Elizabethtown, KY---May 28, 2008
We must, as voters and as citizens, put the absolute most pressure we can on our lawmakers and leaders to do everything possible to create energy independence in the United States. And we can never stop until energy independence is a reality for our country.
If we fail to do so, we will always be vulnerable and subject to those who manipulate the world to squeeze the most they can out of our economy and our wallets, in order to put it in their own.
I first published this article April 22, 2006. I am re-publishing it again today because it is as timely now as ever.
Who's To Blame For High Gasoline Prices?
Most Americans blame the Middle East for our high gasoline prices. As many blame the big oil companies. While each may be true to a degree, we are missing the biggest culprit of all: ourselves.
Thirty-three years ago this coming October OPEC, in response to Nixon sending arms to Israel to fight a war against Egypt and Syria, enacted an oil embargo against the United States.
Suddenly, fuel prices quadrupled. People stood in long lines for limited amounts of fuel. President Nixon announced "Project Independence" to make the United States self-reliant in energy. When the Iranian revolution came along prices doubled again.
Then what happened? Very little. We mandated higher gas mileage automobiles, and we bought them for a while. We talked energy conservation for awhile. We created a Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Then when supplies and prices settled down we forgot it all. We now import nearly 60% of our oil needs compared to 40% in 1973. We gorged ourselves with SUVs. We have allowed mergers and acquisitions to occur that have concentrated the control of oil in 5 companies. We have ignored their collusion to control the supply of refined oil in order to produce record oil company profits. We have allowed, maybe even promoted, just the conditions that have put us in the shape we are today.
And who is to blame? I am afraid that the answer is in the mirror. Oh yes, we can blame the government. But we are the government. Did we insist? Did we protest in the streets? Did we write our congressmen and senators? Did we sustain our demands for change? No. We relaxed, unlike the oil lobby. We fell into the same old comfort zone.
Today we consume over three times the oil per day than either of the closest two nations, China and Japan. China is consuming more and more and may eventually surpass us. India's consumption will certainly grow rapidly. The world is being increasingly more developed and will grow in its consumption. This means we now have major competitors for the oil that is available.
The worst part is that we can never be self-sufficient in oil. We simply can not produce enough. As long as oil is our chief energy source we are under its control.
So, what is the answer? This nation must develop United States produced replacements for oil. We must become self-reliant, not only in pronouncement, but in reality.
This will only happen if We the People insist upon it; unwaveringly, loudly, consistently, even if the current prices of fuel ease. We must remember that the oil interests do not want this. They will do all they can to prevent it. They will try to keep the prices just low enough to prevent alternatives from being profitable enough for business to pursue.
That is why it may be necessary for the government to do this. If ever the country needed defending, it needs defending in the area of energy. If we can spend billions and billions to defend the sources of oil, we can spend billions and billions to free us from the grasp of oil.
We created the atom bomb to end World War II. We went to the moon. We can do this. But until now, it has never truly been a priority of this country. That means you and me. Right now many of us are probably hoping that gas prices will ease and things will return to normal. Normal will kill us when it comes to placing any reliance on oil for our long-term energy needs.
Freedom has never been more threatened. In order for this country to be truly free, it must find a way to give up foreign oil by replacing it with American fuel. We must use our technology, our genius, and our determination. We must not relent. We must not forget. We must insist upon a focused and financed national energy independence effort.
We must succeed to survive.