Is this guy for real? He is trying to equate prices of goods in the 1920s with now?

Without going into the argument over vast improvements in technology and production methods (which is why we don't pay $25,000 for that 40" plasma TV) over the years, I instead prefer to stick to the actual argument we should be having.

When you start making concessions on things like this, it is to get us used to the idea of having $4 gas. So that we never go back to 99 cent gas.

So then $4 gas increases price pressures on everything else, everything begins to cost more, and then the oil companies say that, "hey look, our costs went up, we had to raise prices" and the cycle goes on. Meanwhile, salaries of nearly everyone stagnate, except for those at the high end, which then skew the data, and then the modest average increases in wages get reported as not so bad.

So, at what point don't people accept this? And either demand fairness (which will never happen), or demand choices? I tell my wife, every time she brings up building a new home, that's great, we can make it 100% solar much cheaper when starting from scratch, and now she is starting to not hate me when I say it.

People as a whole have incredible power, in spite of being told every day that we don't. We can make or break products, politicians, trends, etc. just through our vote, our purchases, our views. It is time to mess these people up. Stop using so much gas. Use alternatives if possible.

i agree. to compare the gas prices of today to the prices of the 1920's is irrevelant. the big oil companies were not struggling over the last 80 years, they were making big profits. for a product to have such an impact on our economy not to be regulated to some extent is just plain stupid. the only thing driving the high oil prices is greed by those that it will not hurt.

in the past we came to expect that when we had a dissaster or if something bad that affected the oil industry occured, that naturally we would feel the pain at the pumps. but now, not only are we going to feel it when this happens, we are feeling it every time it's time to fill up. the price of gas is going up at an alarming rate, and it is killing our economy.

i dont know if the people responsible are aware of, or that they just don't care, that when our economy is weak, our nation is weak. we have men and women that are fighting (and some paying the ultimate price) for our freedom, and this is how our country repays them. our country is falling apart more every day. people are losing their homes, they are losing their jobs, and people are going hungry. crime is getting worse by the minute. all of this, and all our big oil companies can think about is how much more they can fill up their bank accounts.

now. after all of this. we still have people with the audacity to write in forums and tell us that we are lucky to be paying $4.00 per gallon of gas. and some say that we should be paying a lot more.

when is enough? how much is enough? how many people should starve, lose their jobs, lose their homes, lose their families, etc., before something should be done?

daryl mcgirt, albany, ga

I have to toatally agree here. I was born and raised in the UK for 30 years (Where the author regards the equivalent $8 a gallon). The difference in England is we don't rely on gas quite the same as I do here in the USA. The public transportation system is to the point where a significant percentage of people NEVER own a vehicle, and don't atually need one I might add. In retrospect the average wage in England is double too when you take into account the exchange rate so it all pans out and is uncomparable to the USA. We also have free health care, does the author want to compare that to the US too?

Here in the US, the roads are the arteries for business and import - export so driving up the cost of gas will put a negative impact on things we buy every day from groceries to wood products and anything transported from one place to another. We are already experiencing the raise in prices in stores for this very reason.

While this is happening, the oil companies get richer and richer (Profits were in the billions last year) and the average worker loses more and more just to get to work in the first place. It's not like we see the government putting pressure on for raising minimum wage or balancing the cost of living with the rate of average pay.

Gas could be $3 a gallon and the profits would still be high but in retrospect the average Joe would feel better about filling his/her tank, getting to work and might actaully be willing to spend more $'s in the stores and boost the economy as a whole.

Greed is a powerful motivator.

Thanks Ben for the info on England. It shed new light on this situation for me. They don't mind telling you the cost is about doubled for gas there, but they don't want to tell you what the cost of living is there. Hmmmm. How convenient?