WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush, in a push to take charge of the election-year agenda, is expected to say Tuesday that "America is addicted to oil" and must break its dependence on foreign suppliers in unstable parts of the world.

Continued

There's only three options in regard to petroleum:

1. Purchase on the open market at what will soon become a very significant chunk of change once India and China move closer to the front of the pack.

2. Develop alternatives which can operate at the same capacity which we are accustomed to.

3. Take control of the product at the source, promising uninterrupted access at the same relative cost.

I don't know what the answer is but we, as a country, are getting a lot closer to being forced into a decision. The first and third options are, in all honesty, only viable in the short-term. Petroleum is not an unlimited resrouce. I don't know whether it will end in 20 years or 200 years (and yes, I'm familiar with some of the estimates out there) but the tap will eventually run dry.

A note more directly related to President Bush's upcoming speech, if we were to stop purchasing from the Middle East region ("unstable parts of the world") I think you would see their governments make serious efforts to bring in their radical groups.

Right now everyone sort of haggles around, making wink wink, nudge nudge efforts.

It would appear that President Bush is preferring to take a course that will force Arabic governments to either modernize or choke on their petroleum.

EDIT: Watching the actual speech now. I realize commenting could lead to a wide array of responses but, it's my blog update. El Presidente is on the offensive against isolationism, those wanting to leave Iraq, re-newing the Patriot Act, and Iran obtaining nuclear capabilities.