Compared with Europe's prices, U.S. gas is cheap

Does this article suggest that we are whiners? I didn't think so...
I NEVER hear Americans whine about anything. In fact, I am not whining right now.

First of all just because Europe pays more doesn't mean at $4 a gallon we have a bargain. Lifestyles in Europe are very different. Many European countries have better mass transit systems and just the way their towns are set up they can walk or bike to work or the store. In fact, many Europeans go to the bakery every morning for fresh bread and pasteries and they don't drive. They walk a few blocks at most. In fact, in Europe they don't refriderate milk or dairy products. Don't use ice or drink cold beverages. They also work fewer hours than Americans and have more vacation time.

a rather big article with only 2 lines that tell the real difference
"But the biggest single variable is government policy: Some countries tax gasoline heavily; others subsidize it to make it cheap."
if you drive the roads in Europe you have to search pretty far and wide to find a potole

While the cost of gas, diesel, and many other things are higher in Europe, wages are in line with the cost of living. Hardly anyone makes the equivalent of our minimum wage.

Unemployment rates are generally quite a bit higher in Europe, and income taxes generally much higher as well.

Reader wrote:

While the cost of gas, diesel, and many other things are higher in Europe, wages are in line with the cost of living. Hardly anyone makes the equivalent of our minimum wage.

StaberDearth wrote:

Does this article suggest that we are whiners? I didn't think so...
I NEVER hear Americans whine about anything. In fact, I am not whining right now.

I frequently visit and post on various American
topix fora. And - you bet - a lot of whining.
But one thing that we in Europe have to understand is that none of our countries ever went into the trap of being completely dependent on the car for private transportation, like you are.
USA today is responsible for a BIG portion of the
climate problems, USA will consequently have to take a BIG portion of the solutions. It starts with gas prices and your ($4)price today is less than half of our prices (Norway). Your government still subsidize your prices - our government load on taxes for the,openly admitted reason to reduce consumption.(But the socialistic leadership today knows very well that most Norwegians can still some time afford the prices - thereby taxes will withdraw purchase power from the citizens and
increase the socialistic funds - true socialism of course - but they will be out of office next time!! They've simply been too greedy this time)

SNJ wrote:

<quoted text>
but they will be out of office next time!! They've simply been too greedy this time)

And you know why ?Because we are whiners too :)

Important to note on European Gas prices...they tax the heck out of gas. thats why they pay so much. Want big Government now???

I can only say one thing... which is what most of you are referring two.. and that is you can NOT compare these two places.. Simply put.. Apples to Oranges my friend.. keep trying though.. I mean we couldnt be more different.

SNJ wrote:

<quoted text>
I frequently visit and post on various American
topix fora. And - you bet - a lot of whining.
But one thing that we in Europe have to understand is that none of our countries ever went into the trap of being completely dependent on the car for private transportation, like you are.
USA today is responsible for a BIG portion of the
climate problems, USA will consequently have to take a BIG portion of the solutions. It starts with gas prices and your ($4)price today is less than half of our prices (Norway). Your government still subsidize your prices - our government load on taxes for the,openly admitted reason to reduce consumption.(But the socialistic leadership today knows very well that most Norwegians can still some time afford the prices - thereby taxes will withdraw purchase power from the citizens and
increase the socialistic funds - true socialism of course - but they will be out of office next time!! They've simply been too greedy this time)

again.. its not that way.. infrastructure is what made this country so great.. The ability to map out this huge country into one. It started off as small state governments, but we are a nation.. and a much larger nation covering obviously larger amounts of land than any one european country.. no matter the size, it is uncomparible to this country. Sorry.. this article is too simple.. Why dont we start comparing ants to hippos.. now there is a correlation I'd like to talk about..lol

Hammer of Thor wrote:

<quoted text>
And you know why ?Because we are whiners too :)

That's what the socialists say now - just refer to Ole Jacob Kobbe's (Vestfold Fylkeskommune)little "article" in TB a day or two ago.)

