--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We think we're near energy independence…" description: "\"We think we're near energy independence - nothing could be further from the truth. We're in much better shape now, but the price of a barrel of oil is ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/michael-mullen-13631_barrels_we-think-we-re-near-energy-independence_3208671.png" --- # We think we're near energy independence - nothing could be… ![“We think we're near energy independence - nothing could be further from the truth. We're in much better shape now, but the price of a barrel of oil is going to be controlled by the Middle East for the next 10, 20, 30 years for sure.” quote by Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/michael-mullen-13631_barrels_we-think-we-re-near-energy-independence_3208671.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/michael-mullen-13631_barrels_we-think-we-re-near-energy-independence_3208671.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/017/michael-mullen-13631_barrels_we-think-we-re-near-energy-independence_3208671.png) > “We think we're near energy independence - nothing could be further from the truth. We're in much better shape now, but the price of a barrel of oil is going to be controlled by the Middle East for the next 10, 20, 30 years for sure.” [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The claim of near energy independence is overly optimistic; oil prices will stay linked to Middle Eastern supply for decades. **In simple terms:** Energy independence is a myth; oil remains Middle East‑driven. Key Takeaway Recognize dependence and plan for long‑term oil price volatility. Themes energy policy geopolitics economics Mood cautious realistic Type analytical policy‑oriented When to use this quote - national budgeting - investment strategy - energy planning - risk management Key Concepts oil markets energy independence geopolitical risk Questions to Reflect On - How can renewable investment reduce reliance on Middle Eastern oil? - What policies could mitigate long‑term oil price shocks? A Different Perspective Assumes no technological breakthroughs could shift supply dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Energy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy/) [Energy independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/energy-independence/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Middle east](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-east/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [If the United States was mad enough to attack Iran or aggress Venezuela again the price of a barrel of oil could reach $150…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/if-the-united-states-was-mad-enough-to-attack-iran-or-aggress/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [I stick to stuff I'm pretty sure of and I know this: when the price of a barrel of oil is under $80 a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-may/i-stick-to-stuff-i-m-pretty-sure-of-and-i-know-this-when-the-price-of/) [Elizabeth May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-may/) > [You could pay a fair market price for a barrel of oil and cut 50 cents a barrel or a dollar barrel off what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bolling/you-could-pay-a-fair-market-price-for-a-barrel-of-oil-and-cut-50/) [Eric Bolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bolling/) > [In addition, each barrel of oil we save through conservation further decreases our dangerous reliance on unstable Middle East oil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gillmor/in-addition-each-barrel-of-oil-we-save-through-conservation-further/) [Paul Gillmor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gillmor/) > [So long as oil is used as a source of energy, when the energy cost of recovering a barrel of oil becomes greater than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-king-hubbert/so-long-as-oil-is-used-as-a-source-of-energy-when-the-energy-cost-of/) [M. 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We can talk more later about American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-s-watson/every-barrel-of-oil-that-we-produce-around-the-world-benefits/) [John S. Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-s-watson/) > [Why aren't we investing more in alternate tech? The Saudi Arabians are, Scottish Power is. I was just there. Could it be that we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/why-aren-t-we-investing-more-in-alternate-tech-the-saudi-arabians-are/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [I basically don't think that the way we do things is that dependent on one resource, such as oil. There can be different kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/i-basically-don-t-think-that-the-way-we-do-things-is-that-dependent/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [The global supply of oil is going to decline because we've used up a good deal of the easy-to-get oil. We're going to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-klare/the-global-supply-of-oil-is-going-to-decline-because-we-ve-used-up-a/) [Michael Klare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-klare/) > [You see this in the oil industry time and time again. Fears that we've found the last oil, that we're going to run out,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/porter-stansberry/you-see-this-in-the-oil-industry-time-and-time-again-fears-that-we-ve/) [Porter Stansberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/porter-stansberry/) > [We'd be better off if the whole purpose of the adventure in Iraq was, say, to protect Israel or to protect the flow of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/we-d-be-better-off-if-the-whole-purpose-of-the-adventure-in-iraq-was/) [Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/) > [Look, natural gas, just like oil, is going to eventually go away. It's not renewable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-rendell/look-natural-gas-just-like-oil-is-going-to-eventually-go-away-it-s/) [Ed Rendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-rendell/) ## More by Michael Mullen > [Every Sailor has the potential to lead," said Mullen, "I don't care if it's a seaman recruit or someone higher ranking than myself. Where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/every-sailor-has-the-potential-to-lead-said-mullen-i-don-t-care-if-it/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [I worry a little bit about - quote - "regime change." We haven't had a great deal of success with that in years. