But please excuse our skeptical take on all those excuses. We also note that in other corners of the news media, there is great glee recorded in the halls of Exxon Mobil Corp., where first-quarter profits are up nearly 44 percent from a year ago, a jump that analysts attribute directly to the petroleum giant's decision to simply increase its profit margins. In short, they're gouging us. Now, if we consumers all march on Detroit and demand more energy-efficient cars, they'll make them. We'll use less gasoline.
Demand goes down, supply goes up, prices plunge.
And when Exxon Mobil reports sharply declining earnings, we'll all shed a tear for them.