When I decided in earnest to join the military two years ago, I knew I needed to get into better shape. Much as I loathe jogging, knowing it to be my weakness and an integral part of the military fitness battery, I started a rigorous exercise program that, despite the holiday season and extensive vacations that June, brought me down over 20 pounds in seven months. All this I accomplished while still indulging in garbage food (donuts, M&Ms, etc.) and building up muscle mass underneath. By the time the date arrived at which I would have reported for training, I could pass the test, despite being in piss-poor shape the year before. It took a while and some sacrifices, but less than I thought once I started a concerted effort to reach my goal.
Our politicians tell us that even if we start drilling it will take too long to bring the commodity to market. The cars people bought yesterday will be on the road for the next 15 years. As such, even if we switched perfectly to alternative fuels, we need that fuel now for decades because regular Americans cannot afford to go out and replace their vehicles. No matter how big of a deal you get, with rare exception, everyone is upside-down in their cars and owe more than they’re worth, so frugal folks like myself are disinclined to incur a car payment when there’s oil to be drilled, refined, and brought to market.
My father recently thought about getting a small sedan to alleviate the gas expense occasioned by the Suburban he drives. After valuation of the payment, assuming he could not pay it off with cash on hand, and the extra insurance expense, he decided it would cost MORE to do that than continue to drive the Suburban. His Suburban is well-cared for but only worth about $4000 if he could sell it in this market, but it’s worth a lot more than that to him since it gets him to work, tows his boat and jet-skis, and means he need not buy a newer vehicle and incur a monthly accounts payable to the tune of hundreds of dollars.
As you may be able to tell, I am not a member of the military. In the end, I have been temporarily restricted from applying for an unrelated matter. Do I regret all the running, cycling, and swimming? No. I feel really good about myself, and I’m arguably in the best physical shape of my life. Staying the way I was wasn’t worth the weight. Yet Congress insists that leaving things as they are is the wave of the future. They continue to look to the future without considering the opportunities of the present. While I look forward to something else, I consider the cost. Getting in shape for the military cost me six hours per week of exercise and a lot of food I really wanted to eat. What will be the cost of “eco-friendly” fuel? I don’t think it will be worth the wait.
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