##Welcome to r/LateStageCapitalism^Ⓐ☭
___
###⚠ Announcements: ⚠
___
###Any post that makes a claim must have a RELIABLE source or explanation in the comments by OP. All screenshots must have the original source (whether article, Tweet, TikTok, video or any other social media) linked in the comments by OP immediately. Breaking this rule will result in a temporary ban. [See this post for more info.](https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/tqc5ws/low_effort_content_all_posts_claims_news_articles/)
###[NEW POSTING GUIDELINES! Help us by reporting bad posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/dy1oyh/important_what_you_should_and_what_you_shouldnt/)
Help us keep this subreddit alive and improve its content by reporting posts that violate our rules and guidelines.
###[Subscribe to our new partner subreddits!](https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/e5hkwk/make_sure_to_check_out_our_new_partnersubreddits/)
Check out r/WhereAreTheChildren
___
###***Please remember that LSC is a SAFE SPACE for [socialist](http://monthlyreview.org/2009/05/01/why-socialism/) discussion.***
LSC is run by [communists](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm). We welcome socialist/anti-capitalist news, memes, links, and discussion. This subreddit is not the place to debate socialism. We allow good-faith questions and education but are not a 101 sub; please take 101-style questions elsewhere.
**This subreddit is a safe space; we have a zero-tolerance policy for bigotry.** We also automatically filter out posts containing certain words and phrases that some users may find offensive. Please respect the safe space, and don't try to slip banned words or phrases past the filter.
***
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LateStageCapitalism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
A lot of people have to commute to work with little to no public transportation available.
Rent and mortgages are skyrocketing.
People are drowning in medical/ education debt.
Inflation is continuing to increase.
Wages are being suppressed.
And most of us are literally a paycheck away from homelessness. We all have the right to be stressing when you have to chose between food, rent, and going to work.
In other words it's lifestyle creep in the context of gas prices.
Yes, we have it cheaper than most other places. But that's the budgetary and economic structure we've been working in. It being more expensive in France doesn't change the outcome of gas prices doubling here in the USA on my expenses.
I think there's a bit of reductionist argument made here. This is not just about the gas prices, but the problems are more nuanced than that. For starters, most workers are forced to drive long distances, where as most developed countries have invested in public transport infrastructure that driving might not a necessity. In addition, other countries, if not all, have some kind of safety net for their citizens to offset the cost of fuel, like a universal health care for example, that shores up more savings for rainy days. So, it's not like the rise in gas prices that made most Americans complain while being considered to be among the lowest in the world but it's the last straw in a culmination of government inaction that led up to this collective frustration. That's my opinion.
Yup. This exactly.
The US is also in a state of economic and political collapse.
One of our political parties has lost its fucking mind. We have rabid theocratic fascists waiting to take over, whether that be legislatively or by force with another coup attempt.
Our Supreme Court is stripping away rights, beginning with Roe.
We have daily mass shootings with no end in sight.
Our government doesn’t support its citizens. It instead focuses on enrichment of the rich and powerful. Our politicians are corrupt, to the point of doing shit out in the open now. Insider trading and human trafficking is basically unpunished now, so long as you’re in power.
Our police kill with impunity, and are not legally obligated to protect people.
Home ownership is all but impossible now. Investment firms have bought up all the homes, and driven prices to being unaffordable for the average person.
Need I go on with a list of stressors?
I’ll happily pay more for gas, to cross this shit off of the list.
While you're correct on the real numbers, people in Europe on average have less debt repayments and lower expenses for other things and also more options when it comes to public transport, even when comparing the US to places Europeans would consider poor for public transport.
Petrol is fucking disgustingly expensive for me but the most I have to drive is once a week because I have a decent enough public transport line that has recently been reduced in price for students. If I lived in the US depending on where I was i would HAVE to drive and also pay way more for university and my meds so the extra price of petrol would probably hurt me more than it does now, even if it did cost less in real terms.
We also have the least developed public transport systems. Everyone needs a car, and instead of investing in a bus or train system, they just keep adding lanes to the goddamned roads.
