is that it's a commodity which hits everyone in the pocket about the same. The US doesn't have the public transport of Europe, instead we just subsidize cheap gas. So some people aren't going to have any option but to pay for gas they really can't afford. Sure, for most Americans it's a tolerable expense but for those living on the edge and needing to drive long distances just to get to work, it seems much harsher.

Everything new is old again of course. Back in 1789 we had the whiskey rebellion in protest of a quite tolerable tax on whiskey which was untolerable for the western farmers to whom it was a staple commodity. Slight changes in commodity prices are harsh.

"...a commodity which hits everyone in the pocket about the same."

There is about a 4:1 ratio between the fuel consumption of the worst and best of what people consider passenger vehicles. That says that there are some people who could change what they are driving in such a way as to spend as much in their new vehicle with $16/gallon fuel as they now spend on $4/gallon fuel. If there were no side effects, then I would be content to let the stubborn continue on their profligate path. However, anybody who is using more fuel (be it gasoline, diesel, or alcohol) affects the rest of us by driving up air pollution (as in smog), global warming, and the price of fuel for the rest of us. I think that gives us the right to control the behaviour of others in this area.