More oil wars or more renewable energy?

The biggest strategic blunder since WWII

Who wins in an oil war? We have had a longtime policy of making war for oil, giving big tax breaks to oil producers, spending on oil, but fiscally discouraging renewable energy (electric generation, and for transportation). Our biggest blunder since WW2.

Benefitting most are our vested oil interests and our military industrial complex (MIC) as the petroleum business rakes in huge profits, and the MIC makes huge continuous sales to our nation’s military and foreign militaries. Their industry heads and lobbyists make giant political contributions to assure continued congressional votes favoring these policies, even though we never had an energy problem, but we have an energy COST problem.

While China and India have gone all out for renewable energy innovation (reducing costs), America has doubled down on petroleum (costs rising). Worse, our uber-capitalist tax policy during the past 45 years has killed ALMOST ALL manufacturing inside the USA, so nearly all remaining American (non-military) manufacturing is done by foreign subsidiaries or contractors to benefit from lower labor costs. The absence of penalizing tax policy actually encourages the USA’s offshoring/outsourcing of labor, even if bad for our economy, but good for Oil and MIC businesses. We hurt our people today to hurt ourselves tomorrow.

China manufactured over 70% of all electric cars made in the world in 2025

While our main world competitors – China and India – grow and further economize and develop their renewable energy assets, zooming way past us, we destroyed our manufacturing and positioned ourselves for continued reliance on ever costlier, dirtier, finite petroleum. In 2024 and 2025, China installed more wind turbines and solar panels than the rest of the world combined. And during those years, China manufactured over 70% of all electric cars made in the world (source for both IEA.org).

China cut its cost per gigawatt by over 50% in three years, while ours continues to climb. And as of 2025, renewable energy accounts for approximately 52% of India’s total power generation capacity (source Drichtiias.com). Ours in the US is 26% (only 19% from wind and solar). If our strategic blunder were for a broadly beneficial purpose, to reduce cost or make our people happier, healthier, or future brighter, it would be more excusable, but (while China and India assure lowered costs) it keeps our costs high/rising, affecting our health negatively, and making us even more dependent on finite resources like oil, gas, and coal.

The two major technological advances of our times are superior data tech and booming renewable energy tech/capacity/ use. The US is falling way behind in one of these. While ignoring the morality or ethics of the recent US oil-motivated shocking acts (Venezuela and Iran), they must be seen for what they are, petroleum-motivated and will have terrible counter-productive long-term effects on the US, on costs, financial strength, health, prestige in the world, military future, and international relations.

One huge and growing problem is our financial health, a direct result of the above. Our US financial condition is terrible, approaching a national debt death spiral. At this writing, our national debt is nearly $40 trillion, increasing at an accelerating rate of change. On a time graph, it has been headed almost straight north since 2020. The annual “deficit” or amount to be added yearly to our national debt is today around $3 trillion, with FYE 2026 DEBT to be around $41 trillion, and possibly $50 trillion by the end of Trump’s current term.

In 1980, our debt had NOT YET REACHED $1 trillion – up fiftyfold in just 46 years. It is unsustainable! Who will buy our treasury bonds in
10 or 15 years?

The four causes of our debt explosion are (1) ridiculous oil-related defense spending, (2) the end of fair taxation on the highest incomes, (3) the imbalance in entitlement income and expenses, and (4) exploding interest expense on the debt itself—now $1.2 trillion per year, twelve times what it was in 1980.

Our “Defense,” now “Department of War,” blunders on acting monstrously to Mideast oil-rich countries and a few South American oil interests. Even though no country threatens us, our $143 billion (one-year defense budget of 1980) has increased by a factor of 15 times in 46 years. Now NOMINALLY $900 Bln, however, Treasury numbers fool us since three additional big defense items are listed in separate non-defense-named budgets. VA expense $566 Bln, Intelligence $73 Bln, Nuclear expenses $34 Bln, so adding together the four true defense items, in F2025 WE BLEW OVER $1.5 trillion. Our President and chief Oil industry Champion had asked Congress to increase Defense’s nominal budget by $500 Bln, and last week asked for another $ 200 Bln for the Iran (oil) campaign! Add just a repeat of last year’s VA, Intel, and Nuclear, WE’LL BLOW TOTAL $2.2 Trillion in F2026. A 50% INCREASE IN ONE YEAR. Fifteen times as much was spent as in 1980, all principally on oil-chasing.

Stop! Stop!! Stop!!!

Sources: IEA.org, USDebtclock.org, gao.gov

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