It has been a while since i wanted to make a few comparisons between european and american nations as to the price of gas. I just never got around to it. 
We all know how high the american public values their oil, and how the entire US economy revolves around the cheap price of gas. And of course, the gas-guzzling SUVs!
In my country, the price og gas has risen (again), for the third time this year. We have now broken the 1 Euro barrier, with regular and unleaded gas costing a little over 1 Euro per litre. What is strange, is that the price of crude oil hasnīt changed that much! The OPEC nations seem to have the entire global economy by the balls, changing prices and production numbers at will, while the smallest nations suffer dearlly with it.
I was especcially baffled by how the ordinary american feels utterlly robbed by the rising prices of gas, when they pay about 5 times less than we europeans pay for that same gas!
The average cost of gas in the US is $1.78 a gallon.
READ HERE ABOUT GAS PRICES ON THE RISE IN THE U.S.
Now, if i remember my measures class correctly, there are 5 litres in a gallon, right? And the Euro is worth about 1.25 US dollars (i donīt follow the stock market to know the exact number). Well, if my math is correct (i am very poor at math), the average american pays almost 5 times less for their gas. How the hell can such a huge diference exist, if the oil comes from the same place and the gasoline is produced the same way??
On one hand, the price of gas has provoked a huge change in mentality, especcially amongst the auto industry, pressured to produce more economic and reliable engines. It also provoked changes in the energy industry, in the form of renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
But the question remains:
Why havenīt the global prices balanced a bit more? Howcome such huge discrepancies still exist?
I think the european governments have grown acostumed to having a crutch to lean in, every time they needed to get out of a negative deficit situation.
Thanks to the Stability Pact, our government has risen the price of gas and gas taxes several times to coap with the need of lowering the national budget deficit, and thus not getting a yellow card from Brussels.
Everytime a govt. needs some cashflow, they raise the gas privces a bit more, because itīs so easy, and itīs there for the taking.
On the american side, the low prices of gas have diferent consequences. Amongst many, one of them is the need for a constant supply of crude oil, to maintain production rates and keep the average price low. I believe this is the reason behind the USīs willingness to pursue the resources in any way possible, even if that means invading oil rich nations like Iraq. The US needs to keep the oil flowing, otherwise the price will rise and the entire economy will colapse. Amongst other things, of course.
