Comparison shopping

What should America spend for freedom, and what is the alternative? | Joel Belz

When I rejoiced yesterday to spot a gas station selling regular for just $2.53 a gallon, I had to remind myself how elastic are the standards by which we judge the value of just about everything. It's hard to sort out which emotion dominates: my chagrin at paying $1 a gallon more than I was paying a couple of years ago, or my delight at paying 50 cents less than I was two months ago.

The American media have had a field day since late last summer when a pair of costly hurricanes jacked up the price of fuel in a fairly abrupt manner. But the main effect of their lopsided reporting has been to sponsor a gigantic pity-party, encouraging Americans to feel sorry for themselves because the robber barons of the energy industry have become so oppressive. What the media have done very poorly is to help those same consumers measure such costs thoughtfully both against historical prices and against what others throughout the world are paying right now for the same energy.