The whole idea behind globalization is to make us all be interdependent so we won't screw each other. The problem is, when China or some other economy doesn't need us anymore because they have an alternative. What I mean by that is, what if, we, (that is the US), started to drill for oil everywhere, and I mean everywhere. The Hugo Chavez's of the world,along with the raghead's, would soon lose their importance,and even suck up to the US, longing for "the old days". This is the mistake we are making today. To solve all these world problems that are plaguing Bush,....drill for oil. Iran would collapse, Chavez would lose power, Putin would be an afterthought, Iraq could start their own government without interference, and the US trade deficit would collapse so we could buy even more crap from China and Japan. These country's only exist to provide America with crap for US consumers to buy. There are no consumers to speak of in the rest of the world. Americans throw away better stuff then most of the rest of the world has. China would collapse if we didn't buy their stuff. It isn't like Vietnamese couldn't build the same crap. If our economy suffers, the rest of the world suffers, it's just a matter of degree. If China started to have troubles, N. Korea may not get their help. Russia cut off Cuba when the Soviets failed. Now Chavez is propping them up, ...with oil!
Cheap, plentiful oil is the answer to many of our woe's. I understand it doesn't have to be oil but can be any energy form that we can substitute, but we have oil also. Our dependence on oil and cheap labor will be our downfall. Bush should just DO IT, for national security. If Clinton could stop a coal mine with a stroke of a pen, then Bush could drill ANWAR the same way. Our country's freedom depends on it. I'll bet the country would support him if he presented it as a matter of national security. We do not want to be under the heel of the ragheads forever. I don't think I can pull my boat with a mo ped and that's what's coming if we don't snap out of it soon. Cheap, plentiful energy is the ticket.
Strategically, you got it, part of it anyway. That is the other side of the inflation/Chinese reserves problem. We are holding ourselves hostage to the mohos.