Seeds of Destruction: Why the Path to Economic Ruin Runs Through Washington, and How to Reclaim American Prosperity

Chapter Seven: Why America’s Foreign Oil Addiction Stunts Our Growth

“We will break the back of the energy crisis; we will lay the foundation for our future capacity to meet America’s energy needs from America’s own resources.”

President Richard Nixon¹

“We must end vulnerability to economic disruption by foreign [oil] suppliers by 1985.”

President Gerald Ford²

“This intolerable dependence on foreign oil threatens our economic independence and the very security of our nation.”

President Jimmy Carter³

“Keeping America competitive requires affordable energy. And here we have a serious problem: America is addicted to oil, which is often imported from unstable parts of the world.”

President George W. Bush⁴

“At the dawn of the twenty-first century, ...