because that is the capatalist way ? it has nothing to do with actual supply and demand, they are supplying the demand as we speak, only at much higher prices. it has everything to do with control of the supply thereby controling the demand they made a profit when gas sold for $10.00 a barrel. Exxon just posted the largest single quarter profit in the history of the WORLD! 11 billion dollars! why do you think gouging will be hard to prove? the largest single quarter profit in history IS THE PROOF!