Today is the 48th anniversary of the creation of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It was founded by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela, and has since been joined by Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Indonesia, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. In honour of this significant anniversary, I offer up an open letter letter to the general population of the United States of America.

Dear Citizens of the United States of America,

Please stop complaining about your gas prices. Your country was the one that began the War on Iraq (hereafter referred to as the War for Oil), and yet your country pays the least amount of money for your gas. Since the War for Oil began, you complain of your gas prices soaring outrageously. How outrageous is it that countries who went into this War for Oil basically because they either felt a kind of loyalty to the United States, or because they were afraid of the repercussions of not joining the War for Oil (Bush is a very scary man with a lot of power) are paying more than the country that started this whole mess?

The average gas price in the USA today is somewhere between $3.64 and $4.10 per gallon. Average gas prices in Canada today are somewhere between $1.35 and and $1.47 a litre. 1 gallon is equal to 3.785 litres, so, in terms of gallons, Canadians are paying somewhere between $5.11 and $5.56 per gallon in Canadian dollars. Further to that, to put that in United States Dollars means that Canadians pay a final price of $4.76 to $5.18 USD per gallon. In the United Kingdom right now, the average price for gas is between £1.06 and £1.25 per litre. To follow that through the same calculations and conversions as above means that Brits are paying somewhere between $7.17 and $8.46 USD per gallon.

The southern coast of the United States is getting hit pretty hard by hurricanes and such right now, which has made gas prices even worse in the States. I don’t and never will understand how the government and major oil companies can justify skyrocketing gas prices due to natural disasters that occur in the United States when 60% of oil used by Americans comes from outside of America. Hurricane Ike isn’t hitting Iraq right now. Also, I would love to know why, when the hurricanes are effecting the southern and middle part of the United States, my gas prices as a person living in Eastern Canada are shooting up as well.

So please, America, stop complaining so much about your gas prices. You have it easiest of all the major countries involved in the War for Oil. I don’t blame everyday citizens for this constant whining about prices; I blame the government for misinforming the public and making them think they have it so horrible, trying to deflect from issues that matter more. They are merely trying to create further problems so as to distract the American public from what is really going on and what they should really be paying attention to, like the actual War for Oil itself instead of just its byproducts.

Sincerely,

Amy R.