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Even more than simply a commemoration of the founding of America, Independence Day is a day to remember the free-spirited sovereignty that has guided the nation throughout its overwhelmingly successful existence. It has been this American self-sufficiency that has most defined the people of this nation; but it is also the quality that I fear is most lacking in our present-day country. As a result, I have had a hard time preparing to celebrate the independence of a nation that now seems so dependent on things it has allowed to slip from its control.
The issue that has most profoundly affected the way I view American independence is the ongoing energy crisis. Make no mistake--this is the most critical matter facing the nation today, because it is directly influencing many of America's other high-profile problems. It is also extremely important to address this issue immediately, because we are staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.
A future where only the highest echelon of America's population can afford fuel and ordinary citizens resort to Mad Max tactics to ensure their survival is quite possible within the next 25 years. This is not alarmist, either--just last week a Spotsylvania man was arrested for allegedly stealing $50,000 worth of gas. At this point, with gas prices permanently above $4 a gallon, these sorts of shenanigans will only get worse as the law of supply and demand continues to work with ruthless efficiency.
Recently, what has bothered me the most about this issue is the shocking lack of foresight and wisdom being shown by some of America's most prominent leaders in dealing with the crisis. One of the hottest ideas being tossed around at present is the idea of lifting the federal ban on offshore oil drilling in order to reduce the country's demand for foreign oil as well as to provide some much-needed relief at the gas pump for American citizens. While on the surface this sounds like a terrific idea, particularly given how much less likely it is to significantly affect the environment due to new drilling, it is, in actuality, a terribly shortsighted and unimaginative "solution" to a crisis that isn't going to go away until leaders learn to think outside the box.
It is not surprising that the president would support such a conservative and impotent attempt to solve the energy crisis, considering how utterly he has failed at nearly every other initiative of his presidency. But what has been more concerning is the support that the proposal has received from other more rational American thinkers, such as presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain.
McCain has been a staunch opponent of offshore oil drilling throughout his career, and has painted himself as a Republican leader who will break with the traditions of the Bush administration. But decisions like this make him look more and more like the Republican old guard, which has consistently been unable to stop the country's precipitous decline.
The fact is that drilling for oil offshore or in Alaska or in Iraq, or anywhere for that matter, is not going to solve this crisis. What the country needs is advanced exploration into alternative sources of fuel beyond simply oil and the similarly ineffective ethanol. Drilling for more oil might alleviate some pain at the pump for a short time, but the Energy Information Administration responded by saying that drilling "in the Pacific, Atlantic and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030."
By 2030 the opportunity will have been lost, particularly if we continue to let inane debates like these distract from the very real possibility of creating alternative ways to power our industries and cars.
If the American government can sink a hefty chunk of funding into biofuel research and seriously resolve to find a way around oil, something positive will undoubtedly arise.
What the nation needs is advanced scientific research, and a goal of, one day, being entirely free of oil--foreign and domestic. With oil no longer a concern, the country could finally end its sad saga of involvement in the Middle East, as well as reassert itself at the forefront of world industry. It is a bold undertaking, but one that I encourage you to think about this Fourth of July weekend. Because if you're not interested in continuing America's self-reliance, then what is the point of celebrating Independence Day anyway?
Matt Cameron is a rising senior