Did I just read Cuba and Venezuela as "good" examples? Those two countries rely on countries like China/Russia to keep them in the global game. Not sure they are good examples of anything, aside for possibly Cuba with endurance.

As for the "US needs to use less"...that has already happened posting record drops for the last 60+ years, the end result...price of oil dropping hand over fist as of late even with pipelines stopped in Nigeria.

Bottom line, the US economy is still the staple of the world. That is why hiccups in the US effect the world. How many other countries could say that after only 232 years of existence?

Would government involvement in oil be socialist? Yes. Is government involvement in Freddie/Fannie socialist? Yes. So..why not do oil? Medicare/Medicade/SS are all socialist endeavors. What does socialist behavior get you? Crappy economies, slow growth, low wages, low GDP and even lower innovation. Without a Capitalist market...somewhere...growth and innovation stops. IMO.

As for leaving oil behind as a primary fuel, that will not happen via government. And it shouldn't. That should happen via private innovation and private capitalist effort.

One example of half a dozen:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science...rgy/index.html

US gains
http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/mar...spite-economy/

GG said it best baby: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/mp3c...street1144.mp3

__________________

An unwavering defender of those I see worth protecting.

"promote the general welfare, not provide the general welfare"

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.