Well, they’ve got former military brass saying the North Sea’s not the answer for energy security - strange, seeing how the same folks used to tell us oil was the only thing standing between us and winter in a tent. Now they’re saying, “Let’s quit drilling and start trusting the wind and the atoms,” which sounds about right, seeing how the wind don’t ask for a permit and the atom’s been promising power since Einstein lit his pipe.

Now, don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying the generals are fickle. They’re just late to the party where common sense has been dancing for years. Back when they wore uniforms and told us what to fear, they pointed at pipelines and said, “There’s our lifeline.” Now they’re pointing at the same pipelines and saying, “Maybe not.” Which is fine - better than fine - if they’d just admit they were wrong before, instead of waiting till after the oil’s been pumped and the bills come due.

But here’s where it gets folksy: both sides are doing the same thing while accusing each other of doing it. The drillers say, “We’re keeping the lights on!” while the renewables crew says, “We’re keeping the lights for the next generation!” Which sounds noble - until you notice both sides are asking the taxpayer to foot the bill, only one wants it in fossil fuel shares and the other wants it in solar panel stock. Neither side has ever explained why the bill can’t be smaller, or why the lights can’t stay on without either the oil or the oath of faith in future technology.

The generals know what the folks back home know: you don’t fix a leaky roof by adding more shingles on the dry side. You fix the leak. And the leak here isn’t just oil prices - it’s the idea that energy security is about where the fuel comes from, when maybe it’s about how much you need in the first place. A man who’s fixed a fence knows you don’t need more posts if the gate’s still swinging open. A man who’s balanced a ledger knows you don’t need more income if your spending’s still eating it up.

So the generals shrug and say, “Let’s try something that doesn’t need a barrel or a bomb to work.” Which is fine - until someone reminds them that the last time they shrugged and said “Let’s try something new,” we ended up with windmills that only worked when the wind blew and batteries that only held charge for a Tuesday afternoon. Maybe this time it’ll work. Maybe the wind’ll blow steady and the atoms will behave. But if it doesn’t, we’ll be back where we started - only now we’ll have two sets of broken promises instead of one.

The truth is, energy security isn’t about oil or wind or uranium. It’s about having enough sense to stop digging holes and start filling them in. And if the generals finally get that, well - I’ll tip my hat. But I won’t hold my breath. Some folks need to feel the cold before they turn up the heat, and some folks need the heat before they feel the cold. And some, bless ’em, just need to be told the house is drafty - and they’ll go fetch the weatherstripping themselves.