There are a lot of components to building a strong energy policy- and I think that the simple programs you cite in your comment have their role, and I think that if Zakaria had concluded as much I wouldnt have picked on his article. It is, after all, a strong analysis of the effects of our oil dependence.

However, rather than critique our national consumption as a whole, he chose to scapegoat SUVs, which are a minor player in energy policy.

You are right that there are a lot of little things that can, and should, be done to conserve (and thus preserve). But we as a nation will never be able to reduce consumption enough to make a serious dent in our foreign dependence.

A serious energy policy would take into account conservation, including both alternative energy sources as well as increased domestic capacity.

My problem is not with conservation as much as it is with the ideology that makes alternative energy the holy grail, and “excessive” consumption the devil.

Zakaria missed a golden opportunity to highlight a sane vision of an America that a self sufficient energy plan, and instead turns his analysis into a run of the mill liberal attack on the Hummer.