"The US has a major cultural problem. They assume fuel is available like water. It is a source that is always cheap and that we can get anytime we want, that we don't have to be bothered about .."
True to a point, but it's changing. $3.00 gallon for gas is dragging us into reality fairly quickly. The sales figures for low MPG trucks and SUV's have dropped like a rock. In my case, since diesels won't be available for a couple of years, a 30+ MPG car was recently bought, rendering the 12 MPG SUV to backup missions.
When you discussed the price of fuel, did you happen to mention how much of that was for taxes and where they went? (although we have some hidden "security" fees for carriers and B2's)