Ok. We’re all aware of the danger of being dependent on foreign oil from nations hostile to America (see my recent post here). As an article in today’s Wall Street Journal explains, denying our oil dollars to the worst of these - Iran and Venezuela - could actually reduce their influence abroad and at home:
“Softening oil prices over the past few months have spurred hope in Washington that less revenue for oil-rich states could weaken the hand of governments the U.S. considers worrisome, particularly those in Iran, Venezuela and Russia. The three nations are potentially vulnerable: Oil-and-gas revenue accounts for between two-thirds and three-quarters of government income in both Venezuela and Iran, and only slightly less in Russia. So, a big drop in oil prices would slow economic growth and hit government finances, forcing them to cut back spending increases that have boosted the popularity of all three governments at home and emboldened them abroad.”
The Washington Post’s editorial page observed Saturday and Sunday that such economic pressure could alter the influence and ambitions of Venezuela’s Chavez and Iran’s Ahmadinejad (hat tip to Extreme Mortman).
Clearly, reducing our dependence on foreign oil can be another front in the war on terror and anti-American hatred. Let’s get on with it.
This entry was posted on Monday, January 29th, 2007 at 12:03 pm and is filed under International Environmental News, National Security, Oil and Gas . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
January 29th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Does anyone know what happened to the research that was being done with electromagnets and zero force
or energy from the vaccuum?
January 29th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
Many Americans disagree with President Bush in his policies. All Presidents make mistakes. I hear so little about a democrat that cost thousands of American lives in the Vietnam war. A war that became so unpopular our soldiers were looked on as “baby killers” by their own countrymen. It is infortunate that leaders in some of these countries (Iran, Syria, etc.) only understand a few basic things. If you hurt us we are going to hurt you a lot more.
As this article states. You hurt these countries first by economic means and if they continue to support the killing of Americans around the world, you hurt them by the only thing they understand- power!
We as Americans have to understand that the first and most important thing is to protect our country. This means doing many of the unpopular things that President Bush has done. Is it perfect? No. What person can be perfect in running a country? The democratic answer to these issues is back down and do nothing.
I am much more comfortable having a President who protects American interest first. How many times did we here after 9/11 that the fight against world terroism would be long and hard? Many Americans have forgotten this. Where would the world be if America had turned its back on our allies in WWII?
What we are fighting against today is much more dangerous than ever before. I do believe in dialogue with our adversaries however we should never be fooled into the idea that things in this world will only be solved by dialogue. There have always been and will always be people and countries that want to undermine and threaten other people and countries. Have we become so naive to think that this will change in an imperfect world?
January 29th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I work as a computer analyst for a fortune 500 company. I am proactively cutting 20% (per Presidents’ State of the Union message) or more of my gasoline consumption by working from home at least 3 days a week. That’s about 150 miles a week less in energy required.
February 6th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
ME TOO! We have cut our fuel consumption by almost 1/2.
If I could ride a horse everywhere I’d quit using it altogether.
Wow! between the greedy oil kings here and those “Love to Hate” creeps in other parts of the world they are just plain controlling the rest of us. We need a good break from all of this crazy crap. Can somebody just shut up and mind your own business. Why is there always a very small percentage of the world’s population that have got this “control the world” complex. I mean what do you get out sitting on top of the world and telling everyone else what to do. I’m Done.