Folks, ya gotta ask yourself, what are the financial interests of people who want to see $200 per barrel crude.
Most of this run-up in crude prices has been driven by market speculators. Any talk of higher crude prices increases their profit. It's no different than that boom of the tech stocks in the late 90's, or the boom in real estate prices a few years ago.
Speculators tapped out the white-collar, educated tech savvy folks who dumped tons of money into the stock market looking for quick millions from companies like Webvan and pets.com. When they were sucked dry they went after Mr. and Mrs Homeowner, luring them with cheap refinancing schemes so they could buy vacation homes, botox treatments and a new Lexus. Now those people are tapped out, too. Who is next? The average working man and woman, many of them renters and would never invest in the stock market.
When will this end? Simple! It will end when everyone who can be tapped for cash is tapped. If you can figure out the next high return speculative move, you will be a very very rich person.
Riots? Looting? Mass mayhem in the streets? Please..... some of you people watch too much TV. Rioters and looters may be a lot of things but they don't spend money and cannot be leveraged for profits. It's not good for business. Besides, if public tensions start to boil, the police will place curfews on the general public, cops at gas stations to enforce rationing and frequent roadside ID checks to keep the populace in their place, working, generating revenue and profits and maintain consumption.
Either figure out how to get on the gravy train or risk being run over by it, people.