Let’s talk about oil
How car dependency brought us to Venezuela
My blog rarely touches on foreign policy and affairs; quite the opposite, I’ve largely focused my writing on local happenings pertaining to transportation. However, I can’t help but recognize the oily connection between the two.
Americans have a love affair with oil compared to our Western peers. 6 in 10 households in the United States own two or more vehicles; over a fifth of all households own three or more. We have a heavy reliance on oil to get us to work, our children to school, and to run the errands that support our daily functions. This is in large part due to the infrastructure available to the vast majority of Americans and a culture that emphasizes private transportation more than European countries of a similar wealth status.
As a result, access to oil has influenced American policy both domestically and abroad. Gas shortages in the 70s crippled our economy. Control over oil has impacted our relationships with the most powerful countries in the Middle East. Most importantly, oil has led to our intervention in numerous countries. We invaded Kuwait in the 90s, Iraq in the 2000s, and have seized control of Venezuela’s oil reserves after abducting their embattled president, Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. These interventions have led to deaths of civilians and American soldiers alike, and will continue to foment destruction and death to satisfy our country’s appetite for oil in vain.
Access to and control over oil will continue to inform the direction of American public policy so long as it’s inextricably tied to economic opportunity for its citizens. A car-independent future is necessary for an oil-independent future that does not jeopardize the livelihood of those living under American-backed occupation. Not only does our planet rely on a fossil fuel-free future, but so does our peace.
This is so important and one of the many reasons why the consistent approvals of car dependent sprawl in Durham are so troubling and why we need a new way
Solid framing on how zoning decisions in Durham have foreign policy consequences. Most urbanism writing stays in its lane but connecting car dependncy directly to military intervention makes the stakes way more tangible. The jump from "6 in 10 households own two cars" to "we invaded Kuwait" is kinda jarring at first but thats exactly the point, those feel like seperate domains until they're not.