I think it's one thing to have high gas price like they do in Europe and other developed areas of the world. But it's another thing entirely to have high gas prices in the U.S. For one thing, the high gas prices abroad are not directly linked to market forces as much as they are linked to taxes- taxes that are used to help fund infrastructure as well as social entitlements like healthcare, paid leave and pensions. Yes, the gas taxes in the U.S. are much lower than the rest of the developed world, but they does not contribute to any social entitlements. As such, high gas prices in the U.S. can only be attributed to "market forces," e.g., market speculation and greed. Although cartels are technically illegal in the U.S., the U.S. oil/gas industry is indeed a cartel and they manipulate the market in unison along with their counterparts on Wall Street.
Don't get me wrong; I personally am in favor of high gas prices in the U.S.- it forces people to adopt more responsible transportation habits. However, I am not in favor of high gas prices when it consists mostly of profits going to Wall Street and the U.S. oil cartel. High gas prices are only justifiable when they are due to high gas taxes that are used to fund public transportation initiatives, alternative green energy development and public healthcare and education. IMHO, the future is electric and we still have a LONG way to go before we have anything close to a viable/sustainable/practical electrical infrastructure. The sooner we support its development, the better.
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