During my work on a side project unassociated with my dissertation (because that's what grad students do, okay?), I ran across the Obama Administration's line from 2011 on how the United States can become energy secure - specifically from foreign powers which we import our oil from:
"With an ultimate goal of reducing our dependence on oil, in the near term we must responsibly develop and produce oil and gas at home, while at the same time leveraging cleaner, alternative fuels and increasing efficiency. And beyond our efforts to reduce our dependence on oil, we must focus on expanding cleaner sources of electricity – keeping America on the cutting edge of clean energy technology so that we can build a 21st century clean energy economy and win the future."
For reference, I added the emphasis on that last bit.
Win the future? What does "winning" mean in this context? Are we talking about Charlie Sheen #winning here? Who are we beating? Ourselves? The past? The future? Oil exporting countries in the Middle East? The Russians? The Chinese? Betty White???
Okay, probably not the first and last ones.
The point is, how do you win something you do not yet know? Winning implies there is some sort of "thing" we are competing over, but the future is not a thing. Not yet at least. Turning the world of energy into some sort of game of "The Settlers of Catan" is not particularly advisable. Losing in Settlers, even when it happens three times in a row to your best friend who has never played in her life and basks in the victories, still does not meany anything in the grander scheme.
Losing in a "energy game" could mean finding yourself on the short end of the stick, left behind in a world of glossy cities.
A literal "District 12" for your energy secure Panem.
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