There is nothing more quantifiable than the fact that it takes less energy to move one guy in a VW to the corner grocshop to buy a pack of cigarettes than it does to move the same guy the same distance in a Cadillac. Another equally quantifiable number is the amount of profit derived by selling a Caddy versus a Beetle.

European nations are smaller than the USA, but collectively, they are comparable to the USA in size, population and economic output. And yes, there are train lines running all over Europe, and mass transit efficiently serving European cities, crowded with passengers who are not driving automobiles, not even small economical ones. Think of the distributive property of multiplication. Even today, with North Sea oil on line, America still produces a larger proportion of its own oil than does Europe--for geological, not ideological reasons.

The energy situation in the USA evolved naturally because America was awash in cheap, plentiful petroleum. It made sense for short term economic reasons to exploit that resource in that way. Planning for a long term future in which that resource was not as plentiful was simply not profitable in the short term, and that's why it did not happen.

I realize you can't expect private firms to go broke preparing for a distant future based on a possible future shortage, that kind of thinking is supposed to be government's job. But government in the USA failed at this task because of private pressure to service private interests. In short, business didn't want to pay the taxes needed to finance this preparation and they didn't want to give up the profit to be made in basing a growth economy on a cheap commodity.

I don't blame business for this short-sightedness. People naturally tend to act in their best interest, and unfortunately, perceived self-interest is usually short-term interest. But a political philosophy based on servicing and promoting this self-interest, exploiting it for social gain, and upon discrediting and undermining any alternative to it or criticism of it, is the direct and primary cause of the economic, social, political and military crises facing this country today.

And I'm not surprised that the architects of this policy, and their apologists, will stop at nothing to continue it, and failing that, blame the inevitable consequences on anyone else they can.