I just spend a few minutes watching a video produced by Set America Free about reducing our dependence on foreign oil in order to secure America. And I was left with one question: how can so many people with so much intelligence be so fucking stupid?
Oil independence and energy independence may have their values. They do not, however, have the value defined in the little video, which purports that we’ll basically solve all global security issues by becoming oil independent. Because the OPEC nations of the world will have to liberalize and democratize if they can’t rely on black gold.
Here’s a hint, if we don’t buy a single drop of foreign oil, we do not solve in any way the problem of the Iran’s and Venezuela’s of the world making a lot of cash to spend on evil things. They still have an abundance of cheap oil that they can sell at huge profit margins. Someone, somewhere is going to buy it. Period.
The only benefit to Americans is that we can feel so great for not being the ones who buy the cheap oil. I say whoop-dee-doo. But since we’re a culture who joyfully spends a dollar for a pint of water, why not start spending a dollar for a pint of gasoline so we can feel good about ourselves.
It’s all about what scale of time you’re talking about here. Sure, independence from foreign oil might be expensive in the short run. And perhaps it will do nothing to resolve security issues…in the short run. Should the USA develop a viable alternative fuel, it will inexorably creep towards the same price as oil. This seems like a much more innovative–American–approach and I think our country would be much better off because of it…in the longer run. Iran and Venezuela can sell oil to the market laggards, but they’ll eventually fall back into mediocrity. And who becomes the big winner? We do (unless China steals our patents).
I think we Americans have to take a long view (past 5 years) and think about the longterm health of our country. Energy is a big part of that health and the more focus we can put on it the better. A friend of mine pointed me to a quote from Henry Ford, “If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.” And it looks like if you ask Americans what they want, they say cheaper oil. Come on people.