[MacDV] OT: Oil Prices (was January 1, 2009 Doomsday Plan)

[Johns Maillist]

On Jul 19, 2005, at 3:10 AM, Daniel Beck wrote:

> Not true. I live in Japan, and those others who live outside the  
> States can chime in here. It's only in the US that you pay such LOW  
> prices for gasoline. Why? Because, voters won't let pols inflict  
> even higher taxes than they already do. Most of the world pays 2-3  
> times more per gallon than the US.

How is the health care system in Japan?
Who pays your Health Insurance (If you are a citizen/)?
The cost of energy in the US is lower, only because of taxes. I  
understand that.
Add taxes, but give me value for them, I will pay gladly. Add taxes,  
use the money for really STUPID ideas, I am not so happy.
My concern is the raw class.
I am not buying that one morning China turned on the oil consumption  
switch.
Yes, they are a new consumer nation, but look what happened in one  
year, with no tax increase: It went from $1.18 (regular u/l in Miami)  
to $2.29. Because someone invented cars in China?
Nah, not buying that.
Yes, Americans are our own worst enemy due to our penchant for SUVs,  
I agree. If our government got off their butts and stopped sucking up  
to the oil companies (Oh, Dick Cheney's friends??) and did some extra  
work, we could improve efficiency, develop alternate sources, etc.
But as long as our corrupted system allows them to profit from it,  
the pols will do nothing to chagne anything.
JMHO