In the U.S. we don't pay the high prices charged in other countries for a lot of things because we don't have the same type of health and human services systems.
If anyone in the lower 48 was paying $2.00 a gallon before 2001 it would have been considered highway robbery. Now if anyone could find a station that charged $2.00 a gallon the station would be out of gas within two hours after opening. It'd be a NewsBreak on Channel 4!
Econ 101: raise the price by a lot then lower it a trifle and let people's bad memories fool them into thinking they're getting a good deal. It didn't cost $20 to fill up my car with 92 octane in 2000; on Thursday it cost me $34 to fill it up with 89 octane (92 is no longer an issue).
