I was listening to a radio talk show the other day, and the host was talking about gasoline prices with an "energy expert" from the Wall Street Journal.  The usual topics of "energy independence" and "obscene profits" came up from callers who don't comprehend markets.  And of course, one of the complaints of both the host and the expert was that liberals and eco-freaks have prevented exploration for oil in the United States, thus making us more dependent upon foreign sources.

It occurred to me that, maybe the lib's had done something good, without of course meaning to.  My thought went like this:  Oil is a finite resource (though not nearly as limited as some would have us believe).  It can be found in many places around the world; some inside the US and some outside.  Right now, we're sucking up oil from places OUTSIDE our borders.  When that runs out, we can turn to the sources inside our borders.  BUT, if we use up our own supplies first, and THEN turn outside, what might the cost be then?  The phrase, "they have us over a barrel" would really take on a new meaning, wouldn't it?