Making Foreign Policy Optional?

I long have been fascinated by the refusal to exploit our own energy resources. Having lived many years in California, I was always puzzled by the fact that all the scientific studies I read said that the waters off the Pacific coast had huge oil reserves. In addition, with the global price rise in oil and the new technologies coming on line, reserves, including fields once considered tapped-out, were growing. Phony environmental concerns and political correctness, however, prevented us from drilling our own resources and developing nuclear power, forcing us, instead, to buy ever increasing amounts of energy from foreign sources, often highly unstable and hostile sources.

I wrote before that after getting our government budget under control, the single greatest step we can take is,

Eliminating or even reducing our dependence on foreign oil . . .. Achieving that would buck up the dollar, contribute to the general wealth of the United States, enrich our treasury, and free us of countless foreign policy concerns and headaches. Drill for oil in Texas, or fight for it in the Middle East. Our choice.

Can we greatly reduce or even eliminate our dependence on foreign sources of oil? Signs increasingly point to yes. In fact, they point to the very real possibility that the United States is on the road to becoming the world's top producer (h/t Instapundit) even with the current Obama misadministration's hostility to oil production,

The Energy Department forecasts that U.S. production of crude and other liquid hydrocarbons, which includes biofuels, will average 11.4 million barrels per day next year. That would be a record for the U.S. and just below Saudi Arabia's output of 11.6 million barrels. Citibank forecasts U.S. production could reach 13 million to 15 million barrels per day by 2020, helping to make North America "the new Middle East."

Governor Romney's plan to seek North American energy independence is very doable.

With that independence we might not have the luxury of not having to worry about foreign policy, but it would certainly increase our options and our ability to act internationally with more freedom.

Just another reason to vote against Obama . . . how many more do you need?