The High Road

North Dakotans have pivotal roles they do not even necessarily know about. Food and energy are on a potentially cataclysmic course. We can and do influence the world on those two fronts.

Politically, the recent example of our Democratic contenders for the gubernatorial nomination joining forces as one team can and ought be an example national Democrats embrace and emulate.

But first, food and energy.

Food staples like rice, wheat and beans are increasingly scarce and skyrocketing in price. Many countries are limiting exports and hoarding supplies; many millions of people are not far from starvation.

Consumers are over the barrel. Energy’s hyperinflation has severely increased the cost of practically everything, including basic foodstuffs.

North Dakota, a state with very few people, has abundant food and energy supplies. Where we sit in the world picture is something North Dakotans can self-define, if they so decide. Otherwise, we can let outsiders strip us of rights to self-determination relative to natural resources we own and control.

It would be wise to decide our own fate, rather than to fall victim to power and profit motivations of outsiders.
Worldwide forecasters predict dismal times ahead on both energy and food fronts. The debate over ethanol and the impact of converting food into energy is peaking more every day.

Those policies intersect in North Dakota. If we are not careful and proactive, those same policies could collide in North Dakota.

An initial and understandable response to higher prices for food and agriculture is to look at the positive impact that they will have on North Dakota financially. We already saw farm incomes increase an estimated 75 percent last year. After generations of a struggling farm sector, it is gratifying to see incomes rise - finally.

But there is a balance. We who hold the food need not hold others hostage over our desire to make higher profits. Otherwise, we are no less respectful than our perceptions of oil and energy conglomerates and their greedy bottom-line-only approaches to life on this planet.

North Dakota leadership ought to anticipate now and with a sense of urgency the potential for worldwide food and energy shortfalls accompanied by unbearable price increases.

What happens if and when people start fighting over food? What will North Dakota’s policies be? What happens if and when war over oil and energy escalate further? What will North Dakota’s policies be?

Being the breadbasket of the world food-wise, and being the energy source we are carbon-wise and renewables-wise, we ought have a plan in place for worst-case scenarios on both these fronts.

Setting an Example

What happened in North Dakota in the race for the Democratic nomination for governor needs to be studied and replicated nationally.

Democrats were supportive of both candidates for the gubernatorial race, Sen. Tim Mathern and Merle Boucer. They joined forces on one ticket, a genuine win-win for everyone.

Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hilary Clinton should take this out of the North Dakota playbook and should do it as well.

The country is virtually split in their support of Obama and Clinton. Whoever is leading should be the presidential candidate and whoever is second should be the vice presidential nominee.

If they were smart, they’d negotiate that pact now. It would be a boon to the Democratic ticket to have not just one but two historic candidates on the ballot. They are not far apart on any issue. They could focus on teamwork and areas of agreement. Meanwhile, what the people see is negativity and bickering, to the joy of Republicans who love seeing insolidarity across the aisle.

It doesn’t have to be that way. North Dakotans know the way. It’s time for national leadership to take a higher road and combine forces so as to assure victory come November.