Friday, March 04, 2005

Like that big, hulkin' manly SUV? Think about this - we are utterly dependent on imported oil. We get nearly two thirds of our energy needs from overseas. And who supplies most of it? The Saudis, of course. Remember them? Most of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis.

We buy their petroleum. They use the money to support madrases - religious schools that promote anti-western hatred. In effect, we're funding the very organizations that give rise to terrorists. If you were to give money to an organization in the US that funneled it to terrorists, you'd end up on a government watch list. Presumably you could even be deemed an "enemy combatant" and find yourself stripped of civil rights while confined in some military prison.

So let me say that again. We give them money for petroleum. They give the money to people who hate us. This is not unlike the "drug money supports terrorism" message put out by the anti-drug people a couple of years ago. But you'll never hear this from our present government. They're entirely bought and paid for by the petroleum industry. And after all, the Saudis are our friends.

You're an American. You have choices. You can give your money to people who hate us, or you can decide to spend it elsewhere or even keep it. And it really doesn't matter much if you drive a small, efficient car or that hulkin' manly SUV. You CAN make a difference by simply driving less, making a commitment to use less fuel. Our present government doesn't want you to do that, of course, since they're tied so closely to the petroleum industry. They want to drill more holes in the ground, and they regard conservation efforts as irrelevant.

Oil topped $55 per barrel Thursday. As the economies of China and India grow, they'll be increasingly competitive with us regarding energy supplies. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan could be regarded as an attempt to lock up oil fields for our use in the future. It sure looks like we'll be occupying Iraq for a long, long time.

What can you do? Even if you couldn't or wouldn't consider riding a bicycle to work, think about using one to run errands, meet the kids at school, or scoot out for some ice cream in the evening. Every mile you ride is one less mile you drive.

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