America’s Opportunity for Energy Independence: GONE!

President Obama’s signing of the $1.1 trillion spending bill ends America’s opportunity for energy independence! How? As you may or may not be aware, a rider to the spending bill is another bill, (originally H.R. 702), eliminating America’s ban on the export of crude oil. H.R. 702 removing America’s ban on crude oil exports could not be passed as a stand-alone bill. Why? Simple Answer: How can America justify exporting crude oil when it still imports half or more the crude oil it needs?

Why do the oil producers want to export America’s crude oil? Simple answer: Profits; which will come directly from the pockets of working Americans due to increased energy costs. Rest assured working Americans will pay for the overturning of America’s ban exporting crude oil. Sure there will be prosperity in the oil industry but most working Americans will lose the single most important advantage America has over the rest of the World: An abundance of fossil fuels. (Environmentalists before you get excited note: I subscribe to the theory Earth is undergoing a climate change cycle which is being accelerated by human activity since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution; but that is another issue which needs to be examined separately. This article focuses on the economic future of Americans.)

Americans need to realize: Once America’s crude oil has been pumped or produced; its destination is under the control of American voters. If that was not true, how did the 1975 ban on crude oil exports become law? Once America’s crude oil has been pumped or produced; it is gone forever. This is the most important point: Every barrel of oil exported by America is a barrel of oil Americans, including those not yet born, will never be able to use to create energy or petrochemicals necessary for Americans to have secure jobs and futures. American’s are allowing themselves to be victimized by their own ‘couldn’t care less attitude’. Unless American voters wake up and insist on America achieving energy independence, which requires re-instatement of America’s ban on crude oil exports, the American dream is just that; a dream.