Even today, we are discovering aboriginal tribes in regions of South America, which we refer to as ‘Stone Age civilizations”. They are at the level of technological advancement where stone is their most advanced building material. Whether used for construction, cooking, hunting, or war, stone is the strongest material available to them. In global history, we refer to the “Stone Age” as the period when stone was the strongest material available among all civilizations.
The Iron Age began once people discovered how to harness and refine iron. At first, the nation that developed iron had a commercial and military advantage over its neighbors. There have been and still are groups or countries that seek to conquer their neighbors, and the most advanced one will likely prevail. Throughout history, those who possess the most advanced tools and weapons have had a significant advantage over their enemy. Those who were aggressive and expansionary could conquer their neighbors with ease.
Eventually, many civilizations harnessed iron, and the playing field was leveled to an extent. Still, those who were most advanced had the safety of knowing their neighbors were less likely to attack since they’d be attacking from a position of disadvantage. History has shown that the most advanced countries (if aggressive) would expand and conquer; if not, they’d be highly commercially prosperous by focusing efforts on domestic production.
Enter the Bronze Age. With the development of bronze, those with iron as their core building material suddenly found their selves at a disadvantage again. The process repeated itself until the field was mostly leveled once more with time. Then came the Steel Age. By combining carbon with iron, we had a much stronger metal. Again, the process of shifting power occurred once more. This time, America was the leading creator of steel. By focusing our efforts on domestic production and not expansionary conquest, America became the wealthiest country in the world. Steel and oil made some of America’s first multimillionaires.
Today, we live in the fossil fuel age. Fossil fuels provide the bulk of our energy and raw materials. Plastics, rubber, and many chemicals are derived from fossil fuels. Our consumer products are not made primarily of wood and iron anymore. All one has to do is compare consumer products from the 1940s with today’s products to see the stark difference. We don’t make laptops or cell phones with wood and steel. Our weapons systems depend heavily on fossil fuels and are critical to military advantage. We are, without a doubt, in the fossil fuel age.
The nations with the most effective production of fossil fuel resources wield the most significant power today. Any country that turns its back on these resources will quickly be bullied by nations that have not. Any nation producing and exporting fossil fuels cheaper than other producers will deny them monetary gains.
People like having fossil fuels because they are abundant, inexpensive (unless over-regulated), portable, and immediately convertible. A propane tank can sit in a shed for years without losing potential energy and can be converted on demand. A gallon of gas will maintain its conversion power until used.
People prefer fossil fuels over “sustainable” fuels because they retain their conversion ability and are reliable and portable. When survival depends on energy, people want power they can count on.
The left keeps promoting “Sustainable Energy.” Such sources would consist of solar, hydroelectric, wind, and electricity. Consumers prefer fossil fuels because, as stated, they are reliable, portable, cheaper, and easily convertible. Solar works when the sun is shining. Hydroelectric works best when there is ample rainfall. Wind power works when the wind is blowing. Finally, electricity must first be produced through one of the other methods, then stored in expensive batteries that lose their charge and need replacement periodically.
The free market favors fossil fuels, but politicians prefer “sustainable” sources. The reason is simple: you can buy stock in such companies inexpensively, then mandate their use or prohibit the competition. By doing so, you can become wealthy at the cost of consumers paying more for an inferior product. The other way politicians enrich their selves by mandating inferior products comes in the form of kickbacks. Companies that produce superior products don’t need to pay politicians to help them. Many regulations result from a secret (unspoken but well-understood) partnership between inferior companies and politicians. The politician buys stock from an underperforming company, then mandates their product or prohibits the competitors, causing stock prices to soar. For these reasons, politicians should make the sacrifice of not being allowed to trade stocks while in office and face mandatory financial investigations over any significant gain in net worth for them or their family members.
Mandating “sustainable” energy over fossil fuels is a national security risk. Being the leading producer of fossil fuels makes a nation the strongest in the world, both commercially and militarily.
When America is strong, the world’s tyrants walk on eggshells. When America is weak, tyrants go on the offensive. American super-supremacy staves off a world war. American weakness will result in a world war.
Shutting down our oil and gas production deprives us of the income, resources, and jobs we would otherwise have, and would-be customers purchase their fossil fuels from countries that are adversarial to the United States. Several adversarial countries, i.e., Russia, are significant producers of fossil fuels. Reducing our output enriches them while diminishing our position militarily and economically.
We are in the fossil fuel age; nothing will change that except the discovery of a new source of energy that is cheaper, has greater output, and is available on demand. Fossil fuels are the energy source that forges geopolitics, and those that are the most advanced and productive dictate the world’s future.
We haven’t had a global war since America dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since then, American power has kept the world in check. When the most powerful nation in the world doesn’t invade and conquer but instead focuses on commercial production, then freedom and liberty are the leading philosophical tenets that dictate the course of the world.
Should America lose its standing as the world’s leading energy provider, the world will see dictatorial regimes such as China making aggressive moves to take control of the world. Being the number one producer and exporter of fossil fuels keeps the world safe. Lacking energy dominance can lead to another global war.