by Lou Rountree

Created on: June 29, 2008

The first to explore the rise in gas prices were the Pennsylvania oil pioneers who invested their time and effort to fill the need for fuel oil. This was the birth of an industry. Because of the use of oil for the automobile, the industry grew into the giant industry of today. With a pattern of increased supply the demand for oil came with increases of price to cover investments and profit. The popular trends were intertwined with having the horseless carriages as a matter of prestige and convenience.

As distillation techniques were improved more side products of oil were in demand for axel grease, skin lotions for beauty and health along with many products which were improved by inclusion of oil by products in their process. Thus the burgeoning oil industry experienced a good foundation which showed promise of great longevity.

The adventures of oil wildcatters and their roll of the dice to become rich were not without an investment of ingenuity, courage and a good work ethic. Determining where to drill to obtain a successful oil strike was a gamble in the early days and to this day there are dry fields and those not capable of profitable operation. This was just another exploration of oil as a business and a means to wealth.

Conservationists thrill seekers and those in pursuit of wealth soon began to exceed the boundaries of the US and explore in foreign countries for oil. The countries lucky enough to have oil on their land were happy to explore a path to increases of individual bank accounts as well as national monetary gains. With American know how a great many countries were beneficiaries of the oil boom. Again, this was an expanding market for oil and wealth and with the money involved should have resulted in many improvements in foreign countries. Unfortunately, many of the countries, especially in the Mid East and South America were not lucky enough to be Democracies and the money was often dispensed on the whims of dictators and tyrants.

Another parallel of oil exploration was the political use of oil both, internationally and domestically. This has involved wars and attempts of the takeover of countries around the world. Unfortunately, in the United States the current political use of oil is being used to select the President of the United States. The liberally controlled US Congress has refused to cooperate in supplying enough oil at a reasonable price for the past eight years. The liberals have a political "win at any cost" program well in place

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