[Thermalseeker]

If we don’t buy Muslim oil, then they won’t have money to spend on terror.

Don't forget the Law of Unintended Consequences or the Law of Supply and Demand. By reducing our demand we increase the amount of oil available on the world market. This will drive the price down. Lower prices will mean the Chi-coms will suck up even more oil at the lower prices and continue to build their war machine. Unless we can move on to another alternative completely, the unintended consequences of our conservation, and the result of vast quantities of oil made available on the world market, could spell dire consequences a decade or two from now.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Your logic goes like this. If we reduce our use of Muslim oil, it will lower the price for the Chinese (that part is probably correct). Reducing the price of oil will allow the Chinese to build their war machine (they would have more money to spend). That part is probably correct. However, taking that logic to is final conclusion, we should hope oil prices go through the roof, so the entire world economy crashes. In other words, mutual economic destruction. I don’t buy it. Alternative energy sources will likely replace the demand for fossil fuels at some point in the future. There was a great article in “The Economist” some years ago. It predicted that by mid-century that fossil fuels would be secondary to fuel cell and other technology, and by the end of the century, demand would be minor.

[CharlesWayneCT]

My prius has 8 air bags and a solid crumple zone. If all the other cars were the same size, we’d all be very safe driving them.

My problem is the SUV driver who loses control of his behemoth is going to run OVER my car and crush it, sure he’ll be fine while I’m the one who gets injured.

I ran a Priuse head-on into a solid concrete pole at over 20 mph, and walked away with just a bruise where the seat belt pulled me back before the air bag went off. My car bounced 6 inches off the pole, which didn’t move.