Submitted by William J. Sturm(United States), May 19, 2002 at 19:01
You are absolutely right! The policy of the United States has permitted this situation to develop.
l. The oil issue. Politicians in America have artificially kept the price of gasoline below world market prices to subsidize our economic engine for 50 years. This prevented the profits needed to find alternative sources of energy which would compete with oil. Nuclear energy is a viable alternative since these units can be run safely and in fact the waste products can be continuously recycled. .. In short, public pressure is killing the nuclear power industry. Public pressure is also killing any opportunity to drill the hell out of the Gulf of Mexico, Santa Barbara and the Alaskan Wildlife Refuge. Politicians poll the voters and ask them what they want. Then, to retain power, the politicians deliver what the voters want. Also, we are capable now of powering our vehicles with ethanol. We can turn our corn into gas and they can eat sand!
2. The religious issue. Once we pull the rug out from Saudi Arabia and bypass their oil, the fund needed to export their kind of religious hate will also dry up. In the final analysis, this is a personal decision. Folks have been given a free will to make any choice they want to make. Let us allow folks make any choice they want. Ultimately, it is the individual who is responsible for the religious choice he or she makes. So, leave it right there!
3. Support for Israel issue. Let the Israelis take care of themselves. They really don't need the U.S. to solve their problems. Our foreign aid should always be directed in our best interests. If it involves supporting Israel, so be it. But we should never tell the Israelis what to do. They must do what is in their best interests. Of course, the same is true for the arch rivals. Once the oil issue is resolved the leverage on Israel by the entire Arab world will also will fade away.
4. The U.S. strategic interests issue. Let the U.S. take care of itself. The U.S. has nuclear weapons and should maintain a strong military. Where does all this coalilition stuff come from? Take measured action as situations demand.
If we moved in this direction the problems discussed would fade away. Instead, we the people, of the people, by the people demand low priced gas for our gas guzzlers. Now, we the people, of the people, by the people are being held hostage by black gold. Yet we still have a choice. But unfortunately we no longer have citizens involved in serious public service. Far too many are trying to get all they can get while the getting is good. And, unfortunately, that means the status quo for the entire world on the brink of WWW III. Too many folks drunk with power.
Where have all the statemen gone? Those who put the public good above their own selfish requirements to get re-elected?
I wonder if it is so difficult to trade the risk of oil washing up on a beach or doing some damage to a small part of our Arctic tundra in exchange for a reasonable plan of escape for the hostage situation we now face? Perhaps the clean burning ethanol
would more than off-set any environmental damage caused by additional oil exploration and extraction. Once we extract the energy from the corn we still have feed for livestock. Americans also enjoy eating meat! We can keep it safe and do not need to export it!
Didn't we hear of three wishes coming from an Arab lamp? Aladdin's? It could happen again. And, it could happen very quickly.
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