because the market price of gasoline today is only $2.85 U.S.
so add the market price to the taxes and then throw in
Go to the table and click the header to sort by price.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_and_diesel_usage_and_pricingThe list of countries with cheaper petrol than the US is a who's-who of the 3rd world. While, most of Europe tops the charts. So stop moaning, you have it great!
because I believe that free trade is our ONLY problem.
Of course. Political idealists always believe doing things their way would magically make everything perfect. But the history of the world shows that more trade = better economy. You're still forgetting all the good things you get from access to those cheap goods, as well as the pressure of competition to improve local production.
Having more people working as process operators and farmers takes valuable labor away from more productive jobs. Where would the high tech companies be without abundant workers and cheap imports? If you're not sure, look to the more protectionist countries to see how successful they are.
Protectionism is to protect industries that you rely on. America doesn't rely on mass production of low-cost consumer goods. It's got better things to do with all those well educated people.
