In April 2006, I attended a Thomas Friedman keynote speech at Hillel’s annual D.C. conference. As usual, he didn’t disappoint. Friedman is the three-time Pulitzer-prize winning columnist for the New York Times and author of timeless books, including “From Beirut to Jerusalem” and “The World is Flat.”

His theme was that when countries can drill for oil, they never drill their people to do better – via education, invention and production.  And it corrupts. He repeated the mantra over and over of how much oil producing nations changed when the price of oil went from $40 to $70.

He cited a few examples such as Venezuela, Iran, and Russia.  He reminded the young audience that when oil was at $40 a barrel, President George W. Bush looked into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s eyes and, in Bush’s words, saw a good soul. When the price of oil doubled, Friedman said, “You have Gazprom,” referring to the country’s take over of the oil producing company. 

Well two years later, with the price of oil now exceeding $110 per barrel, you have an invasion of the Democratic Republic of Georgia with Russian troops refusing to stop advancing—after they promised to do so—and the continued reported burning of cities, just like during World War II.

The high price of oil also forces China to protect “the evil doers” in Sudan who are committing genocide.

Now you can’t read a bi-weekly column without Friedman (rightfully) screaming for our federal government to support alternative energy investments. So, on Wednesday he railed on John McCain for running pretty TV ads during the Olympics featuring spinning windmills promoting alternative energy. 

Yet, Friedman points out, McCain failed to vote on any (not one) of eight votes to extend the important tax credit for alternative energy. This is an essential bill to help level the playing field for wind and solar power against anti-democracy, environmental unfriendly, and possibly global heating fossil fuels. But McCain refused to vote to extend the credits for companies to install solar panels—even though he was in his office that day.

When we’re fighting a two front war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq, one would think we wouldn’t have the ability to stop the advancing Russian army, stop the genocide in Darfur, and stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. But we do: You can vote for the candidate who will do honestly do a better job of lowering the price of oil.