I sometimes wonder why I watch cable news but that watching was reinforced this past week. The images of the heroic Ukrainians and their comedian elected president and world heavyweight boxing champion turned Kiev mayor, pulled at my heart strings.
Cable news trotted one after another brave Ukrainians in front of the television camera to tell the world why they will stay and fight for their country. I can’t help but wonder if Americans were facing the same David and Goliath story whether they would do the same?
Unfortunately all the bravery in the world probably will not help the Ukrainians. Their fate was sealed when one of the world’s three superpowers decided to invade. I can only think at this point what would have happened if the current administration had kept the Keystone Pipeline and US energy exploration in place, instead of shutting it down, and relying on outsiders, including Russia, for most of our oil and gas needs?
Yes Putin is the guilty party in this war on the Ukrainian people. He has proven to be evil and cold as he attempts to annex the neighboring territory. But I also believe the current administration is somewhat culpable as well. If they hadn’t shut off the oil spigot that made us one of the largest energy producers in the world, I don’t believe Putin would have waged war.
I realize government officials are endlessly faced with choices, choices that will make some happy while alienating others. Stopping the flow of oil makes climate change enthusiasts ecstatic, but on the other hand, plays a large part in destabilizing the world order.
The US and their European allies, in the past year have become increasingly dependent on Russian oil and gas, now that the US is no longer a provider. Germany, it is said, buys over half their energy consumption from Russia. We, the US buy over 500,000 barrels of oil daily from Russia. In a strange twist we are financing Putin’s war by purchasing his oil.
We could easily put a halt to this. It might be too late for Ukraine, but if the US were to start again the flow of oil, Putin’s ambitions to expand into other countries would stop. He would no longer have the oil money he has been accustomed to in the last year that is financing war. The US and many European countries could stop buying from Russia. This is a war of energy. Russia has it and we don’t. But the script can be flipped.
We have enough oil and gas to supply the US and Europe for the next hundred years. I can’t argue that climate change isn’t important, but I can unequivocally say that right now the stoppage of drilling and exploration has contributed greatly to the destabilization of the world order. Russia and China see now as the time to pounce and carry out their expansionist agendas. It is time to put a stop to this nonsense. Open up the spigot, now not later.
