"OIL SHOCKS in the USA?"

-by Andrew Strom

www.tribtimes.com

On Monday I returned from a third-world country named Southern Mississippi. At least, that is how it felt down there - like a 3rd world country had come to America. It gave a chilling preview of what life here could be like if just a few of the luxuries we take for granted were disrupted.

The primary one of course being OIL or GASOLINE.

The United States is terribly vulnerable to any kind of severe Oil Shock. And I want to describe to you what happens when even a rich state loses its access to basics like electricity, transport and gas. I believe that these two hurricanes have played out before our eyes the fragility of a system that is so utterly reliant on oil. Those semi-trucks that we see roaring down the highways everyday - they are like a lifeline to this country. If they stop delivering supplies to the stores and supermarkets for even a few days or a week, then the whole system will fall over.

It is the same with the electrical grid. It too is heavily reliant on oil for power generation. And all of our communications, computers, lights, businesses, appliances, TVs, radios, etc - all need electricity to run. It gives me the chills to see how easily America could be shut down. A civilized nation at the height of her powers - utterly reliant on a black liquid, mostly imported from the volatile Middle East. Unbelievable. What happens when the gas stations run dry? We saw this in Texas. People are trapped. They get stuck on the highways, unable to get out. And when basic transportation fails, then business fails also. Without regular supplies by truck, most businesses would fall apart within a week.

All it took was ONE emergency, and the system could not cope.

What happens if there are MANY emergencies all over the nation?

When I first got to Southern Mississippi in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, it did not take me long to realize what a basic issue this was down there. I remember talking to a lady who was working gutting out ruined homes. She told me that she was UNABLE to leave the area - even though she wanted to. Her car had filled with water during the storm - and would never run again.

Her bank (if she had any money in it) was closed - in fact, no businesses were open at all in the entire area. All the gas stations were either wrecked or shut down. She was working so she could save up some money to get out. -And there were MANY people in this kind of situation. A neighbor up the road from our base lost THREE CARS that are now parked useless across the street - they had been submerged and would not run. And thus, people get TRAPPED. When people lose "civilized" transport, they have only one option.- They turn to "Third World" transportation. You see them walking everywhere on foot, or riding bicycles. And this is exactly what happened. It is the same with electrical appliances.

Our home base in Mississippi had been flooded with water 5 feet deep. There is still a 5-foot water-mark in all the rooms. The place was full of mud when we arrived. There was water sloshing around in the oven. The washing machine made funny "sparking" noises - full of water. The electricity was off and the generator was little help. So what do you do? -You return to "Third World" ways. You wash your clothes by hand in the tub or in a bucket. You cook with a portable gas stove. You sit around at night talking in the dark - or with some kind of lantern. There are no televisions, no DVD's or stereos (blessed peace!) There is no hot water, no air conditioning, nothing. It is just like being in a 3rd world country. There is little of "modern civilization" left. In fact, like a lot of people we even slept outdoors for awhile. Many people slept in tents because their house was unlivable. We slept in a park across the street - joining some others that we had met there. The mosquitoes were terrible, but it was OK.

So let me summarize this "Third World" American scenario for you. Without gasoline, electricity or transportation, you lose just about everything. I can tell you this for a fact, because I have seen it. You return to the status of a peasant with a bicycle. None of your modern conveniences will work. Nothing at all.

If the gasoline is gone, you cannot even charge your cell phone in the car. And notice that all it takes to make this scenario happen is LOSING THE OIL. Every one of our modern conveniences is ultimately reliant on that one commodity. Makes you think, does it not? So are you ready for your REAL "Oil Shock", America?

I am convinced that God was bringing a wake-up call to this nation through the recent hurricanes. You will notice that BOTH hurricanes targeted three basic things. Sin and hedonism had everything to do with it. In both hurricanes, the CASINOS and also "SIN CITY" itself - New Orleans - took a major hit. (Katrina wiped out the Casinos on one side and Rita wiped out those on the other). Surely this cannot be mere coincidence? And both hurricanes filled New Orleans with water. It really was staggering. Surely God was saying something through this? But the third thing we have to take note of is that both hurricanes targeted the OIL - and showed up the terrible fragility that the United States has in this area.

It does not bode well for the future if America fails to heed these wake-up calls.

She is terribly vulnerable in this area - far more fragile than we have seen in the past. And God is looking for this nation to REPENT of her hedonism, her materialism and her "worship of pleasures" before much worse comes upon her. This was clearly the message of the hurricanes, to my mind. God was showing how easily America can be "taken out".