Party on Dudes!

In 1980 we made a choice in direction and philosophy that our country would follow for the next generation.  We might not have realized at the time how significant the choice was but it is clear now.  We had the option of re-electing a President who was warning us about a looming crisis in natural resources and limiting our life style or a happy-go-lucky Californian B actor who only saw a bright future for an exceptional Nation.   The option was stark, cut back or spend our way to prosperity.  Can’t fault us for following the optimist! 

Now we are told that our life-style IS American, in our very blood.  Anyone threatening to impinge on our life style is an enemy.  That is an interesting outlook as it ultimately puts anyone and everyone who competes with us for natural resources in our sights.  Today it is oil, the Middle East and Muslims.  A newly discovered oil super field find creates a new hot spot, new conflicts and new enemies if they do not agree to our terms.  

Oil as the center of the developed economy is likely to transition to a new fuel as it once did from coal.  We cling to oil because we are the leader of the oil based economy.   Other nations are seeking to change the game by investing in renewable energy.   We seem to be the only nation on the planet that can’t see the decline of oil.  It is not renewable and will one day decline in output.  It is highly polluting when burned.  The extraction, transportation and refining processes are environmentally damaging.  

This is where being the leader is a disadvantage.  We want to leverage our capital investment in the fossil fuel infrastructure we built.  Change is not to our competitive advantage.  If we continue to attempt to maintain the status quo, we’ll succeed in extending the oil economy but at the cost of a collapse when the world finally does transition to the next energy source.  We’ll be in the unfamiliar and unenviable position of playing catch up.  We need to pull the tentacles of vested interest out of our government so we can make the best competitive national decisions for our long term success, stability and longevity.  Oil is not in the best interests of individual American’s, only the oilman gains by delay.