“For a long time, oil products have enjoyed a monopoly because oil has been cheap and easy. But it’s getting less cheap and Americans ought to be growing uneasy about sending billions of dollars to corners of the Earth where terrorism is both preached and practiced.
“To solve this dilemma, we could invest in a new Manhattan project. If we gathered the smartest scientists and gave them a ton of money, might they develop an automobile that would run not just on gasoline but also on non-petroleum-based fuels?
“News bulletin: The technology to run cars on alternative fuels already exists. The cost: less than $150 per vehicle [...]
“There are other technologies we can and should – in the interest of national security – give a boost. Hybrid cars that utilize batteries for short trips are selling well. A huge improvement would be plug-in hybrids that can use a standard electric outlet to charge. Because less than 2 percent of American electricity is generated from oil, plug-in hybrids would allow city drivers and commuters traveling under 40 miles a day to use no gasoline at all. Equipped also as FFVs, they wouldn’t need to use gas on longer trips either.
“Bills based on the Set America Free plan for energy security are before both the House and Senate: H.R. 4409 and S.2025. Who would oppose such progress? An army of special interests that benefit from the status quo. These groups will fight like ferrets to preserve petroleum’s market share and to preserve the tax and tariff advantages they now enjoy.
“Is it too much to ask that a critical mass of politicians from both sides of the aisle stand up to them, break oil’s monopoly, reduce America’s dependence on foreign energy and allow us to stop funding both sides in the War Against Terrorism?”