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Energy independence is not as good of an idea as liberals think it is. Oil is our leverage. We need it. They sell it. While it's noble to have and use our own oil resources to sustain us, the US will lose its leverage to help steer world affairs towards democracy and freedom. When we lose that, we lose everything. Oil is our bargaining chip. It's the same as oil no longer being traded in U.S. dollars at some point in the future. When money stops talking, you can expect more military intervention worldwide. Count on it. Because the military will be the only means for effecting action.
Instead of steering world affairs towards democracy and freedom, how about we mind our own business and focus on getting our own house in order.
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Originally Posted by JasonF
On what planet are we using our leverage to "steer world affairs towards democracy and freedom"?
We support some of the most brutal, oppressive theocracies on the planet.
Your point is true.
While the USA has done a lot of good in the world, we have also done some very terrible things as well. It's not a one-way street on either side, imho. I know some of the hard-core zealots deny or don't want/are too ignorant to admit that the USA has done some bad things in the world (orchestrated coups, supported dictators, etc. etc.), it is true.
I honestly don't give a crap about what is going on in the rest of the world or what kind of governments other countries have. I care about the US and the American people.
Now, don't twist my words here, I'm taking within reason. Obviously, I'm not suggesting living a life of ignorance or denial. We live in an ever-increasing globalized world after all and that's not going to change or revert back again. Things such as the current situation with North Korea (for example) have to be taken seriously, but you know what I mean overall.
We could take a page from the books of countries like Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, etc. here imho. While they deal, to a certain extent, with some countries that are radically and ideologically quite different from them, they still hold fast to their ideals of democracy, freedom, and focusing on making their economies continue to prosper. What I'm saying is, they don't try to push their ideas down other people's throats. Let them do whatever they want with how they run their own countries (obviously, as I said above, within reason), just focus on you.
The US doesn't care who pumps the oil. All they care about is that it's traded in US dollars. That is it. That is our foreign policy in a nutshell.
Exactly right. Which is why the U.S. is fighting tooth and nail to maintain its influence in the Middle East and beyond via oil. On the surface, Barack wants everyone to think we need energy independence. His minions lap it up like sweet nectar. Behind closed doors, though, he's working to undermine any country that threatens to trade oil in anything but U.S. dollars.
Exactly right. Which is why the U.S. is fighting tooth and nail to maintain its influence in the Middle East and beyond. On the surface, Barack wants everyone to think we need energy independence. Behind closed doors, though, he's working to undermine any country that threatens to trade oil in anything but U.S. dollars.
Like every president has done since Nixon pegged the dollar to gold. Liberals aren't smart enough to understand this basic fact. Instead they scream and wet their pants about Bush while Obama continues the exact same policy.
Like every president has done since Nixon pegged the dollar to gold. Liberals aren't smart enough to understand this basic fact. Instead they scream and wet their pants about Bush while Obama continues the exact same policy.
Actually Nixon un-pegged the dollar from gold. You must educate yourself before coming here to insult others.
Exactly right. Which is why the U.S. is fighting tooth and nail to maintain its influence in the Middle East and beyond via oil. On the surface, Barack wants everyone to think we need energy independence. His minions lap it up like sweet nectar. Behind closed doors, though, he's working to undermine any country that threatens to trade oil in anything but U.S. dollars.
The petro-dollar has been important to US for 40 years, as it enables us to tax the rest of the world, so I won't argue against that, but how does that negate the fact that shortly we might soon be energy independent? We can still enforce the petro-dollar mechanism even if we don't buy any more oil. As long as other countries pay in USD, we will be just fine. Better than fine actually, because we will be selling oil too.
The were either deliberately lying or really really ignorant (most likely both).
Ken
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