GET RID OF YOUR SHOVELS!

As of today, Thursday, May 22, 2008, oil is $133 a barrel (and rising).

According to Congressional testimony Wednesday by an energy expert Gal Luft, when oil reaches $200 a barrel, OPEC could potentially buy Bank of America with one month’s worth of production, Apple computers with a week’s revenues and General Motors with just three days’ sales.

Given the above, the US is in a number of holes. There’s a hole named Iraq. There’s a hole named “oil addiction.” And there’s a hole named the world. By that I mean the world is being increasingly leveled out at the economic and educational level. Levels we attained long ago. Were we have before taken our leadership for granted; we now have company and competition.

Competition is a good thing; it makes one sharper, more aware and more amenable to change. Or does it? All the US has done is to keep digging.

A way out of Iraq would seem to be obvious; instead the Bush Administration (if one can call it that) seems oblivious.

Oil addiction? Instead the US car manufacturers sell (and we buy) bigger cars and thirstier SUVs! The biggest source of oil available to us is through conservation through higher and tougher emission or CAFÉ standards, fuel taxes, and carbon taxes (Most cars emit approximately one pound of carbon for every mile of city driving.). It is also well known that 55 mph is the most economic speed limit; instead we have 70 and 75 mph limits all over this country.

As for the hole I identified, as “the world” well, there’s really no way out of that one, is there? We have to accept that we are no longer Numero Uno on the planet. This planet belongs to everyone who lives here. The sooner we ALL learn that we have to take care of it the sooner there will be peace upon it.

We just may have to talk and negotiate with people who are very much unlike us, people who perhaps do not like us very much. There’s an old saying, “To a person with a hammer, everything’s a nail.” The “hammer” of our military superiority does not work in all situations as we have found in Iraq. It is, in fact,  promoting the development of new and even more angry, desperate terrorists.

I for one cannot wait for a new face to be presented to the world by the United States. Whether that face is of an old and wizened warrior, a smart and tough woman or a young and hopeful black man, I just pray it is not too late. We have to put down our shovels and hammers and extend the hand of peace, negotiation, change and humility.