What else are we missing in America?

I filled my car up this weekend and paid over $40 for just 10 gallons. Although I wanted to feel surprised I could not.  It seems quite logical that the unfriendly regimes who control our energy costs would hold us over the proverbially barrel.  We have no one to blame but ourselves for being so poorly prepared and having no coherent energy policy. Brazil converted to ethanol. France built nuclear power. America, on the other hand, chose to be held hostage by despots and by doing so risks our economic well being.    Rising oil prices impact our entire economy. The prices of all goods that require transportation are rising significantly. If you don't believe me look at your food bill. The costs of suburban homes are dropping in proportion to their distance from major cities. In other words, the further from a city the larger the price drop because of the increased travel costs. We are a big country and freedom means we can hop in a car and go where-ever we choose.      So the question is what else are we missing? We chose not to focus on impending energy doom so we could play politics. What else is on the horizon? We missed the rise of global terrorism. I fear what else we missed. Mark Schnurman is director of human resources at GFI Capital Resources Group, New York, N.Y.