Otherwise I don't think we whine more than (or perhaps less than) most others in the spoiled part of this world...

Rob wrote:

Important to note on European Gas prices...they tax the heck out of gas. thats why they pay so much. Want big Government now???

Not sure I understand what you mean, but just look at the crisis you have in your housing market. Last night YOUR GOVERNMENT went in and saved FANNIE and FREDDIE. Just imagine what collapses and tragedies would be your fate now if
that didn't happen.

If our government "taxes the heck out of.." anything - it is us, the citizens - not your gas.

Republicrat wrote:

I can only say one thing... which is what most of you are referring two.. and that is you can NOT compare these two places.. Simply put.. Apples to Oranges my friend.. keep trying though.. I mean we couldnt be more different.

Oh well - there are more similarities than differences but ok if you want to be the apple
I'll play the pear. Guess we can still talk..though?- and compare ? May be we can learn something too..?

SNJ wrote:

<quoted text>
Oh well - there are more similarities than differences but ok if you want to be the apple
I'll play the pear. Guess we can still talk..though?- and compare ? May be we can learn something too..?

Sure, lets start by looking how dense the populations are (spread out, closely knit), then look at the culture (is there one, do they share traditional things, have similar tastes and needs), see how communities were built (geographics, infrastructure, and of course religion).. we get an understanding of how similar or different we are.. Otherwise, if you are a population of 5% of the world using 25% of the energy then you can compare to the US.. otherwise, there are too many dis-similar economies of scale to measure.

Republicrat wrote:

I can only say one thing... which is what most of you are referring two.. and that is you can NOT compare these two places.. Simply put.. Apples to Oranges my friend.. keep trying though.. I mean we couldnt be more different.

Absolutley true, this info is based on the comparable value of the dollar to the Euro. It is out of context.
To follow that point, a candy bar in Europe is almost two bucks as is a can of coke. So?
Like you said, apples to oranges.

Our cost levels are generally higher. So are our prices and our salaries.
We can manage with today's prices on gas being double of yours - plus!
Not only because we earn more in general, but we are not that dependent on the car for private transportation. We can leave the car at home and still get about and do the things we must or need, most of the time. actually we can take a lot of taxi trips during a year for the total costs of owning and using a car.
This has to do with the fact that we - compared to USA - do have a fairly well developed and functioning public transport system - even in the more remote urban areas. The reason is that the government/municipal authories can cover the losses of operating many of the bus services and railway services that are not profitable outside the most densly populated areas and cities.
Nothing like that at yours....
We have used decades to keep the public transport up and going, a century not to ruin too much of it in times of crisis.
That is what we call building a functioning society. Many of you would perhaps call it socialism the moment the government comes into running something...?
But as to similarities I guess you and I most of the time deal with and think of much the same things in life...i.e. more like two apples f. inst.??!(daily called human beings with our joys and sorrows...)

Republicrat wrote:

<quoted text>
again.. its not that way.. infrastructure is what made this country so great.. The ability to map out this huge country into one. It started off as small state governments, but we are a nation.. and a much larger nation covering obviously larger amounts of land than any one european country.. no matter the size, it is uncomparible to this country. Sorry.. this article is too simple.. Why dont we start comparing ants to hippos.. now there is a correlation I'd like to talk about..lol

Russia is a European nation that is larger than United States.

I meant to say above: "...the more rural areas" -
in the 9th line... sry!

Arent you tired of this wrote:

<quoted text>
Russia is a European nation that is larger than United States.

Russia may be on the european continent but they do not consider themselves european.They're also not part of the european union.
I don't believe the article in question, or the republicrat commenting on said article was including Russia- again Apples to Apples, please

advntregrrl wrote:

<quoted text>
Russia may be on the european continent but they do not consider themselves european.They're also not part of the european union.
I don't believe the article in question, or the republicrat commenting on said article was including Russia- again Apples to Apples, please

No need to get snippy. I was just answering a question.