Gas (not flatulence)
My significant other came home today after having to fill the gas tank on her Honda Phantom 200. She complained, as well she should, that it cost her about 17 Singapore dollars or just over $2.00 per liter. That translates into about $5.80 US dollars per gallon.This whole conversation took place while I was right in the middle of a new episode of House which was a little annoying but, being the cantankerous old bastard that I am and getting a little thirsty for a new blog subject, I decided to do a little digging - not in my ears and no, not in my nether regions, but on the internet.
Because the US is so extra special, its latest gas prices are plastered all over the news every day as if, you know, everyone in the world cares. Most recently we've been reading about gas prices approaching and even exceeding $3.00 a gallon. WOW!
Here's some gas prices from other, less special parts of the world. These are as of March 17, 2008 and in US dollars.
Belgium - $8.56, France - $8.16, Germany - $8.53, Italy - $8.26, Netherlands - $9.14, UK - $8.07, US - $3.50
Fact is, drivers in nearly every country on earth pay way more for gasoline than do drivers in the richest country in the world, and yet Americans moan and groan and cry at their outrageous gasoline prices. And American politicians hear these angry, eligible voters -feel their pain - and react as any sensible statesmen would. They make up a lie to get approval to invade a sovereign nation and steal its oil wealth in an effort to keep those gullibly stupid voters happy with manageable gas prices.
Notice I didn't say LOWER gasoline prices. I said manageable gasoline prices. Managed by who? Why, Exxon and Chevron of course. Who else?
And sure, a million civilians in that country and thousands of American troops are going to get killed and wounded in the process of stealing that oil. But that's life in the big city.
And America? Everyday you prove that it is all A-OK with you. You have the new SUV and a thousand miles of open road ahead. What else matters?
Footnote: The preceding post was written after the second in a series of very rare, yet very good martinis. Forgiveness is devine.
Labels: America, life in the big city
posted by Libby Spencer at 6:11 AM
4 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
Indeed, we have litle to complain about when it comes to gas prices. I do hope the war had just a few more reasons thatn just gas prices, but that kind of stuff factored in, I'm sure
Our taxes are lower too, but we're willing to elect criminals who promise to lower them for people richer than us. We're willing to support a party that has led us to ruin because they tell us the Democrats will tax and spend. We're that stupid!
$3.50? Not for those of us with boats. It's already over $4 and over $5 in the Bahamas.
Pity the poor yachtsmen. . .
Americans really have no idea how much of a free ride they've had on the gasoline thing. I think because so many don't travel and see for themselves what the rest of the world is like.
It also astounds me that US automakers never grasped the idea of peak oil and that someday we were going to run out, so instead of building fuel efficient cars, they convinced Americans that they had to drive big fat gas guzzlers as a sign of status. Crazy.
Post a Comment
<< Home