The War on Oil
Philip F. Harris
April 30, 2006
President Bush recently attributed the rising cost of oil and gas to gluttonous consumption patterns on the part of the American consumer. Let?s back this train up. Historically, Americans have been told that our resources were almost limitless. Up until the earlier seventies, Detroit bombarded the American public with the idea that ?bigger and faster was better.? Gas and oil were cheap and the supply was endless, or so we were led to believe. It was not until Rachel Carson came along that our belief that all was well with the world was challenged. Suddenly, without warning, we were told that our actions were leading us down the path of possible environmental destruction. But despite the green movement, gas still stayed cheap and engines kept increasing in size while decreasing in mileage.
Then, in 1973, we were confronted with the Arab Oil embargo. Living in Washington, D.C. at the time, I still vividly remember the one to two hour wait to get a tank of gas and feeling blessed if the gas station still had any supplies left. The cry from both Democrats and Republicans was heard everywhere. We were promised that the U.S. would wean itself from the Arab bosom and that we would never again be dependent upon foreign oil. ?Alternative energy? was the political promise from both sides of the isle. The imports of high mileage foreign auto imports increased and Detroit bemoaned its loss of market share. While U.S. auto makers toyed with higher mileage engines, the vehicles were, shall we say, garbage. As quickly as the oil ?shortage? arose, it disappeared. Gas prices fell and Detroit once again bombarded the consumer with big and powerful engines. Alternative energy went from front page to Mother Earth News, and only the truly ?in crowd? drove foreign imports.
Twenty three years later, what has changed? While both Democrats and Republicans had control of the White House in these intervening years, neither party has done anything to reduce our dependence on not only foreign oil, but oil in general. The warnings that global oil reserves had peaked have gone unheeded. The havoc that oil drilling and oil spills cause to the environment is only front page when the event is on the scale of the Alaskan oil spill. Alternative energy? Who?s ever heard of it? The truly sad thing is that many of these alternative technologies have existed for years but, because of the constant ?brainwashing? from the holy triumvirate of Detroit, Washington and mega oil corporations, these technologies have been under lock and key.
Mr. President, how dare you blame the American consumer for our current gasoline woes? And Mr. Democrat, how dare you say ?vote for us? and we will solve your energy problems? You have all had your chance and you have ignored the writing that has been on the walls since at least the seventies. While the major oil corporations are laughing on their way to the bank, you do nothing. Your empty promises are now following on deaf ears. Yes, we have been lulled to sleep by old promises and rhetoric, but the American consumer is now beginning to awaken. Forget drilling for more oil in Alaska, and forget your ridiculous rebates and minor tax increase proposals for the oil companies.
What American consumers demand is a ?War on Oil?? I am not na?. The War on Poverty and the War on Drugs were disasters. However, any time America was challenged to achieve technological miracles, we were successful. We rose to the challenge of WWI and WWII. We discovered the secrets of the atom. We put men on the moon. We are exploring the vast reaches of the universe. We have developed the most advanced computer technologies. We ?can? create automobiles that double or triple their gas mileage. We can develop alternative fuels to heat our homes and get us to work. In all probability these technologies already exist. We can do this and we can do it fast. Think of the millions of jobs that could be created. Think of ending our dependence on fossil fuels. Think of the benefits to the environment. This war can take many forms and may very well vary by region of the country. The south may rely on solar. The west may focus upon wind. The northeast may explore biomass. Or combinations of these and newer fuel cell technologies may be appropriate for all. We are not starting from ground zero. The ?know how? exits, all we need is the will.
And how is all of this funded? Does anyone remember the tobacco company settlement? Profits from this industry were required to pay billions to end dependence on tobacco. Given record oil company profits, why not apply the same principle? In the last three quarters of 2005, Exxon alone posted nearly 30 billion dollars in profit. The first quarter of 2006 saw an 8.4 billion dollar profit. If only 10% of these usurious gains were put into this war, billions would be available, at no cost to the ?gluttonous? taxpayer. Have we not paid enough? Why do we have to do all of the sacrificing? Does one truly think that the conglomerate of oil giants could not afford this battle? They can even profit from these inventions, as long as we put an end to our dependence on the rapidly declining reserve of world oil.