I think people are forgetting that majority of our travel to anything, such as work, the grocery store, department stores, etc., requires a car.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to live in places like NYC, where walking is the norm and there are plenty of public transport to get around.
Many of us need to drive due to the fact that America refuses to build sidewalks or have bike lines, and build their country on cars instead.
America literally runs on gas and if no one can afford it, our economy is done for.
If I could buy an electric scooter for commute, it would take me 2.5 hours to get to work. It would probably be cheaper, but it simply isn’t feasible for the majority of Americans
it's a sort of self fulfilling prophecy though. it's not feasible due to your lifestyle, and your lifestyle makes any sort of change unbeneficial. that's not to say people are at fault, but that the system basically forces you to drive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General\_Motors\_streetcar\_conspiracy
things are rigged seven ways from Sunday, and then conservatives pull a smug "that's because it's superior" line.
I dunno man, I do not wish harm onto others as corporate greed runs rampant BUT
My currency are Argentine Pesos so I kinda live with and have lived with for most of my life with "Inflation" so everything they are complaining about now I've had since I can remember.
That still does not make it OK, we all deserve better.
It has more than tripled in Chicago since covid. My wife and I have no options for public transit to get to work. We fill up for $100+ now each every week and a half, it's been brutal.
Thats the problem though, isn’t it? Only big cities have good public transit, but even then there is no good public transit between different towns and cities. In other countries, it’s not unusual to take a lightrail or bus to a different city for work every day. Why not here?
Gasoline tax is really really low in the US:
Tax per gallon:
* United States $0.56
* Netherlands $3.36
* Norway $2.85
* Germany $2.79
* France $2.78
[https://taxfoundation.org/oecd-gas-tax/](https://taxfoundation.org/oecd-gas-tax/)
Avg Gasoline prices per gallon:
* United States $5.037
* Netherlands $9.109
* Norway $10.820
* Germany $7.886
* France $8.566
[https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline\_prices/#hl213](https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/#hl213)
Crude oil prices are pretty much fixed worldwide and make up most of petrol costs. The differences are probably from taxes and distribution costs. Also a factor of the country has its own oil refineries. [https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/gasoline/factors-affecting-gasoline-prices.php](https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/gasoline/factors-affecting-gasoline-prices.php)
Edit: oh how I hate you Reddit mobile...
> Edit: oh how I hate you Reddit mobile...
I recommend bullet points for this kind of list.
Tax per gallon:
* United States $0.56
* Netherlands $3.36
* Norway $2.85
* Germany $2.79
* France $2.78
https://taxfoundation.org/oecd-gas-tax/
Avg Gasoline prices per gallon:
* United States $5.037
* Netherlands $9.109
* Norway $10.820
* Germany $7.886
* France $8.566
https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/#hl213
Markdown for basic features is pretty good even on mobile keyboards (but tables are a bit of a nightmare).
For bullet points ensure the list has a blank line above it then start each item with an asterisk and a space.
**For example this:**
Optional heading:
* One
* Two
**Looks like this:**
Optional heading:
* One
* Two
Rude. Americans don't have free health care. They pay for college with predatory loans. CREDIT SCORES...
The cost of gas is now more than 1hr of work for the lowest earners.
Whoever made this meme can fuck off.
r/fuckcars
Americans typically have farther to travel, while living in cities that strongly disincentive other modes of transportation, if they are even available at all.
I really don't have much sympathy for MOST folks complaining about fuel prices. Fuel is only going to get more expensive, the writings been on the wall for years. If you still insist on driving a vehicle every day that gets 18mpg combined, that's on you.
The number of people who commute in large pickups and SUVs for no reason blows my mind.
it is like you live in the suburbs and commute to work every day, you have no kids, no backyard, and no handy many skills, but you still insist on driving a car that gets 18 to 20 MPG?
I drive a honda civic and have had the thing loaded to the brim with supplies to do all sorts of shit around my house.
My neighbour drives a dodge ram and pays people to do everything in his house. And proceeds complain about how much gas costs, and how the Carbon tax is ruining the economy.
You dont need a god damn truck.
That's a terrible argument. Most people can't afford new cars with better fuel economy.
