Chapter One
DEMAND & THE COMING ENERGY CRISIS
Japan, in 1941, was a hungry, desperate nation, a militaristic society, lusting to grow in power and prosperity. At the time, it was hard set on keeping its hold on Manchuria from which it would not back away, stubborn in the face of U.S. demands; nor would it retreat from its desire to further colonize most of Asia. So set on its course, it was willing to risk anything to achieve its stated goal, regardless of the odds against it. Despite the oil embargo imposed on it by the United States, and with full knowledge that it had barely enough energy to sustain a war effort for about eight months, it planned and executed its strategic attack on Pearl Harbor. It wasn’t like they didn’t warn us. Their threats toward the U.S. were received and well documented stating their intentions of war, if the embargo wasn’t lifted, and the flow of oil restored. And of course, you know the rest of the story. What followed the defeat of Japan in World War II were a reconstitution of its heart, and the reconstruction of a society to a level no one could have ever expected. How could such a tiny nation, in the wake of the devastation of two atomic bombs, and amidst the humiliation and loss of its national honor, so quickly rediscover its identity and sense of pride, to become economically the second most powerful nation in the world? How could an evil empire, such as it was, suddenly become a docile, peace-loving people in such a short period of time? How could this little nation, within thirty-five years, rise to such a place of power and prominence without ever again firing a shot or conquering its neighbors? Was it simply the atomic bombs by itself? Might it also have been the changes in its leadership that followed? Or was it just the resiliency of a determined people with an unwavering resolve--a nation that would not change the goal in terms of its success, just its strategy to get there. Albeit, the goal of success never changed, their definition of it certainly did.
When comparing then with now, like Japan, China has come a long way. But certainly, not far enough, and definitely, far short of its intended goals. While China’s difference in advancement appears to currently be light years away from Japan and the United States, its quest to catch up will not take thirty five years. Already, the leaps and bounds it’s made in just three years (2001-2004) have been nothing short of remarkable. China’s future growth, while exciting for them, and greatly optimistic to others, is expected to send incredibly charged economic and political shock waves of seismic proportion against both positive and negative economic market formations. Just like a volcanic eruption can wipe out a significant and vital part of its surrounding areas, it can also create the fertile ground of a new island for positive human activity and prosperity......
.....and once it reaches a full head of steam, its biggest challenge, like much of the world, will be its supply of oil to sustain it.
In light of the latter, a reality looms that such a massive swarm of energy bats could no doubt collectively become the chief oil-sucking vampire of the world, ultimately with the potential of bringing the world into a new “dark age.” China alone is capable of creating such a crisis.
