Oil Imports

Abstract

While the Eastern bloc countries (in particular the USSR) are self-sufficient (i.e. non-vulnerable) in terms of energy (a basic prerequisite for state existence) at least up to the turn of the century, the Western democracies cannot survive on their own reserves of energy, on which their economies and infrastructures are primarily based. This is especially true for the USA.

In case of an oil embargo (as happened almost a decade ago), if the US oil reserves are subsequently depleted, at least the US transportation system (based almost completely on oil) could break down, and with it micro- and macroeconomic supply of the country. This has never occurred in history before, but it may happen tomorrow, showing kore devastating consequences than any nuclear war. The only way out of this ‘vicious circle’ is the large-scale production of synfuels from domestic coal and oil shale reserves. This however, requires a political strategy which is excluded from daily politics and not dependent on free market forces only.