Americans use their cars more, so the pain is greater. They have, on average, a longer daily commute than all Europeans, except Hungarians and Romanians. Public transport is generally poor so many Americans have no alternative but to drive.Europeans pay twice as much, and they don't get angry. Maybe that goes to the heart of what Europe is.
But there is also a symbolic significance about gas that goes to the heart of what America is.
It signifies mobility, freedom and personal liberty, says Dan Neil, motoring correspondent on the Wall Street Journal. "Anger is probably more tied up with a wider sense of decline and also a loss of privilege. Cheap gas has been one of the prerogatives of the American Empire so people have become accustomed to it in a way which is somehow associated with our ability to wield our will around the world. We're mad because we've spent a lot of money in the Middle East and made a lot of enemies and defended a lot of tyrants and still gas prices go up."
May 11, 2011
"Why are Americans so angry about petrol prices?"
BBC tries to explain those strange Americans.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
208 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 208 of 2084 billion of taxpayer money goes to the oil and gas industry each year.
Can you show us the line items in the federal budget for this?
Thanks.
PS, idiot, Oil companies get a manufacturing tax credit. Guess who gets that same tax credit?
GM
GE
Ford
For example.
You're for ending ethanol subsidies, right?
You're for ending ethanol subsidies, right?
Gee, I hope so, what with people at the U.N. moving to make ethanol production a crime against humanity. Even Der Slickmeister Clinton has come out and admitted (sort of) that it's a boondoggle.
Garage said "I'm saying they should. And since nobody here can produce one shred of evidence that paying Exxon with tax payer dollars to drill on our soil benefits us economically, I'll remain unswayed."
Maybe the people working in the Bakken field think that the oil companies are really paying them. They are in an "oil field", engineers,roughnecks, restauants, motels, houses, etc. Jpbs, I think they ar called. And Taxpayers!
The government granting pending permits right now, opening up oil shale and allow more permits in the gulf would have an immediately impact on oil prices for three related reasons:
1) It would signal to the market that supply will increase. Oil futures are about FUTURE SUPPLY, not a reflect of current supply.
2) Right now speculators are correctly guessing that the US has essentially joined up with OPEC at reducing supply and thus increasing prices. Granting permits would show that the US isn't on the same page as OPEC.
3) We have enough oil shale to become fully oil indpendent. It's expensive, but if we're going to pay these prices, why not?
Venezuela is one of our biggest oil trading partners. Venezuela is a member of OPEC, but not a very loyal one. However, as long as there is no the US actually exploiting our own resources, Chavez can play along with OPEC. Once we start exploiting our own resources, it would bankrupt Venezuela and they'll break with OPEC in a heartbeat (or Chavez will be tossed, either way works.)
that drivers in Europe are fantastic. It's a privilege, not a right, and as a result the people who are driving are generally more courteous and obey the rules of the road
You either went to a different Europe than I or never drove in Paris.
The government granting pending permits right now, opening up oil shale and allow more permits in the gulf would have an immediately impact on oil prices for three related reasons:
1) It would signal to the market that supply will increase. Oil futures are about FUTURE SUPPLY, not a reflect of current supply.
2) Right now speculators are correctly guessing that the US has essentially joined up with OPEC at reducing supply and thus increasing prices. Granting permits would show that the US isn't on the same page as OPEC.
3) We have enough oil shale to become fully oil indpendent. It's expensive, but if we're going to pay these prices, why not?
Venezuela is one of our biggest oil trading partners. Venezuela is a member of OPEC, but not a very loyal one. However, as long as there is no the US actually exploiting our own resources, Chavez can play along with OPEC. Once we start exploiting our own resources, it would bankrupt Venezuela and they'll break with OPEC in a heartbeat (or Chavez will be tossed, either way works.)
F*** _anyone_ who uses the words "American Empire" in any context whatsoever. Irritating beyond belief coming from supposed intellectual/educated adults.
F*** _anyone_ who uses the words "American Empire" in any context whatsoever. Irritating beyond belief coming from supposed intellectual/educated adults.
I'm willing to entertain debate that we had imperialistic tendencies during the 1800's and our westward expansion, but we have never been an empire.
Post a Comment