4 ms·

Unfortunately, compared to Finland at least, that pricing seems pretty normal, maybe even on the cheap side. (It's apparently a roughly 5.5 h drive?) Long-dis

Unfortunately, compared to Finland at least, that pricing seems pretty normal, maybe even on the cheap side. (It's apparently a roughly 5.5 h drive?) Long-distance rail travel seems to be fairly expensive. Is that kind of trip cheaper somewhere comparable?

erikpukinskis 7y ago
The thing in the US is that almost everyone already owns a car (so that’s considered sunk cost) and the cost of fuel is heavily subsidized. So that’s the comparison I guess. It’s not fair, but it’s also sort of reasonable, given car ownership here.
- moneytalks 7y ago
  Fuel in the US is subsidized? I thought it was heavily taxed (not compared to European countries but compared to other consumer goods).
  - erikpukinskis 7y ago
    There’s very little federal tax, its mostly state tax (which varies). I add the cost of “development” financing/spying/regime change as part of the cost of oil, and the U.S. pays for all of that, which is a de facto subsidy.
  - Reason077 7y ago
    The US spends more subsidizing fossil fuels than on defense, according to a report from the International Monetary Fund: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/fossil-fuel-subsidies-pentagon-spending-imf-report-833035/ https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/fossil-f...
    - 9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago
      The "subsidy" is not straight-up tax dollars being given to Exxon & co, but computed against "prices fully reflected supply costs plus the taxes needed to reflect environmental costs and other damage, including premature deaths from air pollution".
      - Reason077 7y ago
        The total includes direct subsidies, such as tax incentives that reward fossil fuel investment, exploration, and extraction in addition to indirect ones you describe. In the US, like many countries, these are very substantial: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/oil-tax-break.asp https://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/oil-tax-break.asp

erikpukinskis 7y ago

The thing in the US is that almost everyone already owns a car (so that’s considered sunk cost) and the cost of fuel is heavily subsidized. So that’s the comparison I guess. It’s not fair, but it’s also sort of reasonable, given car ownership here.

moneytalks 7y ago
Fuel in the US is subsidized? I thought it was heavily taxed (not compared to European countries but compared to other consumer goods).
- erikpukinskis 7y ago
  There’s very little federal tax, its mostly state tax (which varies). I add the cost of “development” financing/spying/regime change as part of the cost of oil, and the U.S. pays for all of that, which is a de facto subsidy.
- Reason077 7y ago
  The US spends more subsidizing fossil fuels than on defense, according to a report from the International Monetary Fund: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/fossil-fuel-subsidies-pentagon-spending-imf-report-833035/ https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/fossil-f...
  - 9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago
    The "subsidy" is not straight-up tax dollars being given to Exxon & co, but computed against "prices fully reflected supply costs plus the taxes needed to reflect environmental costs and other damage, including premature deaths from air pollution".
    - Reason077 7y ago
      The total includes direct subsidies, such as tax incentives that reward fossil fuel investment, exploration, and extraction in addition to indirect ones you describe. In the US, like many countries, these are very substantial: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/oil-tax-break.asp https://www.investopedia.com/articles/07/oil-tax-break.asp