Why is gas so cheap in the USA compared to Europe or Japan?

[Chicago Democrat]

Its like 1/2 to 1/3 the price, I don't get it. Plus Oil use to be like 30 per barrel and now its over 50. Why is gas so cheap for the USA?

[usregimechange]

1. Because of Freedom! Da!

[indianablue]

2. Taxes Europe has high taxes to support public trans and stuff.

You also have to remember if you factor in all the money we spend on 'protecting' the oil we have high gas prices too.

[LiberalEsto]

3. We got the nukes n/t

[TroubleMan]

4. I'm not sure, but maybe it's because oil is traded in "Petrodollars"

The price of oil is linked to our currency.

Just speculation...I'm not sure.

[stray cat]

5. We have a special exchange rate with Saudi Arabia.

We have made special arrangements with Saudi Arabia that the other countries don't have. I guess we have alot of special arrangements with them.

Robert Baer: Sleeping with the Devil: How Washinton sold our soul for Saudi crude.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1400050219/qid=1109289998/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/002-7528196-9625611?v=glance&s=books

[Heyo]

6. taxes n/t

[leftyandproud]

7. It's all taxes man

They also have national sales taxes and tons of other crap over there.

[Yupster]

8. Same reason cigarettes cost twice as much as they did just a few years ago

A lot of the cost is taxes which we have relatively low, and they put so much on that it doubles the cost or more.