A little prespective on the price of gas

Ok folks, here it is. Everybody today is pissing and moaning on the price of gas, saying that the federal government needs to investigate the oil companies. The fact of the matter is that the ones who should be investigated is actually the federal government. Oil companies make on average about $0.07/gallon sold. That's seven cents per gallon. The government on the other hand, between state and federal taxes makes about $0.70/gallon. That's seventy cents per gallon, or ten times what the oil companies make. How much work does the federal government do to make that gasoline for you? Oh yeah, NONE!!! In fact, they go out of their to make it harder for the oil companies to do so. Why isn't anyone calling for an investigation into the federal government gouging us on taxes? The gasoline is taxed at the pump, the oil company is taxed on it's profits, and then the CEO whose retirement package is complaining about will be taxed at 50%. That's right, half. You want to know why the government isn't forcing any alternative energy bills? Because they're making too much money off the oil companies, but not the way you think. They're just as bent over the table as we are. Then you have OPEC, a foriegn comany that sets the price of petroleum world wide, the enviro-nuts who won't let us build any more refineries, thus pushing up the price of gas. Consider this, the dollar general makes more per dollar than the average oil company. The freakin' dollar general man!! Take a look at Europe where they are paying upwards of $6 bucks/gallon. The problem isn't that the oil companies need to be regulated, it's that they are regulated too much. This is what happens my friends when the federal government begins putting its' hands into business. This is why socialism is doomed to failure (see France). Consider this: You pay about $3.49 for a gallon of milk (at least I do, your market may be different). Does it really cost more to make milk than gasoline? I seriously doubt it. Another point to consider before I go, the price of gas has actually gone up less over the last decade than other consumer goods.

The price of gas world wide:

Netherlands Amsterdam $6.48
Norway Oslo $6.27
Italy Milan $5.96
Denmark Copenhagen $5.93
Belgium Brussels $5.91
Sweden Stockholm $5.80
United Kingdom London $5.79
Germany Frankfurt $5.57
France Paris $5.54
Portugal Lisbon $5.35
Hungary Budapest $4.94
Luxembourg $4.82
Croatia Zagreb $4.81
Ireland Dublin $4.78
Switzerland Geneva $4.74
Spain Madrid $4.55
Japan Tokyo $4.24
Czech Republic Prague $4.19
Romania Bucharest $4.09
Andorra $4.08
Estonia Tallinn $3.62
Bulgaria Sofia $3.52
Brazil Brasilia $3.12
Cuba Havana $3.03
Taiwan Taipei $2.84
Lebanon Beirut $2.63
South Africa Johannesburg $2.62
Nicaragua Managua $2.61
Panama Panama City $2.19
Russia Moscow $2.10
Puerto Rico San Juan $1.74
Saudi Arabia Riyadh $0.91
Kuwait Kuwait City $0.78
Egypt Cairo $0.65
Nigeria Lagos $0.38
Venezuela Caracas $0.12

I've got some more data I'll post it as I refind the links (my son turned off the PC when I walked away for a break)