Okay, so on a Saturday evening I watch the Republican Tea Party debate which I recorded earlier in the week. As usual the debate format is not very good because each candidate doesn’t get an opportunity to answer each of the questions. Additionally Wolf Blitzer, just like his colleagues, would change the questions from the audience as he “re-phrased” them. It is bad enough when candidates avoid answering the questions, we don’t need some hack journalist essentially asking all the questions
One of the questions that was asked was regarding “energy independence” and how each candidate would ensure that we are energy independent. Of course, each did not get to answer, but none of the candidates that did told the truth. The truth is energy independence will never happen and it is actually not desirable. Raw energy natural resources take many forms and they all contribute to a world energy market and by decreasing our ability to trade with other nations we remove ourselves (isolate) from the availability of those resources. This will drive the cost of energy up in this Country and make us poorer as a nation. Additionally we lose the ability to transfer energy resources if we need them fast – private markets can redirect resources in a flash and having as many trading partners gives us maximum flexibility to meet any demand.
The idea for energy independence is that we produce more energy here through lower regulations, taxes, or whatever other reasons energy is produced in other nations and then we can become independent. What would actually happen if we utilized our own resources more efficiently is that energy prices would go down because we would increase the supply on the world market.
Additionally if we no longer buy oil from any Middle Eastern country because we don’t like them, it really would just shift the market. Instead of us buying from the Middle East, France might buy more from them and we now get more from Brazil. Those type of restrictions though really just alter the market negatively and drive the cost of energy up here.
Energy is no different then any other product in the economy and we should encourage free trade amongst all people because free markets are mutually beneficial to both parties involved in the trade. Markets don’t see skin color or religion, just two people sharing a common interest in what the other person has so each person can satisfy their individual desire – two winners!
As a side note, regarding energy, the reason we are fighting wars in the middle east is because of Energy – Oil and Minerals. I find it funny that Obama preaches green technology and giving money away to companies who are going to save the planet through some solar panels, but is prosecuting a war in Afghanistan for their energy resources. Get the green vote here and give corporations/government access to those resources – out of sight out of mind – another fooled greenie.
Have you ever stopped to wonder what is meant by a politician saying “we are protecting American interests” – seems they get away with that and it is just repeated. What are those interests? Spreading freedom – you can’t give someone that. Spreading Democracy – you can impose that on a group of people. The first thing we need to recognize is that just because we like our way of live, doesn’t mean other cultures are going to embrace it. We came from an English system, then fought to get out of it, changed it, and founded what is the vision for our people. We should just let other people chart their own course and we would all be better off.
As Ron Paul has pointed out, part of the reason the people in the Middle East hate the West is because a foreign power has been over there for years and years fighting for those resources. It just happens to be convenient that many of them are nuts in their religious beliefs so it makes it easy to find an excuse to be there chasing terrorists around.
Vote Ron Paul