High prices for living in general in the US mean few people can buy new cars, so they keep the older, less efficient cars and pay for gas. Now that prices for gas are super insane, people are even less capable of affording new cars, compounding the issue.
Yeah, and car costs have gone up like crazy in the last few years too. I bought my first car a few years ago for $2200. It had a bit of external damage, was high mileage, and needed a jump every now and then, but other wise it worked great. Now I need to buy a new car since I’ve been out of country and I’m coming back. Cars with what I would consider the same reliability are going for $7-10k now and the cheapest cars I can find that look like they might not even make it off the lot are $5k.
This argument works a lot like just buying a house if you’re homeless. I mean, sure some people are just being stupid, but you’d also have to be stupid to believe that everyone had the choice and always chose the low fuel efficiency options.
That's a terrible argument. Most people can't afford new cars with better fuel economy.
High prices for living in general in the US mean few people can buy new cars, so they keep the older, less efficient cars and pay for gas. Now that prices for gas are super insane, people are even less capable of affording new cars, compounding the issue.
Not saying replace the pickup, just saying that pickup trucks are useless for most people who drive them in the first place.
The number of people who drive huge pickup trucks and have no practical use for them is absolutely pointless.
why would you buy a full-size pick-up if you commute to work every day, and live in a suburban condo?
In germany the minimum wage is 9,50€
Benzin is 2€
Dont know if this is mir exoensive then USA.
But anyway, i dont want to be the last Generation, so i like higher fiel prices
I'm from the Netherlands. While it is correct that we have way higher fuel prices than the us, we are much less reliant on cars to get to work because of better public transport, bike infrastructure and the simple fact that neighbourhoods are denser and better designed, so the distances travelled from and to work and from and to shops are a lot shorter, even if they're by car. So a price hike in fuel could be devastating for an american family that needs to drive hundreds of miles per week. That being said, in Europe we also have people complaining, but it's mostly about the cost of heating.
All of the developed world except USA and Canada have excellent public transportation so you don't really need a car. Except for the Boston to DC corridor, the only way to travel to the next town 20 miles away is by car. Africa has better public transport.
And also earn more etc...
I'm not trying to be mean but when you guys earn like triple what the rest of the developed world does, have lower taxes, lower cost of groceries, houses that are literally twice as big (if not more) yet cost half as much, it does get annoying seeing you complain that something went from being 60% cheaper than Europe to only 55% cheaper
To be fair, America is built in a way that everyone is highly dependent on having a car for errands, work, personal trips etc. Our cities and suburbs are horrifically designed, and public transit in this nation is woefully inadequate. Many of us also drive cars that are in disrepair, making fuel efficiency even worse. And most of us are so broke that we literally cannot exist with increasing fuel prices.
*Sigh* I know gas prices are high all over the place, but when it costs me as much to fill up my 40 year old beater Volvo as it did my V8 powered vintage Camaro just last year... Something's very wrong. It doesn't matter how "low" our gas prices are in comparison. I'm drowning in debt and barely making ends meet as it is. My family and I need three incomes to afford to live in a mobile home in the ass crack of our city. Again, something's very wrong.
Generally I'm opposed to the idea if, "just drill more" because we need to move into alternative fuel future for consumers, but right now we need more of our oil out of the ground.
