After the Dec. 31 article in the Herald about fuel as our nation's top export, I have to wonder why we have been told for so many years we have an oil and fuel shortage in the U.S.

If we have enough to export, we have no oil shortage, except to drive U.S. prices up to subsidize the big oil companies ability to glut their bank accounts while selling what the citizens of this country should have for their own use.

We are told to drive less, and more efficient but much smaller cars are produced so more oil can be sold abroad. Why should we worry about Middle East oil and jihad mentality, if it is such a small part of our total usage? The real reason I see to sell oil to other countries is so the U.S. consumer can continue to subsidize the sale of oil abroad as corporations have done in all of U.S. industry. Energy independence? I don't believe our government really desires it. I believe the U.S. government really wants a world marketplace for corporate use while sucking the blood of the U.S. consumer to continue to subsidize it.

Jim Young, Richland