Philip F. Harris
Then, in 1973, we were confronted with the Arab Oil embargo. Living in Washington, D.C. at the time, I still vividly remember the one to two hour wait to get a tank of gas and feeling blessed if the gas station still had any supplies left. The cry from both Democrats and Republicans was heard everywhere. We were promised that the U.S. would wean itself from the Arab bosom and that we would never again be dependent upon foreign oil. ?Alternative energy? was the political promise from both sides of the isle. The imports of high mileage foreign auto imports increased and Detroit bemoaned its loss of market share. While U.S. auto makers toyed with higher mileage engines, the vehicles were, shall we say, garbage. As quickly as the oil ?shortage? arose, it disappeared. Gas prices fell and Detroit once again bombarded the consumer with big and powerful engines. Alternative energy went from front page to Mother Earth News, and only the truly ?in crowd? drove foreign imports.
Twenty three years later, what has changed? While both Democrats and Republicans had control of the White House in these intervening years, neither party has done anything to reduce our dependence on not only foreign oil, but oil in general. The warnings that global oil reserves had peaked have gone unheeded. The havoc that oil drilling and oil spills cause to the environment is only front page when the event is on the scale of the Alaskan oil spill. Alternative energy? Who?s ever heard of it? The truly sad thing is that many of these alternative technologies have existed for years but, because of the constant ?brainwashing? from the holy triumvirate of Detroit, Washington and mega oil corporations, these technologies have been under lock and key.
Mr. President, how dare you blame the American consumer for our current gasoline woes? And Mr. Democrat, how dare you say ?vote for us? and we will solve your energy problems? You have all had your chance and you have ignored the writing that has been on the walls since at least the seventies. While the major oil corporations are laughing on their way to the bank, you do nothing. Your empty promises are now following on deaf ears. Yes, we have been lulled to sleep by old promises and rhetoric, but the American consumer is now beginning to awaken. Forget drilling for more oil in Alaska, and forget your ridiculous rebates and minor tax increase proposals for the oil companies.
What American consumers demand is a ?War on Oil?? I am not na?. The War on Poverty and the War on Drugs were disasters. However, any time America was challenged to achieve technological miracles, we were successful. We rose to the challenge of WWI and WWII. We discovered the secrets of the atom. We put men on the moon. We are exploring the vast reaches of the universe. We have developed the most advanced computer technologies. We ?can? create automobiles that double or triple their gas mileage. We can develop alternative fuels to heat our homes and get us to work. In all probability these technologies already exist. We can do this and we can do it fast. Think of the millions of jobs that could be created. Think of ending our dependence on fossil fuels. Think of the benefits to the environment. This war can take many forms and may very well vary by region of the country. The south may rely on solar. The west may focus upon wind. The northeast may explore biomass. Or combinations of these and newer fuel cell technologies may be appropriate for all. We are not starting from ground zero. The ?know how? exits, all we need is the will.
And how is all of this funded? Does anyone remember the tobacco company settlement? Profits from this industry were required to pay billions to end dependence on tobacco. Given record oil company profits, why not apply the same principle? In the last three quarters of 2005, Exxon alone posted nearly 30 billion dollars in profit. The first quarter of 2006 saw an 8.4 billion dollar profit. If only 10% of these usurious gains were put into this war, billions would be available, at no cost to the ?gluttonous? taxpayer. Have we not paid enough? Why do we have to do all of the sacrificing? Does one truly think that the conglomerate of oil giants could not afford this battle? They can even profit from these inventions, as long as we put an end to our dependence on the rapidly declining reserve of world oil.
Philip F. Harris
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