Moral equivalent of war

The current situation in the Middle East should come as no surprise to the American people using hindsight as our guide. We have been warned, not once but twice, about our dependence on foreign oil. First, in 1973 with the Arab oil embargo and then in 1979 with the overthrow of the Shah of Iran.

President Carter drew the “moral equivalent of war” analogy also in 1979. If we had heeded these warnings, we wouldn’t be in the current situation we are facing today, and by not fighting the “moral equivalent of war” in the 1980s, we are faced with a real war in the 1990s.

If we, the American people, had done what we should have, i.e., conservation, solar energy, fuel-efficient cars and houses, public transportation, etc., we wouldn’t be dependent on Iraq’s oil and be literally over the barrel….

My sincere hope is that the United States learns from this current crisis, which, unlike 1973 and 1979, is involving massive numbers of U.S. troops … that energy conservation and efficiency is a national priority as the lack of it contributed to our deficit and national security.

Will we learn this time around? We haven’t before, but if we don’t now, certain aspects of the future make me nervous. Ted Carter Woodland