[ExSoldier]

Not just gold. Both china and russia are natural resource heavy, and at least china has a major industrial economy. The US shifted from a production economy to a financial and service economy decades ago...

What kind of impact (if any) would there be if a good conservative pro US energy POTUS came into office and literally opened up ALL U.S. holdings now currently forbidden to oil exploitation to be opened? Further mandate that non OPEC American Oil companies get the first plumb bids and require all refinieries to be either updated, expanded or new ones built as a prerequisite to the deal. Also mandate that all proceeds have to be sold inside our borders first before being sold overseas and block any sales to unfriendly nations. Maybe also pass emergency legislation that limits frivolous lawsuits especially by enviro-whackos seeking to block the new system and base it on national security?

Look at how a limited example of this has changed the face of the economy in North Dakota. We could send our economy into orbit and crush those who seek our destruction at almost the same time, right? Or am I out of my mind (a somewhat common situation)?

[Errant]

What kind of impact (if any) would there be if a good conservative pro US energy POTUS came into office and literally opened up ALL U.S. holdings now currently forbidden to oil exploitation to be opened?

None, without first tackling this:

[Rusty0604]

Open up oil exploration would be a good thing. Your “mandate” proposals not so much. Open it and let the free market and private business operate.

[MamaDearest]

The key will be "if" elections are held in 2016 and Barry hasn't proclaimed himself dictator or some such title after some sort of occurrence requiring Martial Law. We are still seeing very weak and ineffective republican party response to any of the scandals and Constitutional and Rule of Law negations done frequently without a whimper from RINOs in charge. Survey after survey suggests 75% of Americans want the Keystone Pipeline. About the same percentage did not want Obamacare.

As long as lawlessness and disregard for the Will of the People and the founding documents prevails, it's going to be a very long three years until 2016 and what this administration does between now and then (and what, if anything, is done by politicians who love this nation to save America as we know it). With government agencies now being used as weapons against us (Bundy case now), anything is possible.