This is not rocket
science. The European’s cannot untangle
from Russia because their economies are running on Russia’s energy. So give the European’s an option. Offer the European’s North America’s energy
as a replacement for their Russian oil and natural gas.
Not timely enough – then make
it timely. America has done some amazing
things when facing war. We turned
automobile factories into tank factories.
We turned civilian ship yards into navy ship builders. And we did it fast. Should we wait until we have to declare a
real war with the Russians before we develop a sense of urgency?
I know we will never go to
war with Russia – but Ukraine may. Do we
not care about the potential slaughter of the Ukrainian people? Do we want to lose the 47 million people in
the Ukraine (before the Crimean annexation) to Vladimir Putin’s complete
control? From a humanitarian stand point
I say: No, we do not. From an economic
stand point I say no again. Those 47
million hard working people are a market opportunity. Why do you think the EU was courting them in
the first place? And, if Ukraine does
fall, which European nation will become the next victim of Mr. Putin?
We can stop all of this
now and prevent it from happening again for three generations. Declare an energy war with Russia. Create jobs by building the infrastructure to
bring North American oil and gas to Europe ASAP. Build the XL pipeline. Build another pipeline from Canada’s oil
fields to Canada’s eastern seaboard and ship the oil to Europe. Build a pipeline from the North Dakota oil
fields to Philadelphia. (Philadelphia is
my hometown and I’d like to see the jobs at my port. But, I’d be okay with the pipeline going to
any American port on the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico.) While we are at it, we should build a lot of
oil tankers. We should build natural gas
terminals at our ports and liquid natural gas tankers. We have a lot of gas and our production is
increasing. We can certainly sell some
of it to Europe.
We can finance all of this
as we financed the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – as matters of national
security as urgent as war. Our chance of
winning and maintaining the hearts and minds of the Ukrainians is much better
than they ever were with the Iraqis and Afghans. And, the economic return on investment is
enormously better.
Europe also needs an
economic jolt. We should allow Europeans
to participate in building the infrastructure needed to build this
transatlantic energy trade. In the long
run, building the infrastructure will not be the long term job creator. The North America energy will create jobs for
American and Europe because North America will receive the money that is now
flowing to Russia and we North Americans will in turn use this new source of wealth
to buy more from Europe. We should
commit ourselves to do this through the formality of law. Are you with us Canada?
I know this equal
opportunity wealth sharing proposal (codifying future European trade) will make
my conservative friends uncomfortable, but let it go. Now is not the time to base decisions on pure
market principles. Now is the time to
build a world force of civilized nations that can stand up to the world’s
would-be bullies like Russia. (And who
knows who next? Are you thinking red?) Can you imagine how much more simple it would
be to manage the world without a world bully dangling an olive branch (or an
anti-aircraft missile system) to developing countries? Think of the People’s Republic of Donetsk as
a developing country. Other’s that come
to mind are ISIS, Syria, and Iran. (I am
aware that Iran and Syria are considered developed countries but my definition,
being a developed country requires that the country be a good world citizen.)
One other point; put those
coal killing regulations on hold for a few years. If we keep our coal burning we will have more
natural gas to ship across the pond. How do you coal
miners in West Virginia like that?
Just do it! The mere commitment of such an enormous
undertaking will force ol’ Vladdy to let those Ukrainian separatist fend for themselves. But even after Vladdy does fold, we must
continue this path. We need to cut off
Russia’s cash flow. Unless Russia
finally leaves the 20th century and becomes a good citizen among the
world of nations, it should not be subsidized by civilized nations so that it
can wreak havoc on world affairs.
I heard a pundit state
Friday night on PBS’s Washington Week that Russia doesn’t care about losing the
European energy market because they will just sell their energy to China. That is hogwash. China will not buy as much energy from Russia
as Europe currently does for at least a decade.
And, if China is Russia’s only customer, it will demand the energy at
rock bottom prices. Russia doesn’t even
have the money to build a pipeline to China.
The Russians and Chinese signed an energy trade agreement several weeks
ago that requires the Chinese to finance the construction of the pipeline. By
the way, the pipeline is expected to take over five years to build.
The transatlantic energy
pact referred to here will change the world.
It will create an economic/military power so large that it will cast a
global shadow. We and our allies will be able to
shape the form of that shadow without the requirement of a United Nations
Security Council vote.
We can allow war to be fought
with the traditional violent methods of the past or we can fight it with our
new strengths: our energy and our reaffirmed transatlantic alliances. We can allow the bullying to continue or we
can create a force that annihilates the bully and assures peace in our lifetime, and in our children’s and grandchildren's lives. This Mr.
Obama would be one hell of a legacy!
