As of late, many people have been accrediting Bush's actions to his lust for the middle-eastern crown jewel - oil fields. The recent increase in prices is only setting a precedent for the bleak future as any industrialized nation is at the mercy of crude oil - not only does it fuel their many machines, it also is the base constituent of many items for the plastic and pharmaceutical industries along with many others. Our reserves are scarce and the source itself is nearly dry, yet we continue to burn through this very limited resource as if it were never-ending. By the end of our lifetimes we will be seeing prices as high as 50$/barrel and they will only escalate until the market finally crumbles and we fall into the worst depression to date.