Well, I guess we're just doomed then if you have such a low regard for your government.
"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." -- Albert Einstein
Doing nothing is the problem, not the solution.
The problem I see with the "doing nothing" approach is that profits only increase for the oil industry as prices rise, due to their vertical integration. The oil industry is like Microsoft. Look to that to see the result of doing nothing. They are going to continue doing everything within their power to maintain overwhelming dominance by squashing any competition rather than changing their business to suit the needs of consumers. Alternative fuels research and investment will be like Linux or any other OS trying to compete today - desparate and weak acceptance. Americans are hard-headed and will accept the price rises just as they continue to use Windows.
All the theory about free market forces, supply and demand, go out the window when monopolies or extraordinary dominance is present.
As supplies become tighter from global demand, the traditional approach of military aquisition and security of supply will continue. Iraq was always about securing oil. It was never about Iraqis or terrorism or Saddam Hussein or WMD. We all know that the decision to invade Iraq was made before 9/11, so let's not fool each other about that, okay? You're worldly enough to accept and talk about it, Toad.
It won't be as easy in the future as it was in the past. The great lesson of Iraq is that it didn't work out like planned. $50 billion given to 150 US companies to reconstruct the infrastructure to get the oil flowing into the market, and it didn't get done. Three years gone and the money is gone with still no stable electricity, water, sewage and less oil out than when Saddam was there. Iraqis rebuilt everything after the first war in less than 3 months. They screwed the pooch on the 2nd largest supply in the world, which confirms your point about government incompetence. Or is it just the recent governments incompetence?
The Apollo Program accomplished its stated 10-year goal. All it took was inspirational leadership to set and sell the policy. A successful strategy of how to achieve something is easier when the policy and goal is clear and not devious.
"Policy" and "Strategy to achieve it" are different. Leaders with the ability to form coherent sentences can set a policy and badger or inspire representatives into supporting it by inspiring the people who elect the representatives.
Sweden has a national goal and plan to be oil independent in 20 years using every way of generating power it can find, and creating derivative fuels. Will they get there? I don't know, but it doesn't hurt to look at what they're doing. Take a look at it.
Japan has actually reduced demand for oil over the last 30 years, while building world-beating industries.
The US is neither of these countries, but there are some ideas there that can scale up to at least significantly reduce oil dependence.
Heat, light and transportation.- At least 40% of all the heat and light should be generated by nuclear power in 25 years.
- At least 30% should be generated by oil-alternative means.
The US no longer has the know-how or number of people to build and operate the facilities, so any high school student with the scholastic ability should be given a 100% scholarship to study Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics and all related engineering disciplines (mechanical, electrical...) No repayment of scholarship if they work in the industry for 5 years.
Free technical-school training for non-professional workers with the same caveats.
Would you support your tax money being used for that? I would hope so. It's child's play for any politician worth his salt to sell that to the American taxpayer and voter, don't you think?
More later. Busy.