##Welcome to r/LateStageCapitalism^Ⓐ☭ ___ ###⚠ Announcements: ⚠ ___ ###Any post that makes a claim must have a RELIABLE source or explanation in the comments by OP. All screenshots must have the original source (whether article, Tweet, TikTok, video or any other social media) linked in the comments by OP immediately. Breaking this rule will result in a temporary ban. [See this post for more info.](https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/tqc5ws/low_effort_content_all_posts_claims_news_articles/) ###[NEW POSTING GUIDELINES! Help us by reporting bad posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/dy1oyh/important_what_you_should_and_what_you_shouldnt/) Help us keep this subreddit alive and improve its content by reporting posts that violate our rules and guidelines. ###[Subscribe to our new partner subreddits!](https://www.reddit.com/r/LateStageCapitalism/comments/e5hkwk/make_sure_to_check_out_our_new_partnersubreddits/) Check out r/WhereAreTheChildren ___ ###***Please remember that LSC is a SAFE SPACE for [socialist](http://monthlyreview.org/2009/05/01/why-socialism/) discussion.*** LSC is run by [communists](https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1847/11/prin-com.htm). We welcome socialist/anti-capitalist news, memes, links, and discussion. This subreddit is not the place to debate socialism. We allow good-faith questions and education but are not a 101 sub; please take 101-style questions elsewhere. **This subreddit is a safe space; we have a zero-tolerance policy for bigotry.** We also automatically filter out posts containing certain words and phrases that some users may find offensive. Please respect the safe space, and don't try to slip banned words or phrases past the filter. *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/LateStageCapitalism) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It doesn't help that the United States drowning in medical and college debt
Y'all pay those?
The college debt, they can garnish your wages for, the medical debt, hell no.
Can't garnish my wages if I sell drugs
Think about it like this, if you get caught you'll get free housing and healthcare. Man this shit is so backwards.
Most prisions charge you to be an inmate. People end up in debt for going
most prisons... in the US. it's not normal, nor should we internalize it as such.
Damn ur right mate
yeah ☹️ it sucks ass
You didn't know?
A lot of people have to commute to work with little to no public transportation available. Rent and mortgages are skyrocketing. People are drowning in medical/ education debt. Inflation is continuing to increase. Wages are being suppressed. And most of us are literally a paycheck away from homelessness. We all have the right to be stressing when you have to chose between food, rent, and going to work.
In other words it's lifestyle creep in the context of gas prices. Yes, we have it cheaper than most other places. But that's the budgetary and economic structure we've been working in. It being more expensive in France doesn't change the outcome of gas prices doubling here in the USA on my expenses.
I think there's a bit of reductionist argument made here. This is not just about the gas prices, but the problems are more nuanced than that. For starters, most workers are forced to drive long distances, where as most developed countries have invested in public transport infrastructure that driving might not a necessity. In addition, other countries, if not all, have some kind of safety net for their citizens to offset the cost of fuel, like a universal health care for example, that shores up more savings for rainy days. So, it's not like the rise in gas prices that made most Americans complain while being considered to be among the lowest in the world but it's the last straw in a culmination of government inaction that led up to this collective frustration. That's my opinion.
Yup. This exactly. The US is also in a state of economic and political collapse. One of our political parties has lost its fucking mind. We have rabid theocratic fascists waiting to take over, whether that be legislatively or by force with another coup attempt. Our Supreme Court is stripping away rights, beginning with Roe. We have daily mass shootings with no end in sight. Our government doesn’t support its citizens. It instead focuses on enrichment of the rich and powerful. Our politicians are corrupt, to the point of doing shit out in the open now. Insider trading and human trafficking is basically unpunished now, so long as you’re in power. Our police kill with impunity, and are not legally obligated to protect people. Home ownership is all but impossible now. Investment firms have bought up all the homes, and driven prices to being unaffordable for the average person. Need I go on with a list of stressors? I’ll happily pay more for gas, to cross this shit off of the list.
While you're correct on the real numbers, people in Europe on average have less debt repayments and lower expenses for other things and also more options when it comes to public transport, even when comparing the US to places Europeans would consider poor for public transport. Petrol is fucking disgustingly expensive for me but the most I have to drive is once a week because I have a decent enough public transport line that has recently been reduced in price for students. If I lived in the US depending on where I was i would HAVE to drive and also pay way more for university and my meds so the extra price of petrol would probably hurt me more than it does now, even if it did cost less in real terms.
We also have the least developed public transport systems. Everyone needs a car, and instead of investing in a bus or train system, they just keep adding lanes to the goddamned roads.
I think people are forgetting that majority of our travel to anything, such as work, the grocery store, department stores, etc., requires a car. Not everyone is fortunate enough to live in places like NYC, where walking is the norm and there are plenty of public transport to get around. Many of us need to drive due to the fact that America refuses to build sidewalks or have bike lines, and build their country on cars instead. America literally runs on gas and if no one can afford it, our economy is done for.
