Why haven't the technological elite gotten together and hammered big oil companies with virii and such? I'm reformatting my system again, after yet another stupid bit of code hit and caused Windows to constantly send data into the great abyss. Where's the challenge in that? My little sister can hack me. I can hack me. You can't tell me that teh uber 733+ is so damn pussy that they can't handle someone worthwhile. That way when gas prices go up again I know it's because someone keeps sticking them with a pin.
I would say that China and India have more of an impact on the rising cost of crude oil than the gas companies themselves. As their consumption of fossil fuels continues to rise exponentially, the price continues to skyrocket. Simple supply and demand, on a global scale, with the one commodity that 'fuels' our society (if you'll pardon the pun.)