So, here I am, just your regular guy, no frills, no fuss. Give me some guy stuff, and I’m all in. Especially on a rainy Sunday afternoon when the world outside looks like a giant carwash and Monday is lurking around the corner like a bad hangover. What’s my idea of bliss? It’s simple: me, my recliner, a damn fine cup of joe, and a killer movie. And on this particular Sunday, the flick of choice was none other than “Jarhead,” that timeless classic about a Marine’s journey through the chaos of war.
So, there I am, nestled deep into the cushions, cruising through the storyline, from Operation Desert Shield right up to the part where our main man, Swaford, drops the bomb about oil prices have nearly doubled per barrel because the Middle East is gearing up for a rumble. And that got me thinking…
I love a story that gets the old noodle working. With all the commotion in Russia nowadays, why aren’t energy prices hitting the stratosphere like they did in “Jarhead”? I mean, a fifty bucks a barrel was madness back in the day (makes me feel like a relic just saying it). But what’s changed since then? What have we learned from our adventures in the Marcellus and other shale plays over the last couple of decades?
Russia’s out there stirring the pot on multiple fronts: Ukraine, Transnistria, Armenia, Libya, and even flexing in the Gulf of Oman with China and Iran. It’s like a Cold War flashback, man. I remember those days – fallout shelters, hiding under desks during drills, the whole shebang. So, if conflicts like Hussein’s antics could send oil prices through the roof back then, why ain’t we seeing the same hysteria today? Why ain’t oil hitting two hundred bucks a barrel with Russia revving up for a brawl?
My guess? It’s that good ol’ isolationist vibe we’ve dusted off and embraced. The domestication of American oil, driven by the marvels of shale tech, has thrown us into the ring as a heavyweight contender in the oil game. We ain’t as reliant on imports as we used to be, and that, my friend, means we’re not dancing to Russia’s tune like we once did. So, while the world might be on fire in some corners, we’ve got our own backyard secured. And that, my friends, is how the game’s played in the 21st century.