True, governments have a large role in the prices of oil, capital, and forex; but the article is pointing out the limits of such influence. Higher oil prices make alternatives look more attractive. There is a lot of interest now in wind power, LNG, hybrids, etc. because their development is becoming economically feasible. The PRC is running around the third world to places like Argentina, Brazil, and Nigeria, negotiating deals to lock in long-term oil supplies. That may be the tip of the iceberg of the cheating that's going to go on when the OPEC prices and supplies become unrealistic. All one can say about the Fed is that their policies have had zero affect on the price of long bonds, and is that not where capital comes from? The PRC's dollar policy is related to its energy demand as well. The big losers are in the Euro zone. The ECB is strangling Europe's economy in order to fight inflation. The dearer Euro is killing EU exports.