My prediction that gas prices at the pump could easily be driven to $5.00 a gallon by the forthcoming holiday apparently is not going to come true. An actual decrease in the price has been the chosen strategy of the powers that be, at least for a while. Let us not be fooled into thinking that is indicative of market forces at work, as the oil companies claim. Rather, it is only further proof that manipulation and price-fixing is the general rule.

Let us take all those TV ads placed by somewhat unfamiliar, or at least not so well known oil company names in the past few months. Without actually specifying whether the companies were refineries, producers, suppliers, a combination of these, and most importantly whether or not they were subsidiaries of more familiar big fish, they presented themselves as kinder, gentler, cleaner, and most of all concerned about our plight. Bollocks!

This obviously concerted and coordinated public relations campaign at a time when gasoline prices were going up, smacks of a unified war-fund. More importantly, when seen in light of subsequent developments it gives me the impression that the oil industry decided to play "good cop/bad cop" with us. Consider the following:

1. The Lebanese crisis did not really raise our prices as much as we could have feared. Why? Neither Lebanon nor Israel produces any oil to speak of. Syrian production is relatively small. Iran decided it was not a good time to lower its present oil revenues with the possibility of forthcoming sanctions. Theoretically we have some (uncertain what) control on Iraqi oil. We were afraid, then we had reason to be grateful.

2. BP, remaining "British" petroleum in stealth, suddenly announces its monopoly of our Alaskan oil fields is faced with shutting down while they make "repairs." We are afraid. Then they announce only part of it has to be shut down. We are grateful. How long did they know about these "needed" repairs anyhow?

3. The price of a barrel of oil goes up when a potential hurricane possibly hitting the gulf area is identified. We are afraid. Then the storm decides to go to Florida instead and we are grateful. The price of a barrel of oil goes back down. Thank the Lord we don't fill up our gas tanks with orange juice.

4. Iran rejects everything proposed at the UN deadline. Fearing it will retaliate to proposed sanctions by shorting its oil production, we rumor $100 a barrel oil and are afraid. Then suddenly rumors are spread that gasoline prices will actually continue to fall, maybe as low as $2.20 a gallon? We are grateful. But what is going on here?

Who is spreading the initial rumors about the price drops, the gasoline station owners? Is there a drop in world demand foreseen? We all knew that if anything we were "oversupplied" WHILE PRICES WERE RISING. Why use it as an explanation for prices dropping now? Maybe it is about fall after all. The fall elections.

Until the elections are over it is advisable to protect some of our incumbents on the oil take with this "good cop" routine. And when the elections are over, then maybe we'll see "bad cop" again. $5.00 a gallon gasoline is still there just waiting to be staged. The free market at work? One must be kidding.