Every time I hear or read we “captured” another county’s leader, I cringe. This writer is clearly no fan of Venezuela’s President, but let us face the truth; kidnapping another nation’s president is not “capturing” but simple kidnapping. No, this so called great American action was about oil; America’s drug of choice. Venezuela was not really ever a significant source of drugs in this country and as of this date, the administration can’t decide if they were supplying fentanyl or cocaine. Venezuela is a botched action plan despite the perfect performance of a military acting on flawed orders. As I watch the gas prices drop I feel like a mark that the fossil fuel industry and administration are targeting to reset the hook of fossil fuel need. We can see plainly who the pushers are.

Reset is a good term here because previous US administrations recognized that ever diminishing oil resources has lured this country into wars and enterprises that at best were ill advised. Methadone is a medical treatment allowing for a less painful, more effective route to reducing drug dependence. Our previous focus on alternative power sources such as electricity, solar, wind, fusion etc. represent a metaphoric methadone program for a nation that not only has a mental health problem with drugs, but also a nation that needs to pivot in response to a dwindling world resource called fossil fuels; its drug of choice. Lets not forget we have to respond to related climate changes that are whiplashing our nations coastal cities, species diversity, and clean water supplies. The crimes committed in response to an addiction related need are commonly misrepresented by the drug addicted person committing the crime. This is as true for nations as it is true for individuals.

A modest proposal for Good

At this moment the history our dependence on oil is distorting our national perceptions of justice and good action in the larger interconnected world. Our well advised methadone program of developing alternative fuels and energy sources must be re-started or our children and grand children will face a disaster of our own making in this present moment in history. We have one full election cycle to move this message up to congressional and the executive action. As a nation and a democracy we owe it to our youth and children to overcome our dangerous dependence on our drug of choice. The ‘methadone’ relief of alternative fuels could allow us the temporary clarity to see where we are going wrong internationally. That would be good. In fact, to see the errors of our ways is critical these days if this country ever wants to be a world leader and partner again.