World Post: Death of a Shalesman: U.S. Energy Independence Is a Fairy Tale

There is nothing "splendid" about isolation. Far from being an advisable policy in today's interconnected world, it is a fear-based mantra that may have disastrous effects on America's place in the globe -- and on her commercial relationships.

With its origins in a strategy devised by the Disraeli government to keep 19th century Britain quarantined from the murky affairs of the European continent, the foreign policy doctrine of "splendid isolation" was aptly applied to America prior to its involvement in the First and Second World Wars. The U.S. was mighty enough to stand on its own both economically and politically, and therefore could refrain from engaging in quagmires in Europe or in conflict-riddled messes stirred up by rascals elsewhere in the world.

Fast-forward to the present moment, and America's shale bounty -- its surge in domestic supply of oil and gas produced via hydraulic fracturing, or fracking -- has once again given rise to discussions of "splendid isolation." Many policymakers view America as an "energy island." Emboldened by an abundance of shale gas and oil, the U.S. can blissfully afford to stand alone -- or, at the very least, it has the luxury of being delightfully selective about the countries with which it engages on the international stage. And while the American economy is blitzing the rest of the world, what could be better than to stand on a pedestal?

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