Mideast Oil Debate Begins Anew -- A Commentary

From Washington Times:

This week's renewed violence in the Middle East reminds us of the perils of our addiction to oil. The human tragedy in the region is bad enough. But once again, forces beyond our control imperil America's economic fortunes by playing havoc on oil prices and supply.

Energy independence has bedeviled policymakers for at least four decades. In the 1970s we only imported a little over a third of our oil. But even that seemed too high. So President Nixon announced "Project Independence," a plan to end reliance on imports by 1980. Since then, all successive presidents lamented our dependence and called for greater freedom. During those years Congress also passed measures aimed at increasing supply and curbing demand.

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