Stuck in an Oil Rut
Cliff May makes an excellent point.
Read the whole take here.A hundred years ago, Americans could use typewriters, the telegraph and primitive telephones. Today, Americans have computers, the Internet, cell phones, satellite television and radio, DVDs, iPods, email and instant messaging.
A hundred years ago, Americans could have personal vehicles powered by internal combustion engines running on gasoline. Today, Americans can have personal vehicles powered by internal combustion engines running on gasoline.
You see the problem?
For a long time, oil products have enjoyed a monopoly because oil has been cheap and easy. But it's getting less cheap and Americans ought to be growing uneasy about sending billions of dollars to corners of the Earth where terrorism is both preached and practiced.
National economic self reliance is the reason I am open to the idea of further incentivizing ethanol use. While I also favor research in alternative fuels and greater exploitation of known American petroleum sources, I am not anti-ethanol.
The fact is, the current marketplace is stacked in favor of the status quo. And the status quo is a virtual monopoly for petroleum-based fuel, which leaves our national interests too often beholden to oppressive tin horn dictators.
2 Comments:
As long as by incentives you don't mean mandates...
We basically mandate petroleum now. Petroleum that has a mandatory gas tax, a mandatory minimum mark up. I don't blame the oil companies for not wanting to let go of a good thing, it's their job to maximize their profits.
But we would all benefit from some real competition for our fuel dollars.
Post a Comment
<< Home