"We value an America that controls its own destiny because it's finally and forever independent of Mideast oil," said Kerry

* "We value an America that controls its own destiny because it's finally and forever independent of Mideast oil," said Kerry. "What does it mean for our economy and our national security when we have only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves, yet we rely on foreign countries for 53 percent of what we consume?" What's that "yet" doing there? Wouldn't one expect those numbers to vary inversely? If we had 100 percent of the world's oil, we would import none of it, and vice versa.

Kerry makes a more common mistake when he imagines that America can seal itself off from the global oil market. Even if we imported no oil from the Mideast, our economy would still respond to changes in the price set by that market and to the effects of that price on the global economy. The Mideast's oil would still make it geopolitically important. No more than King Canute could beat back the tides with his sword can John Kerry stop the global flow of oil.

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