SteveB/Colorado

Political Incompetence Could Drive Up the Price of Oil

Regarding "green shoots" of demand, Mexico is also in production decline. Too much petro profits siphoned off for social programs and also likely due to corruption; not enough profit being reinvested in infrastructure.

Is the air car an updated version of cold fusion? One must wonder.

Banking on Energy (Rather than Currency or Gold)

Intriguing concept; but will be interesting to watch how it plays out in the "political" world. Your comment about our "baroque" military was thoughtful. A recent GAO report noted that 64 of 96 current arms procurement programs are running a cumulative $296 billion over budget. And all this with a military that in the beginning years of the Iraq debacle, couldn't even provide body armor for soldiers.

We also just launched another giant aircraft carrier designed to fight the Soviet Union on the high seas. Oops, they must not have noticed the departure of the Soviet Union via implosion in 1991.