Originally Posted by k71021

Thanks Eggplant Jeff, but that was not my question. Sorry for not asking it clearly enough. I meant how much of an American’s income taxes, corporate taxes, et cetera that go into the pentagon’s coffers are spent on “… keeping supply available”. It is basically a hidden subsidy for the entire petroleum value chain receives; from exploration to the end consumer. And yes, most of the world benefits from it but I guess not everyone feels they are exactly beneficiaries. I was not referring to the amount of money that comes from fuel taxes (which is what I think you were focusing on in paragraph two) but what should be added to the price paid at the pump to adjust for the government’s expenditure in protecting those supplies. It is actually paid out of the tax payer’s pockets (or their children’s pockets) in addition to what is paid per gallon at the local Chevron.

Of course it would be difficult to estimate, and I don’t really expect someone to come up with an exact figure. I was just wondering if anyone has ever read any estimates of it.