This is a crises that's been heralding its approach for decades, but we ALL ignored. the alarm bells.
Remember Jimmy Carter and his solar panels? When he wore a sweater instead of turning up the thermostat, he was derided and ridiculed. So, let's not go to the far left vs GWB arena.

I also think it's limiting, if not outright misleading, to think about oil prices and energy as an isolated problem. It's but one symptom of a short sighted approach to markets and economics. We've been living in the myth that consumer demand is king and markets are the magical solution to all global problems..

Isolationism means going backwards in a forward moving world, and I reject it. On the other hand, I don't think ignoring domestic conditions for indefinite decades is the solution, either. Otherwise, we are faced with backlash storms and the consequent lurch to the opposite, and equally ill-considered, extreme direction.

That's where I do fault GWB and his economic advisers, that they didn't heed the increasingly loud alarms on their watch, even though they didn't cause the onset of what constitutes the basis for alarm..

. The challenge now is, as I see it, to surge forward, but without becoming anchored to any one exclusive solution. The consumer will speak, but he needs to be shepherded with information about and resposibility for consequences. The markets are a great tool, but they lack inherent foresight about connsequences, as well.

We have to shift to a new way of thinking about these things, a more across the board analysis instead of a piecmeal one. Conservation, environmental concerns and energy demands have to be brought into balance instead of taking a winner take all attitude, for example. .

Balance, balance balnce.I

Ironically I think a big car in America is a status symbol, and now that gas is becoming more and more expensive people can no longer afford that status symbol. Of course I know that's simplistic, but the whole point is the change from gasoline to renewable energy will be hard and it's not going to be “easy street” for Americans.

And this is precisely my point when I said:

It is a generally accepted fact that until energy becomes painful nothing and I do mean NOTHING will ever be done to change course.

So for my mind if America, Indeed the world is to address this problem of rising oil prices, pollution and global warming then indeed it must hurt and hurt bad. I think these high prices are precisely what the doctor ordered.

Now if we could just get Exxon and Chevron and Conoco to spend some of their Billions on alternative power sources in preparation for the coming anarchy against oil then we have indeed accomplished something with the pain that rising gasoline prices have brought us.

More Facts.

European Union. Population 490,426,060

Oil imports……..17,760,100 as of 2001

USA. Population 301,139,947

Oil imports 13,150,100 as of 2004.

These facts are significant don't you think. We continually try to punish the USA as being this evil nation bent on consuming the worlds resources but as you can see not only is China coming on board but Europe per capita is consuming an equal proportion of oil and gasoline as we are.

This is a world wide problem. It is not America's fault and I will continue to point out facts each time you guys continue to try and spank the USA or GWB or Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton or whomever you want to blame for Americans greed when in fact we are not any more greedy then the rest of the world.

Now this is not meant to imply that Europe consumes more total oil then does the United States. The USA still consumes more oil but we are in a position to produce about 7 million bbls per day of our own oil while Europe produces almost none. Still the reason oil is so high is that countries are importing more and more and the production capacity is static.

China ranks as the world's No. 2 oil consumer after the United States, and demand is expected to grow quickly in coming years, driven by strong economic growth and consumer demand as incomes rise.

December's imports brought the 2007 annual total to 1.1 billion barrels, up 12.3 percent from the 2006 total, according to customs agency data.

China supplied its fuel needs for decades from domestic fields but rising demand made the country a net importer in the late 1990s. Imports now account for almost 50 percent of consumption.

The war in Iraq is not insignificant by any means but it is NOT the main reason we have 130 dollar a bbl oil. Pulling out of Iraq will solve a lot of problems but it WILL NOT solve oil prices.

So quickly now. Go to discus and give me another negative rating as your stamp of approval for wanting to have honest and open discourse on policy problems instead of mindlessly following political talking points.

Perhaps the energy crisis is being exacerbated by the war in Iraq but that is hardly the problem. 130 dollar a bbl oil is not the problem. Its a symptom of our real problem.

Until we take the knife to the problem and fix it. Then it will continue to be a problem.

Dubya? Defending Bush?

That is your response to solving energy problems? Well thats certainly helpful.

Funny how the word, “conservation” is so seldom heard in discussions about energy. I guess the assumed god-given right among Americans that they should be free to consume without restraint or consequence is sancrosanct. Neocon is right in that regard. We all seem to think the idea of sacrifice shouldnl't include us.

So you would support a $4.00 per gallon gas tax?

I didn't think so. But it is humorous seeing you twist so much in defense of Dubya.

Keep up the good work! America needs Dead Enders!

Do you not think that 5, 6, 7 dollar a gallon gasoline is precisely what this country needs to make a concerted effort to become energy independent?

Actually I personally think that the price of oil as a very indirect result of the war in the middle east is a good thing. Certainly it hurts.

It is a generally accepted fact that until energy becomes painful nothing and I do mean NOTHING will ever be done to change course.

So 20 years from now the unintended consequences of this folly in the middle east will be the United States weaning itself from the reliance on foreign oil(No im not advocating drilling for more oil) and perhaps a real effort at making alternative energy work.

When politicians on both sides of the isle are facing growing backlash from 7 or 8 dollar a gallon gasoline. Even Nuclur energy will look good to them.