U.S. gas: So cheap it hurts

[HeresyLives]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Despite daily headlines bemoaning record gas prices, the U.S. is actually one of the cheaper places to fill up in the world.

Out of 155 countries surveyed, U.S. gas prices were the 45th cheapest, according to a recent study from AIRINC, a research firm that tracks cost of living data.

The difference is staggering. As of late March, U.S. gas prices averaged $3.45 a gallon. That compares to over $8 a gallon across much of Europe, $12.03 in Aruba and $18.42 in Sierra Leone.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/01/news/international/usgas_price/index.htm?eref=rss_topstories

[hobbit709]

1. Discussed this morning here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3230883

[rdenney]

2. Most of that extra cost for fuel in Europe goes into taxes, including single payer health-care.

So its an apples and oranges situation.

[Eric Condon]

5. Not to mention the fact that their cars get like 60+ miles/gallon.

I know they don't use miles, and my figures might not be exact, but the point still stands that their fuel economy trounces ours. I wouldn't mind paying more for gas if we got more out of it, but since cars in America are made to have the shittiest gas mileage possible, we wind up paying more for less.

[enid602]

8. yest

And incredibly, the GM and Ford products sold there get the same mileage as their European and Asian competitors, just as Mercedes and BMW sell nothing but gas guzzlers here.

[mac2]

11. Ya think they are trying to rob us?

Yes! Everyone (EU, China, India, etc.)including our own leaders want us down and broke. Why? Profiteering and resource stealing. Give us your companies, resources, your military to die for our profit and power, and a big kick to the bottom of the pile of power.

It is what competitors usually do. The problem is our own leaders join them for their own self interest.

[mac2]

13. We might get a few roads of the tax on ours in IL

[SidDithers]

3. We just spent a week in North Carolina...

driving down from Toronto. Gas was $3.45 - $3.70 / gallon while we were in the US. Back home, it was $1.22/litre = $4.60

Sid

[merwin]

6. Around vancouver a month ago it was 1.80/litre

I live just across the border in the USA

[gateley]

4. Most European cities

have killer mass transit systems. We don't, for the most part.

[mac2]

7. In Europe other costs are included in their gas price

What are they? I heard their health care was supported by it. We have some tax on ours too. How about some real numbers?

In Nigeria rich with gas BP doesn't even give them cheap gas to run their hospital generators (although) but BP profits big time. Exxon at record profits has failed to pay for their damage to Alaskan and their environment.

It is obvious to me the oil barons are becoming rich while countries rich in reserves don't get royalties or cheap gas. Our Congress gave the oil companies a go on profits if the price reaches above a certain amount...so why wouldn't it. Speculation in the market is also an ugly price rising tool that does not reflect reality.

Before telling us our gas is so cheap how about the fact that we have a Alaskan gas that was supposed to supply us with enough so we wouldn't have to ever import it(a lie by Carter)? We also refine it near our water sources polluting them. You have to consider all the costs not just what one pays at the pump.

The UN and countries should demand better for the world citizens. Since it so critical to their environment, economies and over all health.

Right now they are causing a crisis all over the world. Has no one any solutions to bring to the table? They just throw their hands up and say China and India are causing the demand and higher prices. Bull crap is my answer to that. Carter lied to us about that gas "crisis" too.

I know an oil baron liar/crook when I see one.

[Selatius]

20. Carter wasn't lying. He was telling the truth if we followed his energy proposals.

He wanted to invest in solar power and other sources of energy, and he even planted a solar panel on top of the White House.

But what did America do? It elected Ronald Fucking Reagan, and the first thing he did was junk that solar panel on the White House. No, we were gonna increase oil consumption like Reagan and his oil backers wanted, and Carter's energy plan was forgotten.

[nebula]

9. In Europe, its easy to get around without a car

but in the US, you can hardly survive without one.

their mass transit is light years ahead.

[mac2]

10. Yes and the Bush oil barons like it that way.

[KSinTX]

12. Why "gas tax vacation" won't work

But those relatively low gas taxes make it hard now for Americans to deal with gas prices that have risen from around $1 to over $3 a gallon in the last seven years.

"Everybody pays more, but the U.S. pays more in absolute terms," said Lee Shipper, a visiting scholar at the University of California Berkeley's Transportation Center. If you're already paying $4 in taxes, said Schipper, then an extra $2 a gallon isn't that big of a deal.

We'd just increase our demand without looking at alternatives as other countries have had to do.

[mac2]

15. We pay more than anyone in the world when you factor in

the wars and cost to our nation over all. Corporation CEOs and shareholder profit but few else.

[KSinTX]

17. Oh, but wasn't the war dividend lower oil prices?

And then there was Katrina. Sad event, but gosh, what a great thing to exploit to get this price gouging party started, right? In the initial stages of Iraq, there was some sense of prudence and caution but after the oil companies dipped their toes in the Gulf Oil excesses and nobody played lifeguard, they decided to just jump into the pool and splash around with the foreign stuff as well. Guess that's what we get when we put an oil baron in the WH.

[ileus]

14. and it should be 1.25....that's the sad part.

[luckyleftyme2]

16. looks like

the reason "BUSHCO" doesn't like Venezuela oil is because we could sell it here for around a $1.00 gallon. that means houston would lose control of oil in america.
face it $.12 per gallon refined.we could transport it for a$.25 per gallon,then put in on thee mkt. for $1.00 per.
look at the chart they produce it cheapest!

[mdmc]

18. kick

[Selatius]

19. America's gas tax is low because it has no mass transit. In Europe, they do.

Gas is considered a luxury in Europe because they have advanced, sophisticated mass transit to get by. As a result, there is a luxury tax on gasoline. Millions of Europeans own no cars, yet they can get around the EU fine because they have a thick network of trains and buses, and some of those trains cruise at 170 miles/hour. Try getting away with that kind of movement on the comparatively clogged, slow interstates.

Nobody in Europe wants the fucking LA Freeway in their cities.

[marmar]

21. But in Europe, many people never get around to owning a car because they don't need to....

Just about every European city of any substantial size has an awesome and inexpensive mass transit system.

[Juche]

22. We pay

The first and second gulf wars were about oil. The second gulf war is costing $3 trillion in total costs.

The first gulf war involved us stationing troops in Saudi Arabia, which pissed off Bin Ladin and caused 9/11. We had troops there in part to stop Saddam from conquering Saudi Arabian oilfields.

Plus we with the UK helped overthrow the Iranian gov in the 50s due to oil field nationalization, which helped lead to the Ayatollah coming to power. Since the clerics are in charge we are now having troubles with Iran.

So we pay. The two gulf wars, the overthrow of Iran, the war on terror and 9/11 were all oil related in one way or another.