Bin Laden, 9/11, Iraq and Gas Guzzling

"Bin Laden's remarks touched on the full range of issues that anger militant Arabs and other Muslims. Many of them see a renewal of a Christian- and Jewish-inspired Western "crusade" to dominate the Islamic world and to confiscate Muslim lands and resources - particularly oil." (MyWay)

While I don't agree that the West is trying to confiscate Muslim land and resources, I do believe that the United States' relationship with the Middle East is about one thing, oil.

America's ever-growing foreign oil consumption is largely driven by one thing, transportation. Ironically, as automotive technology advances, it never results in better overall American fuel economy. So, our dependency on foreign oil grows year after year after year.

Gas prices are now near $3.00 and there is an outrage among many Americans.

I say the worst is yet to come.

I say $3.00 gas is cheap. I say if the real cost of America's foreign oil dependency were paid at the pump, rather than credited to the deficit, we'd realize that the true cost of gas guzzling is far too high.

What if gas prices hit $5.00 or more, which is exactly what would happen if America was cut off from Saudi Arabian oil - something Bin Laden has advocated.

Yet, this is only one doomsday scenario.

Often the automotive press asks, are hybrid cars worth the cost, and usually they say no.

I ask, is ever-increasing gas guzzling worth the cost?