Stupid statements

abound in this world, and telling me that $4.00 gas is cheap is at the top of the list.

When measured on an inflation-adjusted basis, the current price of gasoline is only slightly higher than it was in 1922. According to the Energy Information Administration, in 1922, gasoline cost the current-day equivalent of $3.11. Today, according to the EIA, gasoline is selling for about $3.77 per gallon, only about 20 percent more than 86 years ago.

So what. In 1922 the country was basically an agriculture based economy and both husband and wife didn't drive 20 miles one way to get to work.

Given the ever-increasing global demand for oil products—during the first quarter of this year, China's oil consumption jumped by 16.5 percent—and the increasing costs associated with finding, producing, and refining crude oil, it makes sense that today's motorists are paying more for their motor fuel than their grandparents and great-grandparents did.

I don't believe that China's consumption jumped 16.5% in three months. That would be almost impossible. Did it increase some? Probably.

Gasoline is also a fairly minor expense when you consider the overall cost of car ownership. In 1975, gasoline made up 33.4 percent of the total cost of owning and operating a car. By 2006, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, gasoline costs had declined to just 17.1 percent of the total cost of car ownership

That's a fancy and misleading way of saying that a 1976 car cost about $5-$6K and 2006 model hit about $26K. The author must never have taken a logic or math course.

On the environmental front, people concerned about greenhouse-gas emissions should be cheering today's oil prices.

People stupid enough to believe in GW will probably cheer anything they are told to cheer. The rest of us see it as what it is. A huge transfer of wealth from the west to the OPEC countries.

American gasoline is also dirt-cheap compared with gas in other countries.

Catch a clue. We don't live in "other countries." And if I wanted to pay $8.00 a gallon I would move to France, or some other God forbidden place.

You should also remember that the "other countries" are geographically small as compared to the US and because of this have a more developed public transportation system. Re size - Germany is just slightly larger than one of our smaller states Wisconsin..

(Gasoline is also cheap compared with other essential fuels. A Starbucks venti latte costs the equivalent of $23 per gallon, while Budweiser beer runs $11 per gallon.)

Real men don't drink venti latte and you don't own beer, you merely rent it for a while...And neither will work in my car.

The simple truth is that Americans are going to have to get used to more expensive gasoline. And while they may continue grumbling at the pump, they need to accept the fact that even at $3.50 or $4 per gallon, the fuel they are buying is still a bargain.

Tell that to Joe and Jane Sixpack who make around $70K combined and have carefully budgeted their gasoline costs at $150 per month.

You see, it doesn't matter what things use to cost. What matters is what things were expected to cost. The latter is no problem. The failure of the expectation is spelled, "bankruptacy."

After reading this article I know why I don't sub to Slate. Its intelligence level is not up to mine.