I'm not paying enough for gasoline. Neither are you. When you buy gasoline, you aren't paying all of its costs. You aren't paying for the environmental degradation. You aren't paying for the health costs. And you definitely aren't paying for the war in Iraq. As a taxpayer, you pick up the tab for fixing the environment, health care, oil company subsidies and tax breaks, and, of course, our oil-driven foreign policy. Wait! Don't go away! This isn't an anti-Bush screed. Even if you give full credibility to everything the Bush administration says about the Iraq invasion, it's still about oil. Forget the claims that we want to loot Iraq's oil reserves. Forget about weaning ourselves off our Saudi addiction by diversifying suppliers. Forget the conspiracy theories about needing to keep oil in dollars to prop up our currency. You don't need theories and speculation when you have hard facts staring you in the face. Focus on how we got into this mess.
You may think there is a connection between September 11th and Iraq. Hopefully, you do not. Regardless, had September 11th not happened, we would not be in Iraq. Why did September 11th happen? Because Osama bin Laden and his band of terrorists are really, really mad at the United States. They're mad because we stationed infidel troops in the land of their Prophet. They're mad because we support oppressive regimes throughout the Middle East. And they're mad because we prevent the creation of an Islamic state. Why do we do all of those things? To protect oil.
Look at Saddam Hussein. He supported terrorist groups, pursued weapons of mass destruction, and made war on his neighbors. Sponsonring terrorism and weapons of mass destruction-related program activity are expensive. Where does that money come from? Oil. Wars with neighbors are expensive in lives and money and resources. Where does the money come from? Oil. What makes the war worth it? Gaining control of even more oil.
The Middle East has almost no democracies. The governments are oppressive and dictatorial. Why is there no democracy? Why are these nations so impoverished? Because an economy based solely on natural resources will inevitably fall under the control of a few who will do everything they can to keep it from the many. Again, it's oil.
So add that all up. Iraq is going to be at least $200 billion 1 . Afghanistan is a few tens of billion more. Who knows what the environmental and health costs are? I just know they're big. And none of that is getting paid at the pump. When you waste gasoline, you're only paying part of the price. The rest of it falls on the taxpayers. The people who incur a cost should be the ones who pay it, not me. If gasoline was priced in a manner appropriate to its true costs, we wouldn't have to subsidize solar, wind, or other alternative energy sources because people would choose those of their own volition. The most effective thing George W. Bush and Congress can do to prevent terrorism and the loss of American lives is to increase the gas tax. It won't be easy. That both presidential candidates promised cheaper gasoline is proof enough of that. It's going to take a lot to convince Americans that their dependence on gasoline is causing all of this, but one way or another, it has to be done. I just hope it's sooner rather than later.