1. Terrorism isn't tied to oil. Terrorists can still kill on a budget.
2. Alternative fuels will not replace gasoline anytime soon. The currently viable fuel supplements aren't actually viable.
3. If we don't buy oil from the Middle East, China and India will. We don't control the flow of cash to the Middle East.
4. The Muslims didn't reform with $10 oil, they are probably more likely to reform at $100 a barrel resulting in global investments that will be hurt by terrorism.
5. Isolationism isn't just impossible, it's impractical.
Think of this everytime someone demagogues energy policies that will cost you money and take away your freedoms.
Is there a parallel argument in Saudi Arabia saying that they have to break their dependence on American food?
Nice article. Some of us have being making these same points here on FR for some time now. The ethanol now crowd will have nothing of it.
1. Agree. World demand for Oil is currently increasing. Even significant reductions by the US in oil consumption would be offset by foreign oil demand (e.g., China). However, reduced use of foreign oil would reduce the volitility in the US economy brought on by uncertainty in the energy markets.
2. Disagree. Nukes, domestic oil drilling, coal, railroad deregulation (freight), and wind farms in Cape Cod* could all bring fairly rapid relief.
3. Perhaps. I’d rather they didn’t bomb us with our own money.
4. Agree.
5. Disagree. Since I started brewing my own beer, I’ve never had a supply problem...now that’s security.
dung.
* Well maybe not, but it would piss off Ted Kennedy which is a desirable end in itself.