It pains me not to respond to the provocative title "Will The End of Oil Mean The End of America?" written by Robert Freeman and.... It pains me not to respond to the provocative title "Will The End of Oil Mean The End of America?" written by Robert Freeman and posted here by Richard Risemberg. I will alleviate my discomfort by posting a sounding "NO." America is, more than anything else, an idea. America is not an industry or an administration. Yes, we should find ways not to depend on foreign oil. Yes, we should develop alternate forms of transportation, and yes, we have it within our power to begin today. I welcome the drying up of the oil supply because it will spark a flurry of innovation that will ignite an economic boom that will make 1998-2000 look like a cap pistol. It will be an innovation in transportation, infrastructure and information transport not seen since the industrial revolution. Other sources of energy do exist, and it would be great if we could have the foresight to make the adaptations early. We can of course change the course through legislation and initiatives, which can result from voting. The problem with oil, however, comes from consuming. If we can vote to change the course through electing politicians, we can also stop consuming so much oil, move to denser areas, walk more and use public transportation. Sometimes I think, if we are really running out of oil, let it happen sooner rather than later. Then we can move on.