$4.95/gal - no complaints
Today I paid 1,09 euro's per gallon for fuel, which, as stated in the subject line, equals almost 5 US$/gallon and I for one cannot in all honestly complain at all. As someone stated in an earlier message, the difference in price is all taxes; the cost of the fuel in Europe and the US is the same. Actually it's probably a bit less in Europe now due to oil being priced in $'s and the $ being low relative the euro. That's why the price for fuel here in France hasn't really changed very much over the past few years. The lowest I think I've seen since France switched to the euro was maybe .95E/liter.
Why don't I complain? Because the roads here in France and as a rule in all of Europe that I've seen are excellent, way better than in the states. Maintaining a road system is expensive as heck and somebody has to pay for it. Here in France the autoroutes are impeccable and also expensive to drive because they're all toll roads and the cost is high. The bene's are great roads and less traffic.
But as a generalization, the price of fuel in Europe is in my opinion a reflection of the basic socialized system Europe prefers to live with, which includes the parties on the right. With the exception of the far right parties, right - or conservative in american terms - parties are well to the left of the democrats in the states today. Which is more a statement on how far the politics in the states has moved to the right rather than on where the european parties are.
Socialism, regardless of its extent, is expensive. All governments are expensive for that matter but here in Europe people prefer having their governements actively involved in maintaining and moderating civilization rather than letting corporations and business interests in general call the shots. In terms of gasoline, that means that here it's the goverments that rake in the cash off the sale of gasoline which is then used to maintain the infrastructure that the country is based upon. Whether that objective is attained in the most efficient manner or not is another question but the core of the matter is that the money is used to benefit society.
In the states it's the oil companies that rake in all the profit. I remember Clinton proposing a 5 cent increase in the fuel tax and people went ballistic. The proposed tax increase was to help rebuild the rapidly crumbling highway system. Yet the oil companies can, and obviously have, raised prices enormously with nary a peep raised in protest. That, in my opinion, is a classic example of the difference in perspectives between Europe and the US.
Here in France the high fuel prices are also used as a tool to reduce pollution, just like in the summer on hot days when the pollution level ratchets up they instantly slap a maximum 70 kph speed limit on the highways - normal is 130 kph. Slower speeds, less fuel consumed, less polution pumped out. Again that's a reflection of the European perspective.
All of which is to explain why I for one don't complain about the price. That's the cost of living where everyone has full medical care, free education through university, publicly funded elections with all candidates running on the same price ticket, train and buse systems linking just about every village and town, great highways, etc.
Like the old american saying, you get what you pay for. Here, we get the government raking in the money and using it, for the most part, for the benefit of society. I prefer that system myself.