1975 and energy independence: Will CAFE destroy America?

Thank you CAFE.

What did America drive in 1975?

I don’t remember 1975, but I sure wish I did. Then it seems everything changed in America, but not for the better, and it began in Congress. OK, it didn’t really begin in Congress. It started long before, but 1975 is when Congress — with noble intentions (at least I hope) — almost destroyed America. Or, ironically, considering the escalating Israeli situation, maybe America is already DOA.

Following the Arab oil embargo in 1973, America demanded action. How could a bunch of camel jockeys in the middle of nowhere shut down the world’s most powerful country, I’m sure, most Americans wondered back then. How could an area of the world most Americans knew so little about, be so powerful?

There’s a great scene in the movie 3 Days of Condor when CIA analyst Robert Redford finally puts the pieces together of why the CIA appears to be trying to kill him: OPEC oil. As Redford questions a superior from the CIA, at gun point of course, the superior essentially responds that the CIA ultimately has no choice but to play this dirty OPEC-driven game.

When Americans can’t find cheap gasoline, or when the grocery stores are empty and American children are starving, the superior asks Redford, are Americans really going to care about the human rights of those living in OPEC countries? When there is little food to eat, will Americans really concern themselves with how the problem is solved, or will they only care that it is solved, and as quickly as possible? However, the superior cautions, if America waits for such a problem, it will be too late.

That’s why the US has been manipulating the Middle Eastern scene — mostly covertly — ever since. Of course, you can’t sell covert actions to the people.

Thus, following the oil embargo of 1973, CAFE was constructed to increase US fuel economy and to reduce OPEC imports. Unfortunately, CAFE has failed miserably.

In 1979, for example, the truck segment — of which SUVs are a part — accounted for only 9 percent of US auto sales. Today it’s 50 percent, 50 percent in a segment that brags up 20 mpgs on the highway — but only about 17 in the real world. After 40 years, multiple wars, terrorist bombings, and trillions spent out of country, 17 mpg is what we’ve achieved?

This has been good for America?

Perhaps updated CAFE requirements won’t suffer the same unintended consequences, but the fact that they’re already easy on the truck segment over the next decade — the main source of the problem in the first place — raises a red flag. Once again, what if instead of embracing smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles or electric cars, more consumers simply give up this segment and move into the truck segment, as happened in the past?

Anyway, rather than focus on the potential unintended consequences of CAFE this time around, maybe it’s better to simply ask, what is the goal of CAFE? Is it purely about ending foreign oil dependence? Reducing CO2 emissions? Both?

Instead of CAFE, for instance, why don’t we legislate the foreign oil independence act? Why can’t we just be honest and transparent about both the goals and the plan? If we can’t at least be honest and transparent about the goal, can the plan really be that effective?

I say no, and the reason why is political pork and special interests. And while it’s easy and fair to instantly point a finger at big oil,1 percenters and Wall Street, it seems almost as easy to point to the SUV loophole in CAFE and the UAW. Without the profit margins of the truck segment the Big 3 couldn’t have survived since the ‘73 oil embargo, at least not under UAW contract.

But can the American middle class survive without UAW type contracts?

I don’t know but, if the UAW has been dependent on cheap foreign oil — via gas guzzler profit margins — are they really that much better than big oil? Ultimately, aren’t they beholden to the same game, but just dressed in different political uniforms? At the root, aren’t both lubed and dependent upon the same dirty foreign oil, and the uniforms just entertainment?

Anyway, the answer seems clear to me. Revolution. Instead of declaring war on Republicans or Democrats, however, it’s time to declare war on foreign oil dependence, and if the parties can’t figure out a way to to become allies in this war — a war in which both parties are clearly complicit  — then BLEEP! the parties.

Since 1973, minimally, the Republican versus Democrat battle has failed America — at least the 99 percent of America. After decades of history, to think that suddenly, somehow, this is going to dramatically change is a classical description of insanity. Fortunately, inevitably, while the 1 percent might have all the money, the 99 percent have all the power, but only if we work together.

Only if we work together.