For those you who don’t know much about history, the Manhattan Project, the nickname for “Manhattan Engineer District,” was a secretive program under the authority of the Army Corps of Engineers to develop the first nuclear weapon. The project was deemed necessary because of fears that the Nazis were planning a similar program. The mission began small in 1939 but eventually employed more than 120,000 people and, in today’s money, cost around $27 billion. The 14 project sites were dispersed around the nation, and many of the nation’s top scientists were called in to work on the project.

The logic of the project was simple: whoever creates the bomb first wins the war or at least stops the other side from expanding its empire. What would have happened if Germany had developed the bomb considering that it was neck-and-neck with the United States in missile development?

We can debate whether dropping two nuclear devices on Japan was the right thing to do, but it was certainly the right thing to do to beat Germany in the development of a true weapon of mass destruction.

At the present time, the United States is at the mercy of oil-rich nations that either don’t want to sell us oil (Venezuela) or do not have our long-term interests in mind (Saudi Arabia). The mid-East is a powder keg that could be ignited at any time. Saudi Arabia is vulnerable to attack. The only thing we’ve got going for us is the Sheiks like our money. But the radical Muslims don’t, and they’re used to living in caves. While I am not in the prediction business, I would not be too surprised if world affairs take a drastic turn in the early part of 2009 after a Democrats control the White House, the House, and the Senate. It looks like it’s going that way. If there is not a direct attack on the United States, there is a good chance that oil will be used to blackmail us.

Of course, another scenario is to make us so dependent on foreign oil, that with the drop in the dollar these dollar-bloated oil nations will begin to buy more U.S. debt and gain control over the financial and real estate markets. This would have the effect of diminishing our practical sovereignty.

What’s the solution? A Manhattan Oil Project. The President should issue an Executive Order immediately so that oil companies can drill wherever they believe oil is located. A steady flow of oil is a national security issue. Think what would happen if foreign oil was cut off. Spend a Saturday afternoon watching the movie Battle of the Bulge (1965). While not always historically accurate (What war movie ever is?), it does show how important fuel is to winning a war. By mid-January 1945, Germany’s ability to secure fuel meant that their vehicles had to be abandoned in the open fields.

Could the Germans have won the battle? Almost certainly not, as they had one huge problem – their inability to keep their armoured columns supplied with fuel. Any form of armoured attack needed a constant supply of fuel— and Allied bombing of fuel plants in Germany meant that such supplies did not exist.

The environmentalists, of course, would be outraged at such an order, but by the time the courts get involved, drilling would have already commenced. In addition, refineries would be built as well.

And what would this cost tax payers? Nothing. The oil companies would pay for it with their “exorbitant profits.” Jobs would be created. Oil prices world-wide would drop. Our nation would be free from oil blackmail. And we could tell the oil-producing nations to take a hike.

Don’t think the answer lies in renewable resources like ethanol. It’s a net energy loser. In addition, food prices escalate with an increase in bio-fuels. So do farm property values. Also, fertilizers needed for farm production are petroleum based. Oil can be extracted from the ground no matter how warm or cold it is. Droughts don’t affect oil production or the refining process.

What can you do? Call your Congressman and Senators and demand that they support the President in calling for the “Manhattan Oil Project.” Pass this email on to as many people as you have email addresses. Maybe we can get some candidates talking about this.