One more thing about that “Pain at the Pump” editorial. It says:

Not everyone is unhappy with oil at $100-plus a barrel. Authoritarian governments in Iran, Venezuela, Sudan and Russia are pocketing the profits and enjoying the political impunity that comes with such riches.

Well, that may be the case in Russia, but evidence seems to suggest serious unrest in Iran (over gas prices, natch):

”Guns, fireworks, tanks, [President] Ahmadinejad should be killed,” chanted angry youths, throwing stones at police.
The protests are the first large-scale outpouring of anger against the Iranian government since Mr Ahmadinejad took office in 2005.
Iran’s petrol is heavily subsidised, sold at about a fifth of its real cost.
The price of 1,000 rials ($0.11) per litre makes Iran one of the cheapest countries in the world for motorists.

While in Venezuela:

A National Guard member arrests a protester of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during violent clashes March 3 in Caracas. Two people were killed in violent unrest in Venezuela after electoral officials said there were insufficient signatures to hold a referendum on recalling Chavez, as the sharply divided country awaited the opposition’s next move.

And in the Sudan, it is clear that control of the oil in the South of the country is one of the central tensions helping to drive the Darfur conflict.

These governments may be tyrannically strong, but to say they are enjoying “impunity” because of the oil riches flooding into their countries is waaay wide of the mark.