[Balding_Eagle]

We didn’t think it worthy of a Manhattan style effort to become energy independent.

A 'Manhattan style' solution wouldn't have worked.

Think about it, one of the biggest reasons oil is at $90 is because we use so much of it. If we didn't use so much of it the price would be $10, and that 'Manhattan style' solution wouldn't make any economic sense, and would be abandoned.

As long as the world is awash in oil, the solution to our problem is to drill at home. That's something that doesn't need a 'Manhattan style' solution.

We just need to steamroller the libs.

[DoughtyOne]

We didn’t think it worthy of a Manhattan style effort to become energy independent.

A 'Manhattan style' solution wouldn't have worked.  Think about it, one of the biggest reasons oil is at $90 is because we use so much of it. If we didn't use so much of it the price would be $10, and that 'Manhattan style' solution wouldn't make any economic sense, and would be abandoned.

As long as the world is awash in oil, the solution to our problem is to drill at home. That's something that doesn't need a 'Manhattan style' solution.  We just need to steamroller the libs.

To a certain extent, I agree that we should steam roller the libs.  Where we differ is the decision regarding what we steam roller them over.  IMO, we steam roller them on the issue of nuclear power plants.

I would immediately impanel a commission to determine three things.  (1. develop a list of energy needs categories  (2. develop the best alternative method of producing energy for each catergory, if one can be found  (3. develop a five year plan to bring about change so these needs could be met

I would support the need for nuclear power plants, with an eye toward replacing much of the energy supply for dwellings with an alternative power source
I would propose a crash program to develop sustainable single/multiple family dwelling power supplies so that each home would be energy sufficient
I would propose tax incentives to get businesses to develop their own power generating capabilities
I would propose a crash program to develop alternative power sources for transportation
I would cut off any sales of domestic oil supplies to foreign nations  ( this would be coordinated so that we woudn't put an ally in jeopardy )
All domestic oil supplies would be reserved for strategic purposes, the military
All plastics production would be converted to alternatives to oil
A crash program would push soy and other alternative methods to create diesel fuels
A crash program would push alternative power sources and gift the technology to domestic manufacturers

As for your economic reasons why this project wouldn't work, I appreciate the point you are tyring to make.  This is not an economic as much as a strategic defense initiative.  We can no longer afford to be blackmailed by a cartel of foreign entities that has been manipulating oil supplies to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars each year.  We can no longer allow the oil maufacturers to manipulate pricing in the U.S. by operating too few refineries, and closing them down part of the time for adjustments, while the average citizen eats a cost that is artificially super-inflated.

It's time to get serious about our nation's future.  I don't see brutal unstable Middle-Eastern nations in that future.  If we wound up with something like 5 to 10% of of our current oil needs coming from states that were friendly, fine, but one of those states wouldn't have violent sects of people wishing nothing less than our total destruction.  It would be a truly progressive nation wishing to be a part of a world moving on to a highly technical and enlighted future.

The others could simply implode in on themselves without us.