one hand clapping

Why does nobody seem to question the notion that "the Saudis are concerned about rising crude oil prices?" The media passes along these assertions without a shred of irony as an oil man whose fortunes are intimately tied to the extraction and extortion that defines the modern petroleum industry stands before us and makes a statement defying common sense, expecting us to believe the people who are making their highest profits in history worry that they might be making too much money and are earnestly trying to figure out how to reduce their incomes just to make us happy.

I guess that's the problem. If there really was such a thing as common sense, we wouldn't have a special name for it.