40% of a military budget that exceeds the next 22 largest militaries in the world is used to protect oil flow and transit through the Straights of Hormuz and Suez Canal.
40% of the world's oil transits through the SOH and Suez.
You may not call that a subsidy, but anyone who's being honest with themselves will.
That adds up to TRILLIONS of dollars (lifetime cost). Whatever Solyndra, solar, wind, renewables have gotten in meager scraps over the decades is just VASTLY overwhelmed by that direct subsidy the (world) oil industry alone has gotten over just 3 years.
You and I don't pay for that military protection at the gas pump, we pay for it in our taxes. It costs each of our families thousands of dollars per year. My last 3 years payment due to the extra military protection for oil interests alone averages $1,100/year.
I'd rather subsidize our economic independence from the Saudi's who are currently trying to break the balls of our domestic oil and gas industries. I wish I could direct that $1,100 per year to solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, advanced renewables and clean energy research, etcetera than to the Saudi's.
I realize you don't all feel the same as I do and are fine with status quo. I am not. I think oil and gas have their place, and I do not advocate hurting domestic industry. I just don't like funding terrorists and people that hate us (our drug dealers the Saudi's, Venezuela, etc...)
In other words, semantics, shmemankicks! We've been getting robbed for so long, it's considered "normal", but I HATE IT.