Strange Legacy

A Painfully Simple Way to Reduce Gas Prices

All right, America, it’s time to have a very serious talk about our energy problems. As much as we may want to blame the President, OPEC, “Big Oil” or any other number of nefarious entities for driving up our prices at the pump, we truly have only ourselves to blame. The biggest reason fuel prices are rising so dramatically is that supply is not increasing (and may be decreasing) while demand is rising sharply. With rapidly progressive economies in India and China, there just isn’t as much oil to go around as there used to be. Unless we find a way to change this equation, high fuel prices are here to stay.

It’s little wonder that in this turbulent political climate, where both political parties are ferociously battling for control of the nation’s highest office, this issue is near the top of the political agenda. Politicians have proposed measures from “gas tax holidays”; to approval for offshore drilling; to a renewed focus (whatever that means) on alternative energy research – all in an effort to win the endorsement of the American people. Yet most of these ideas are either fundamentally flawed (specifically the idea of a gas tax holiday), or will require years to implement.

Most difficult problems in life require substantial sacrifice to resolve. As a general rule, there is no “easy out”. Nevertheless, there is a solution to this crisis which is remarkably simple and requires very little in the way of substantial sacrifice. Sound too good to be true? Well…maybe it is. Though simple, this solution would require us to break one of our most basic addictions – speed. The best way for us to immediately bring gas prices down, and send a message to the oil producing nations of the world, is to lower our national speed limits.

I can’t believe I’m actually advocating this; after all, this is coming from a guy who enjoys cruising in his sports sedan at about 80 mph on the freeway (remarkably, I’ve only been ticketed twice in my life). Let me state unequivocally that I would hate – even loathe – being forced to drive at a measly 50 or 55 mph. Nevertheless, I hate this nation’s dependence on foreign oil, as well as the damage sustained by our economy due to skyrocketing fuel prices, even more.

Lowering the speed limit will almost instantaneously drop fuel prices. Most vehicles are designed to get their best gas mileage at 50 to 55 mph, and fuel efficiency drops off sharply beyond that. By lowering highway and freeway speed limits from 65 to 55 or even 50 (yikes), Americans could continue to drive as much as they are now but gas consumption would go down considerably. As the demand for gas decreases, so will the price. Thus, we’ll be paying less for gas and using less of it at the same time!

But wait! There’s another significant benefit to lowering the speed limit: safety. Studies have proven that fewer accidents occur at speeds between 50 and 60 mph than 60 mph and above. Beyond saving lives, however, reducing the total number accidents will allow us to ease up on safety regulations for automobiles. Don’t misunderstand – I’m not advocating that we abandon safety standards. Nevertheless, the safer you want an automobile to be, the bigger and heavier you have to make it. This tends to wreak havoc on a vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Lower safety standards equal lighter cars, such as those found in Europe and Japan. In America, we tend to think that a car that gets 30 mpg has great fuel efficiency – but in parts of the world where are vehicles are smaller and lighter, it’s not uncommon to see efficiencies as high as 40 to 50 mpg!

Those who oppose lower speed limits will argue that anyone who wants to reap the fuel savings of driving 50 or 55 mph on the freeway is welcome to drive in the right lane. Nevertheless, for this plan to have any significant impact on overall fuel prices everyone must participate. It’s time for us to send a message to the world that we will not be held hostage by foreign oil. Significantly decreasing our fuel consumption is the only way to immediately achieve this.

When we think of the greatest generations in this country’s history, one common thread binds them all – sacrifice. We reverence those morning souls who made painful and difficult choices so that we could enjoy abundance and prosperity in the afternoon. Ultimately, our decisions now regarding oil consumption will reverberate for generations to come. Though difficult for us, a continuing dependence on foreign oil will likely have disastrous consequences for our posterity. How will our children remember us if we squander their future in part because we couldn’t cut back a little on our speed? Personally, I’d rather not know.

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Respecting Iraq’s Indepedence

I recently read an article on MSNBC about a startling new development in Iraq. Apparently, Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, is calling for a withdrawal timetable for U.S. troops. This announcement is diametrically opposed to the Bush Administration’s consistent refusal to deploy such a timetable. While my own personal foreign policy views tend to lean to the right, I am deeply concerned about the costs to blood and treasure that we have sustained through our involvement in Iraq. With the Iraqi government itself rejecting the need for an unconditional U.S. military commitment we can no longer justify the absence of a clear exit strategy for our forces in that country.

