OPEC cut oil production, and the result was instant: gas station boards flipped upward like slot machines rigged to never pay out. Americans pulled up to the pump and performed math problems out loud, trying to figure which card had enough credit left to get them home.
Politicians were ready with outrage, of course. Democrats blamed oil companies for gouging. Republicans blamed Biden for weakness. Both ignored the obvious truth: America has known for fifty years that dependence equals vulnerability, and still chose dependence every time.
It’s a strange kind of patriotism that insists the country must be independent in spirit but tethered by the barrel. OPEC has figured that out. They don’t need weapons. They have the pump handle, and they squeeze it with precision.