Actually, I remember reading that through old-fashioned Communist style price controls gas is only $2.90 in China.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24242758/
When I started driving in 1998-1999, gas was just a shave under $1/gallon.
As for the whole "Oil companies are evil thing", I really don't care. All I care about is that at $3.60 or whatever per gallon, the price of gas is unacceptably high so I merely find ways to get around without gas. Walk to work, take DART to school, take DART to see my wife in Las Colinas for lunch on Saturdays, get my bicycle fixed, you get the idea. For me it's that simple. If the price is more than I think is fair, I don't pay. Or in the case of a "necessity" like gasoline, reduce it's use as much as possible.
This coming from a guy about to take a 2000 mile road trip (it IS necessary!)