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No War, No Oil
Who cares about Iraq?

The real issue lies in Detroit, the oval office and in the will of every American.

I am not in favor of going to war with Iraq. Such a war exposes our limited strategic vision when it comes to the future of our country, the United States of America. A war with Iraq illustrates our short-term weaknesses in a converging world economy and has little or nothing to do with fears of weapons of mass destruction and Washington spin doctors Hitlerizing regimes we object to. Let's brush away the rhetoric, the propaganda. Let's get to the meat and potatoes behind the façade of this international puppet show.

I have a simple solution that cuts to the chase, and not a single Allied soldier has to pay the price with his life. I propose a solution in which the United States does not come out the bully. A solution, which leverages America's technological advantage and achievements to distance us from foreign oil, interests; Nations with ideologies and goals far removed from our own.

The time has come for American energy interests and automakers to step up to the plate and sever our ties to oil. Take the gas burning engine out of my car, in favor of technology and invention, bought up and stifled for decades, in favor of cheap petroleum.

I put forth that to continue, driving a world economy on oil is a strategic mistake and will only fuel nations opposed to everything our great nation stand for. I say that it is un-patriotic, and goes against the best interest of every citizen in the free world to continue to consume oil.

Strategically, removing our dependence on oil will decisively end the Iraqi/Irani/Saudi issue. It will single-handedly do more to promote democracy than the fall of the Soviet Union. It will force elitist, totalitarian regimes to sit at the world table and behave like civilized humans, rather than someone holding our gas supply as a weapon over us.

A Hydrogen powered future
Critics would say that the cost of doing just what I propose is prohibitive. I argue that if every automobile in the USA, Canada, Mexico and Britain were replaced in 3 years that economy of scale would kick in. Add to the pot, all the money that Tony Blair and George W. Bush are prepared to divy out to defense contractors and intelligence agencies in an assault on Iraq and I argue that it would not be cost prohibitive.

Defense and the War on Terror
Mutual assured destruction, the tennet that kept the Cold War from hitting critical mass still rules the day. Threat of annihilation from using weapons of mass destruction is the only deterrent. The sub fleets; icbms and air forces of the Allied world are still on patrol. While I praise our armed forces and the heroic action of every soldier called into service, I have to question the current philosophy that requires we fight house-to-house, cave-to-cave in any region of the planet where conlict ensues.

Without US-fueled demand for oil, how can nations like Iraq retain the world spotlight? How can a bankrupt IRAQ, with no demand for its only commodity continue it's present course? The reality is it could not. It would have to shift from its gluttunous oil wealth and become like every other nation in the world. One who must work with its neighbors, produce goods and services, it would have to provide for its citizens.

Closing
I argue that we have a moral imperative to make the switch away from oil, and to do it with utmost speed and a single-minded determination not yet seen in our generation. I put forth that we can change. We have an opportunity before us, one that would reshape our planet and signal the dawn of a new era.

Forget a crusade against terrorism. Let our battle cry be "No more Oil!" and the spin-offs, too numerous to account, would include a cleaner environment, limitless fuel for consumers, and a better world we hand off to our children. Let American technology pioneer a new millennium where greed takes a back seat to progress. Where threat of war is replaced by hydrogen powered Chevrolet.

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