10 years is enough time for us to become energy independent.
Yes, Mike.. it's possible. But as others have presented to us, oil is still one of the cheapest, most efficient, storehouses of energy. And the oilfields in the Mid-East and Central Asia are going to be critical for fueling economic development in the rest of the world, even if WE (the west) choose the more costly avenue of alternative energy for the purpose of economic security.
These hidden costs of excessively priced energy generation is going to prove to be a major impediment to small countries who will either have to pass on the additional costs to consumers who can barely afford to live right now, or continue subsidizing it (at the expense of more productive uses for that tax revenue).
And watch the jihadists kill each other on TV without our boys being anywhere remotely close to the battles.
I don't want to see anyone kill each other to the extent that your scenario embodies. We have to be involved in order to provide some support and guidance to the forces of reason. We have an obligation to humanity (and avoiding blame for unleashing a confrontation that we later choose to recuse ourselves from) to promote a democratic alternative that empowers the average person.
And yeah.. we might find the possibility of a "Hamas scenario" transpires, but we also know that, like in Palestine, the people will eventually recognize that Jihadism is incapable of providing them what they need to prosper in peace. Because Jihadism only knows how to promote violence and war. It, like Nazism and the other tyrannical ideologies, NEED war and conquest, in order to justify their necessity.
But there is another way, and I'm confident that, if supported and nourished, democratic government (with all of its flaws) will win the support of people tired of war and poverty.
Yeah.. we can just try and huddle behind our oceans and hope that no more 9/11 style attacks are inflicted upon us, but I think we need to be more pro-active if we truly wish to be secure.
Hawk |
