For most of my lifetime, the United States was dependent on oil from the Middle East to keep our economy fueled. The reality dominated our foreign policy, which meant the necessary coddling of Arab monarchies such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
The events of 9/11 made it clear, though, that this dependence on the Middle East for our national energy supply was a grave national security risk. That is why technological advances in drilling, new oil field discoveries, the expansion of natural gas and biofuels, and U.S. energy production exploding in the 2000s, freed us from reliance on oil imports.
We also cannot ignore the economic benefits of energy independence. It created hundreds of thousands of jobs — many which don’t require a college degree — and tens of billions in economic activity. When progressives gloss over this reality, it hurts Democrats serving the millions of Blue Collar Americans who earn a living working in and around the fossil fuels industry.
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