Gen. Wesley K. Clark: U.S. Needs To Make All-Out Effort To Achieve Energy Independence

Editor’s note: This guest commentary appears in the latest magazine edition of Talk Business & Politics, which you can access here.

ISIS is ripping apart the Mideast; Russia has invaded and seized part of Ukraine; China is squeezing the Hong Kong pro-democracy demonstrators; and Ebola is spreading beyond West Africa. Foreign affairs are intruding every day in the headlines and lives of Americans. And each day the same question is asked: what is our strategy?

That’s why I wrote “Don’t Wait for the Next War.” We need to help raise the dialogue about strategy – America’s strategy. You see, in the past we Americans have typically waited until war comes before we set aside our private interests and political disagreements and pull together. That’s what happened in both World War I and World War II. Ike tried to get us to pull together to win the Cold War against the Soviets; that mostly worked, although the partisan bickering never really stopped.

But today we can’t wait for the next war. Our nation faces very significant long-term challenges that impact us at home. Cumulatively, if we don’t deal with these challenges effectively, they could destroy America as we know it. These challenges have to be worked now, and on a continuing basis. Terrorism, Cyber Security, financial system risks, the ascent of China, and climate change are problems that defy easy solution.

Each of them requires working with Allies and friends overseas. None can be turned over to the “free market,” both government and the private sector have to do their part. We can’t buy our way out by building submarines or ballistic missiles – but we do need funds, technologies and resources to cope with these challenges. And resolving these issues will take many, many years of continual effort.

Meanwhile we have huge national debt, bitterly partisan politics, and some Americans and many overseas are losing some of their faith in the United States, our government, our values and our people.

But there is a way out – going all out to achieve energy independence. As it is, each year we spend about $200 billion to $300 billion to import oil for transportation fuel. If we could keep that huge sum of money in the American economy, we might double the U.S. gross domestic product growth rate, create millions of new jobs, pay down the debt and reduce some of the anger in American politics.

We would have the resources and teamwork we need to face the big challenges. The truth is, we have plenty of oil, natural gas and biofuels right here in America to make us energy independent – we just have to use them. And at the same time, we need to strengthen our environmental safeguards and find ways to reduce greenhouse gases released to the atmosphere.

Then, with our energy strength we can help craft the strategy to maintain America’s global leadership. We have to strengthen ties to Europe. They’re 500 million people, and those who most closely share our values. We have to work with Europe to manage China’s ascent. And to do this, we need to strengthen NATO and provide greater reassurance to our allies in Eastern Europe.

There are a lot of other efforts needed – and I outline many of them in my book.

But with regard to ISIS: it wasn’t our problem, but now it is. We need to work with our partners in the region to stiffen their resolve, using our airpower, and enabling the moderate Syrian opposition, the Kurds, Iraqis and Turks to handle the challenges they face.

It’s true, boots on the ground are required. Hopefully, it won’t be American boots. We need a better, longer-range strategy, than just throwing our troops into a crisis.

Editor’s note: Gen. Wesley K. Clark, the former supreme commander of NATO, led alliance military forces in the Kosovo war in 1999. He is a senior fellow at the Burkle Center for International Relations at UCLA and author, most recently, of “Don’t Wait for the Next War: A Strategy for American Growth and Global Leadership.”