Creator:
Bob Taylor
Publication:
Reprinted in Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year 1980
Publication Date:
1975
Description:
In 1973, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) decided to withhold shipment of oil to countries that supported Israel in the ongoing war between OPEC countries (and Syria and Egypt) and Israel. The embargo was lifted in 1974, but OPEC took additional measures to increase the price of crude oil on international markets, making the price of gasoline for the consumer skyrocket. Referred to as the Energy Crisis, these events exposed the dependency of the West on the oil of Arab countries. Western economies suffered severe economic recession coupled with inflation. Because of fuel shortages, many consumers waited hours in line for gasoline, and many observers were surprised at Americans’ willingness to pay over $3.00 a gallon for gasoline.
Source:
The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University