One of the most popular justifications for our continued presence in Iraq, and the failure to set any timetables for withdrawal, is the fear that insurgents will simply “lay low” until we leave and then inflict mass chaos upon the country afterward. This excuse attempts to simplify a much more complicated reality on the ground. First, I don’t believe that insurgents will ever truly “lay low”; violence may periodically subside, but radical elements are driven by hate and will continue to take shots at us whenever they have the opportunity to do so. Second, the fear that our departure will result in a surge of violence may be correct, but it is also the unavoidable crucible which must be taken up by any new government.

Civilization is an artificial construct imposed upon the harsh realities of nature or “the jungle”. In nature, the strong hold dominion over the weak, and violence is a perfectly acceptable means of acquisition. When a group of people collectively attempts to rise above this barbaric existence and resolve disputes through adherence to commonly accepted law, civilization is born. Nevertheless, there will always be elements within the new society that take exception with the ideals and principles of the majority. Often, these elements will resort to the tactics of the jungle – violence and terror – to resist the will of the collective. Such rebellions can only be repressed by the use of these same tactics by society itself. Ultimately, the true test of any civilization’s longevity is its ability to enforce law and discipline – by violence if necessary – among its citizenry.

What does this mean for Iraq? We could win the battle against the insurgents – reduce the violence in Iraq to almost nothing – and yet, when we leave, there will almost certainly be a violent challenge to the new government. Various interests will test the Iraqi leadership to see if it can fill the power vacuum we leave behind. Nevertheless, until the Iraqi government demonstrates its ability to enforce law and order without foreign assistance many within that country will refuse to acknowledge its legitimacy. As others have noted, the time will come when we must take the training wheels off Iraq. It will be messy, it will be violent, and it might fail. Few new governments have had the luxury of guaranteed success; indeed, the proud heritage of many nations is their triumph over seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Why should Iraq be any different?

We are reaching a critical period in U.S. foreign policy where we must make some difficult choices – as well as some terrible sacrifices – if we are to confront the most pressing challenges of our time. Many have noted that failure in Iraq would have disastrous consequences – I agree. But can we afford to be held hostage by this single concern to the exclusion of threats posed by rogue powers such as Iran and North Korea? Can we afford to ignore the threat to South American stability posed by Venezuela? At present, our military is spread so thin we cannot even contain a resurgent Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Beyond these immediate concerns, our compromised military strength will bleed our leverage with emerging powers such as Russia and China. We need to intelligently quantify what additional effort will be required for “success” in Iraq, and determine whether we can afford to pay that price while simultaneously dealing with other equally serious concerns.

To advocate a timetable for withdrawal does not mean that one favors immediate military abandonment of Iraq. Even if such a thing were logistically possible, it would ignore the remarkable progress which has recently been made in brining stability to the country. Ironically, it is this very progress which has likely given the Iraqi leadership the confidence to suggest an end to U.S. military assistance. Regardless of whether we agree with the wisdom of this request, we cannot expect the Iraqi people to recognize the sovereignty of their own government if we are not willing to recognize it ourselves. Responsible foreign policy demands that our military commitment in Iraq cannot, and should not continue to be indefinite. President Bush must acknowledge the will of the Iraqis, as well as the majority of the American people, and deploy a timetable for troop withdrawal. Such a timetable is essential both for Iraqi progress and U.S. foreign policy success.

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Quick Thought: A Terrifying Revelation

The most terrifying revelation any person can experience is the reality of his/her own existence. The realization that, out of all the conscious entities that are not “me”, there is one that is. This singular epiphany compels one to recognize how easily he/she might not have existed, and thus the startling magnitude of the gift we call “life”. This truth can only be described as frighteningly wonderful as it endows each moment of our lives with overwhelming importance. Any who are touched by this knowledge are condemned to live in a state of blissful agony – relishing every experience, yet mourning each wasted moment. To know true joy and happiness we must expose ourselves to pain and regret. Few indeed are willing to quit their complacency and embrace this truth. Ultimately, like Hamlet, each of us must decide, “To be, or not to be.”

I’m interested in what you have to say about this article! Whether you agree or disagree, please feel free to leave a comment. If you are reading this article from the main page, you can get to the comments area by clicking on the “Comment” link seen below; otherwise, just type your comment in the box displayed below. You can also use any of the social networking links below to recommend this article to others. I look forward to hearing from you!