Can we all admit to ourselves now that "free markets" and unregulated capitalism do not serve our national interests? One word typifies the failure of a greed based system to provide for our security. That word is Oil! Or as Upton Sinclair would say Oil!!!!!!! Despite what the neo-cons would have you believe, government serves a purpose. And yes, if it needs to meddle in the affairs of business if it's in the public's interest then it has an obligation to do so.

Oil is running our lives. It's a political bludgeon and we are addicts for it. We need and use plastics and fuel to power our daily lives. Oil can warm us in winter and cool us in summer all the while powering our vehicles including our military and emergency services. For decades we've been sold the notion that there is no other way. We must rely on this and this alone. To do otherwise would ruin the economy they say. We must, if need be, go after these resources by force. If we pollute stretches of coastline so be it. If we rape the consumer so a handful of wealthy people can be wealthier so be it. This is the order of all things. Thanks to the oil men. We love oil so much we would lay down with countries that foster the most outward hate towards us.

Drilling is not the answer. Environmentalists don't have the power to stop this energy monopoly juggernaut. There are leases available for purchase right now and the big oil companies don't want them anyway. They are corporations whose only responsibility is to share holders. Our security is of little concern to them, after all the oil men cry, there's nothing they can do about supply and demand. Yeah, right. And cigarettes aren't harmful to your health and asbestos doesn't cause cancer. Why do we allow corporations to screw the citizens of the world over when we have a document called the Constitution that is designed to prevent this from happening? Don't believe me? Think the founders were free marketeers and capitalists to the core? Then do some reading, you're wrong.

Corporations were not to last more than one's life time. Monopolies were abhorred. Accumulated wealth in too few hands was seen as an opportunity to return to the tyrannical rule of the King of England. Before terms like communist and socialist were common, the founding fathers looked to industry and business with as much trepidation as they did military rule or an all powerful executive. Yes, most were wealthy men, but they knew few were as virtuous as they and rights of people depended on protections from too much wealth being used against them. *gasp!*

Wouldn't have been prudent 30 some years ago to listen to Jimmy Carter about our energy policy? One that relied on conservation and not consumption as the current crop of political flacks want? One that turned away from conventional fossil fuels to solar, wind and thermal renewable resources? In Europe where stricter standards were placed on fuel efficient vehicles their economies managed to do fine and their vehicles and technology evolved along with it. In the States we have the same auto manufacturers making electric vehicles for sale there, telling us the technology doesn't exist and would be too costly if our government would do what's best for the people it represents and force them to comply to making better vehicles here.

Can we abandon the proven failure of this neo-con dream, that capitalism and corporations through markets will provide what's best for the public? It isn't supply and demand that has us being gouged at the pump. Demand is down, the price keeps going up. These aren't free markets they are fixed markets. And we are allowing industry to fix the system! That's what government is for! It's to protect our interests from this maddness. Consider the following, we rely on private contractors for providing military services now more than ever conceived of before. Our government actually promotes no bid, cost plus contracts to military contractors! War profiteering is being encouraged as a matter of business! Eisenhower would kick some tail if he were alive today. We actually trust our nations ports to private foreign companies from areas of the world where our American way of life is demonized. We've allowed millions of manufacturing jobs to leave our shores. The only industry mentioned in the Constitution is the press, the media. Often referred to as our 4th Estate of government, once viewed as essential to our liberty, has been allowed to merge and conglomerate into the hands of a few select individuals more concerned with making a buck than providing for an informed electorate. And at times, the NY TImes for example, it's worked in collusion with our government instead of questioning it.

I know this rant smacks of that scary old socialism. Because in a black and white world there is only that and capitalism. But we live in a world of color, not a utopia. There is a middle ground between the two that FDR found that brought us into our greatest age and we need to return to that. We have the buying power, we can control our own markets. In this age of heightened fear of terrorist attack we can't allow "free" markets to protect us. we need regulated markets that protect American workers, their jobs. We should have the right to feel secure that we are not one medical diagnosis away from complete bankruptcy. We should have control over our own destiny as a nation and not as some world business partner that allows our public policy decisions be solely driven by greed and in control of only a few.