Blockbuster Dependence

Blockbuster Dependence

December 9, 2005

Today the movie Syriana will open nationwide. The film should kick-start a necessary national dialogue over the impact that U.S. dependence on foreign oil has on several critical issues facing our nation. Oil dependence affects our nation’s economic well-being, agricultural competitiveness, environmental health, climate and most importantly, national security.

• Oil dependency skews our foreign policy. The U.S. is unable to push for democratic change in many oil-rich nations because of our dependence on their oil. President Bush says that we are now in Iraq to ensure that it becomes a viable democracy in the Middle East, but he has remained virtually silent about other oil-producing Middle Eastern countries that are anything but democracies.
  
  
• Oil dependence undermines our national security. Oil-rich countries, from Venezuela to Saudi Arabia to Sudan, are able to hold the United States hostage to their oil. These countries are often the source of or harbor numerous national security threats facing the United States and other nations.
  
  
• There is a progressive plan to move away from oil dependence. Progressives understand that America can do better. The United States must diversify our energy supply and foster innovation in the agriculture and transportation sectors by investing in renewable energy sources. The Center for American Progress is putting forward a strategy to chart a new energy course and increase the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture in a manner that meets the needs of farmers at home and abroad; promotes global economic growth; enhances national security; and spurs domestic innovation in a safe, clean, and affordable energy future.