Oil imports are down BIG - to 9,983,000 barrels each and every day for 2009.

So let's go to the videotape! (Or in our case, the calculator.)

9,983,000 X $80 X 365 days equals $291,503,600,000. Somehow I think that to be vaguely important.

You see, the U.S. trade deficit is ONLY about $400 BILLION for 2009, with nearly 75% of that for Oil. All we need to do is eliminate Oil imports and we will ONLY have a $110 Billion trade deficit! And this is with the US$ so low it could walk under a nickel without bending over.

The only reason Oil exporters were willing to do engage in this transaction is that The Powers That Be in those Oil exporting countries were, for all intents and purposes, US CITIZENS. They sent us their Oil, we sent them our "Money", they, as US citizens, repatriated that money and own a significant slug of the American economy and body politic. But this arrangement does not work out so hot for real citizens of those countries, and said arrangement is in its death throws - giving rise to militant Islam, confrontations with nuclear armed states, the destruction of our currency... among other unhappy outcomes. These policies were promulgated and and continued by Republicans and Democrats alike - including our current Hero in Chief.

We need new policies and a new political paradigm, and a way of accepting politically that which we have no control over - that we are going to be forced to live with smaller government, lesser services and benefits, and a new reliance on family and community (and when I say "community", it is with "family" as the foundation of the community), as well as self sufficient, enlightened self interest. I realize how painful this idea is for the Left... you guys felt you were sooooooo close - but everything held by Liberal dogma was built upon a foundation of plentiful and cheap Oil and energy, and that foundation is no more. You are going to have to come to terms with that, because the real risk now is a political crisis born of an insistence on having something that CANNOT be had.

Just look at California.

More soon.

Libertariananimal (at) gmail (d0t) com