It’s no secret that the United States is heavily dependent on oil produced in the Middle East. In fact, entire wars have been fought over it. It’s also no secret, though, that many of these Middle Eastern countries we depend on for oil are controlled by dangerous political regimes and as such, their citizens are experiencing intense instability. This is especially apparent now in the wake of the political shocks that are occurring in several oil-producing nations in the Middle East right now. Part of the reason that Arab countries today are so unstable is because their economies are primarily based on oil and are especially susceptible to fluctuations in oil prices. This amount of uncertainty is not good for either country involved or for the fuel market. Gas prices have risen 20 cents in the past few days and 68 cents in the last year as a result of the social and political upheaval in the Middle East and North Africa. As this geographical region becomes more and more volatile, no one can say for certain when, or if, these prices will ever come back down.
This is a fact that has led many to rethink the future of American energy. Since most politicians serve relatively short 2- or 4-year terms, many have shied away from long-lasting solutions to the country’s current energy crises. Their response so far has been to open up strategic oil reserves or increase off-shore drilling at home. These strategies are only temporary and it’s time to implement a long term solution. Raising the gas tax would send a clear signal to the country and the rest of the world that the United States is ready to move past its reliance on oil from the Arab world.
If the Middle East did not have as much of this limited natural resource as it does, the United States would probably not be interested in it all. In fact, the military involvement in Iraq, and now in Libya, was largely over the control their oil, although politicians have worked under the pretense of liberating a struggling country from a brutal dictator. If the United States decreased its reliance on oil from the Mideast, and ultimately pulled out of this region altogether, these countries could begin working towards genuine freedom and stability on their own. Diplomatic relations between the United States the Middle East would improve as each country would not be working with a hidden agenda.As we have seen, sustained independence from foreign oil sources is but one of many benefits of raising the gas tax in the United States. In order to create cooperative political ties, preserve our environment and natural resources, promote technological advances associated with energy independence, and stabilize our fuel economy, it is vital that we end our oil addiction. And the gas tax is a step in the right direction.
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