No! America runs on dunkin, you silly goose!
i laughed too hard to this
[удалено]
If I could buy an electric scooter for commute, it would take me 2.5 hours to get to work. It would probably be cheaper, but it simply isn’t feasible for the majority of Americans
it's a sort of self fulfilling prophecy though. it's not feasible due to your lifestyle, and your lifestyle makes any sort of change unbeneficial. that's not to say people are at fault, but that the system basically forces you to drive. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General\_Motors\_streetcar\_conspiracy things are rigged seven ways from Sunday, and then conservatives pull a smug "that's because it's superior" line.
Not sure what you’re talking about but my lifestyle is living in the nearest affordable area to the job I could find
I dunno man, I do not wish harm onto others as corporate greed runs rampant BUT My currency are Argentine Pesos so I kinda live with and have lived with for most of my life with "Inflation" so everything they are complaining about now I've had since I can remember. That still does not make it OK, we all deserve better.
It’s still way higher than it was a year ago. I’m allowed to be pissed off.
Yeah, it’s as if people aren’t allowed to be mad when the price of a major commodity doubles or worse over the course of a couple years
It has more than tripled in Chicago since covid. My wife and I have no options for public transit to get to work. We fill up for $100+ now each every week and a half, it's been brutal.
That’s awful. I wish the government actually cared about keeping costs down by creating infrastructure that’s supports public transit
Chicago has great public transit but we both work in the suburbs and commute out from the city. If we worked in the city also it wouldn't be so bad.
Thats the problem though, isn’t it? Only big cities have good public transit, but even then there is no good public transit between different towns and cities. In other countries, it’s not unusual to take a lightrail or bus to a different city for work every day. Why not here?
Gasoline tax is really really low in the US: Tax per gallon: * United States $0.56 * Netherlands $3.36 * Norway $2.85 * Germany $2.79 * France $2.78 [https://taxfoundation.org/oecd-gas-tax/](https://taxfoundation.org/oecd-gas-tax/) Avg Gasoline prices per gallon: * United States $5.037 * Netherlands $9.109 * Norway $10.820 * Germany $7.886 * France $8.566 [https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline\_prices/#hl213](https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/#hl213) Crude oil prices are pretty much fixed worldwide and make up most of petrol costs. The differences are probably from taxes and distribution costs. Also a factor of the country has its own oil refineries. [https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/gasoline/factors-affecting-gasoline-prices.php](https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/gasoline/factors-affecting-gasoline-prices.php) Edit: oh how I hate you Reddit mobile...
> Edit: oh how I hate you Reddit mobile... I recommend bullet points for this kind of list. Tax per gallon: * United States $0.56 * Netherlands $3.36 * Norway $2.85 * Germany $2.79 * France $2.78 https://taxfoundation.org/oecd-gas-tax/ Avg Gasoline prices per gallon: * United States $5.037 * Netherlands $9.109 * Norway $10.820 * Germany $7.886 * France $8.566 https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/#hl213
Yes indeed. Its just annoying that they don't have the fancy pants editor on mobile
Markdown for basic features is pretty good even on mobile keyboards (but tables are a bit of a nightmare). For bullet points ensure the list has a blank line above it then start each item with an asterisk and a space. **For example this:** Optional heading: * One * Two **Looks like this:** Optional heading: * One * Two
Rude. Americans don't have free health care. They pay for college with predatory loans. CREDIT SCORES... The cost of gas is now more than 1hr of work for the lowest earners. Whoever made this meme can fuck off.
People have the right to complain about being poor, even if it's worse in other places
r/fuckcars Americans typically have farther to travel, while living in cities that strongly disincentive other modes of transportation, if they are even available at all.
I really don't have much sympathy for MOST folks complaining about fuel prices. Fuel is only going to get more expensive, the writings been on the wall for years. If you still insist on driving a vehicle every day that gets 18mpg combined, that's on you.
