Those Are Our Only Two Choices?

Thomas L. Friedman lays 'em out for us:

The legitimacy of China’s leaders today depends, in part, on their ability to make their country’s power system greener so their people can breathe. Putin’s legitimacy depends on keeping Russia and the world addicted to oil and gas. Whom do you want to bet on?

Actually, I want to bet on neither. I want to depend on ourselves and on the abundant natural resources--the oil, the natural gas--were have in our your backyard.

I want to bet on the Keystone XL pipeline. Too bad Obama and Friedman, those brainiacs, refuse to do the same.

Speaking of betting, Tom's the one who bet big on the Arab Spring--and lost his shirt. Naturally, he's forgotten all about it since he starts this column with this "insight":

One thing I learned covering the Middle East for many years is that there is “the morning after” and there is “the morning after the morning after.” Never confuse the two.

The morning after a big event is when fools rush in and declare that someone’s victory or defeat in a single battle has “changed everything forever.” The morning after the morning after, the laws of gravity start to apply themselves; things often don’t look as good or as bad as you thought. 

It took an awful lot of mornings after the morning after for Tom to wake up and see that the Arab Spring was a big old bust. I wouldn't bet on his being any smarter on the subject of Russia, China and renewable and non-renewable energy.