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/i-worry-a-little-bit-about-quote-regime-change-we-haven-t-had-a-great/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [Some 70% to 80% of all who join the military will return to the civilian workforce. They'll return to communities, and one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/some-70-to-80-of-all-who-join-the-military-will-return-to-the/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [I'm blessed to be in a command position in a Navy this good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/i-m-blessed-to-be-in-a-command-position-in-a-navy-this-good/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [The truth is, we live in deeds, not days; in actions and thoughts and feelings, not heartbeats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/the-truth-is-we-live-in-deeds-not-days-in-actions-and-thoughts-and/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [I'd have no problem serving under any president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/i-d-have-no-problem-serving-under-any-president/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [I think anybody in our - in the, in the national security apparatus has, has got to take full cognizance of their responsibility for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/i-think-anybody-in-our-in-the-in-the-national-security-apparatus-has/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [I'm very concerned about the nuclear weapons development for Iran and the destabilizing influence it has and they have in that part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/i-m-very-concerned-about-the-nuclear-weapons-development-for-iran-and/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [Too often we just look at these glistening successes. Behind them in many, many cases is failure along the way, and that doesn't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/too-often-we-just-look-at-these-glistening-successes-behind-them-in/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [When I go there to Afghanistan or Pakistan, the question both asked - and if it's not asked, implied - is, 'Are you staying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/when-i-go-there-to-afghanistan-or-pakistan-the-question-both-asked/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [The best day was when we got bin Laden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/the-best-day-was-when-we-got-bin-laden/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [I would like America to remember those who have served and those that we've lost and their families.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/i-would-like-america-to-remember-those-who-have-served-and-those-that/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) > [I've been pretty clear about saying that I think that the No. 1 threat to our national security is our debt. 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No matter how I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mullen/it-is-my-position-that-allowing-gays-and-lesbians-to-serve-openly/) [Michael Mullen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) [Explore all 49 Michael Mullen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mullen/) ## More Barrels quotes > [It's good to find the barrel of the bat again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chase-utley/it-s-good-to-find-the-barrel-of-the-bat-again/) [Chase Utley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chase-utley/) > [The benevolence of wrapping the partridge in a vine leaf brings out its quality, just as the barrel of Diogenes brought forth the qualities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-des-essarts/the-benevolence-of-wrapping-the-partridge-in-a-vine-leaf-brings-out/) Emmanuel des Essarts > [You could pay a fair market price for a barrel of oil and cut 50 cents a barrel or a dollar barrel off what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bolling/you-could-pay-a-fair-market-price-for-a-barrel-of-oil-and-cut-50/) [Eric Bolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bolling/) > [ \[Norden\] said, with the Mark 15 Norden bombsight, he could drop a bomb into a pickle barrel at 20,000 feet. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/norden-said-with-the-mark-15-norden-bombsight-he-could-drop-a-bomb/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [When the landscape buckles and jerks around, when a dust column of debris rises from the collapse of a block of buildings on bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/when-the-landscape-buckles-and-jerks-around-when-a-dust-column-of/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [The sudden release of five million barrels of oil, enormous quantities of methane and two million gallons of toxic dispersants into an already greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-earle/the-sudden-release-of-five-million-barrels-of-oil-enormous-quantities/) [Sylvia Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-earle/) > [In addition, each barrel of oil we save through conservation further decreases our dangerous reliance on unstable Middle East oil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-gillmor/in-addition-each-barrel-of-oil-we-save-through-conservation-further/) [Paul Gillmor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-gillmor/) > [Muzzle control has to be a religion. 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They believe that, if given the right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-skousen/today-s-political-leaders-demonstrate-their-low-opinion-of-the-public/) [Mark Skousen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-skousen/) > [Europe and North America, we are told, are less dependent on energy-intensive heavy industry than in the 1960s and 1970s. 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"I wish I could jog and sleep at the same time." "Can't you?" Ferrin asked, joining them at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/you-look-tired-rachel-told-jason-i-wish-i-could-jog-and-sleep-at-the/) [Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/) Browse all 277 Barrels quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We think we're near energy independence - nothing could be further from the truth. 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