There are many more people vying for the world's resources now... 200,000 more people everday ( 350k born, 150k die daily).
Crude oil made into everything from gasoline,diesel,heating oil,jet fuel, asphalt, etc.
USA not getting the share it used to. Other countries fuel demand.
China modernizing like crazy, metals in great demand to build high-rises there. Production costs of lower valued USA coinage equalling face value. Soon the zinc in our "pennies" ( yes they are zinc, since 1982), and the copper ( 75%) in our nickels will be worth more as building materials, than as money.
Gas was 30-cents a gallon, but a house was 30k, now gas is $3, house is 300k, still about the same.
I recently saw some stats on what things cost in 1946. Food was expensive, it was all in 1946 dollars, eggs cost nearly $1 a dozen, meat much higher than you'd think, a TV set way more than today ( but new technology) a long distance phone call was very high ( way more than today).
Food prices were what shocked me most ! Not too much earlier, just getting adequate food was not a given ( Depression-era). Nobody starves to death in America nowadays, unlike say Africa.
Things are getting more equal world-wide, thus the demand influences prices.
USA could have taken over the world after WW2 if they wanted to, but that wouldn't have been right ! Now USA must share resources with others.
If USA wants to bitch about gas prices, they need to exploit their own petroleum resources, or compete for the resource with other buyers ( consumers).
We can't have it both ways. Be the tyrant ruler of the entire world when the chance was there, or don't be ! The right choice was made, IMO.
Now things are different ?
We aren't as advanced as most of you think you are hiding behind you computers. Go back just about 150 years... no cars, planes,electricity, running hot water, etc.