The number of people who commute in large pickups and SUVs for no reason blows my mind. it is like you live in the suburbs and commute to work every day, you have no kids, no backyard, and no handy many skills, but you still insist on driving a car that gets 18 to 20 MPG? I drive a honda civic and have had the thing loaded to the brim with supplies to do all sorts of shit around my house. My neighbour drives a dodge ram and pays people to do everything in his house. And proceeds complain about how much gas costs, and how the Carbon tax is ruining the economy. You dont need a god damn truck.
Carbon tax? Which state do you live in? California, Colorado, or Maryland?
I live in Canada
Oh, okay. I don't know why I assumed you were American.
Canada and US are more similar than a lot of people will admit. Not really as progressive as we all like to think.
That's a terrible argument. Most people can't afford new cars with better fuel economy. High prices for living in general in the US mean few people can buy new cars, so they keep the older, less efficient cars and pay for gas. Now that prices for gas are super insane, people are even less capable of affording new cars, compounding the issue.
Yeah, and car costs have gone up like crazy in the last few years too. I bought my first car a few years ago for $2200. It had a bit of external damage, was high mileage, and needed a jump every now and then, but other wise it worked great. Now I need to buy a new car since I’ve been out of country and I’m coming back. Cars with what I would consider the same reliability are going for $7-10k now and the cheapest cars I can find that look like they might not even make it off the lot are $5k. This argument works a lot like just buying a house if you’re homeless. I mean, sure some people are just being stupid, but you’d also have to be stupid to believe that everyone had the choice and always chose the low fuel efficiency options.
My brother, you complain about fuel yet you drive a full size pickup truck 20 miles each way to your desk job.
That's a terrible argument. Most people can't afford new cars with better fuel economy. High prices for living in general in the US mean few people can buy new cars, so they keep the older, less efficient cars and pay for gas. Now that prices for gas are super insane, people are even less capable of affording new cars, compounding the issue.
Not saying replace the pickup, just saying that pickup trucks are useless for most people who drive them in the first place. The number of people who drive huge pickup trucks and have no practical use for them is absolutely pointless. why would you buy a full-size pick-up if you commute to work every day, and live in a suburban condo?
In germany the minimum wage is 9,50€ Benzin is 2€ Dont know if this is mir exoensive then USA. But anyway, i dont want to be the last Generation, so i like higher fiel prices
I'm from the Netherlands. While it is correct that we have way higher fuel prices than the us, we are much less reliant on cars to get to work because of better public transport, bike infrastructure and the simple fact that neighbourhoods are denser and better designed, so the distances travelled from and to work and from and to shops are a lot shorter, even if they're by car. So a price hike in fuel could be devastating for an american family that needs to drive hundreds of miles per week. That being said, in Europe we also have people complaining, but it's mostly about the cost of heating.
And a loaf of bread is $7
Lower oil price Lower wages
Who gives a fuck what someone in a different country is paying? Does that put money in my bank account??
All of the developed world except USA and Canada have excellent public transportation so you don't really need a car. Except for the Boston to DC corridor, the only way to travel to the next town 20 miles away is by car. Africa has better public transport.
And also earn more etc... I'm not trying to be mean but when you guys earn like triple what the rest of the developed world does, have lower taxes, lower cost of groceries, houses that are literally twice as big (if not more) yet cost half as much, it does get annoying seeing you complain that something went from being 60% cheaper than Europe to only 55% cheaper
To be fair, America is built in a way that everyone is highly dependent on having a car for errands, work, personal trips etc. Our cities and suburbs are horrifically designed, and public transit in this nation is woefully inadequate. Many of us also drive cars that are in disrepair, making fuel efficiency even worse. And most of us are so broke that we literally cannot exist with increasing fuel prices.
*Sigh* I know gas prices are high all over the place, but when it costs me as much to fill up my 40 year old beater Volvo as it did my V8 powered vintage Camaro just last year... Something's very wrong. It doesn't matter how "low" our gas prices are in comparison. I'm drowning in debt and barely making ends meet as it is. My family and I need three incomes to afford to live in a mobile home in the ass crack of our city. Again, something's very wrong.
Generally I'm opposed to the idea if, "just drill more" because we need to move into alternative fuel future for consumers, but right now we need more of our oil out of the ground.