An editorial from The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register
WHEELING, W.Va. — An objection to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline being made by some of its liberal opponents may be based on the fact at least 60 percent of Americans are too young to remember the 1973 Arab oil embargo. Some of us recall vividly the long lines and gasoline quotas at service stations – and the fear that at some point, fuel would not be available at any price.
One reason the nation fell victim to Arab oil producers more than 40 years ago is that the government had no long-term energy policy. President Barack Obama and his liberal cronies seem determined to change that – to ensure Americans have to worry about scarce, high-priced energy for decades to come.
Some opponents of the pipeline say it should not be built because the nation does not need the substantial quantities of Canadian oil it would bring us. Low gasoline prices prove that, they insist.
That is either incredibly naive – or an assumption the American people are not very intelligent.
More than half the oil Americans use is imported. Much of it comes from unfriendly countries. One-fifth of our petroleum comes from the Persian Gulf region, where Americans have no real friends. As hard to believe as it may be, 5 percent of our oil is produced in Russia.
Within months, our enemies abroad could send gasoline prices soaring again. It is within their power to force fuel rationing here, also within months.
We do have one staunch friend in the world: Canada. The more of our oil piped here from our allies to the north, the better – in both the short and long terms.
Congress should force Obama to allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Lawmakers who stand with him may be right about memories too short to recall 1973. But they should consider that most Americans have excellent recollections of paying $4 a gallon at the pump – and are realistic enough to know even that could be just a fond memory unless we take steps such as building Keystone XL.
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