The Editor, Sir:

The recent characterisation of Americans as petroleum addicts by their own president Mr. G.W. Bush ought to resonate here in Jamaica as we, even more so than the Americans, are addicted to crude oil. And like all addicts who would go to the ends of the earth for a fix rather than come clean, so are we, albeit Venezuela is far closer, than the ends of the earth!

Cannot afford our poison

So we cannot afford our poison. No problema mon - creative financing call it PetroCaribe. "Get your fix on credit." So, you cannot process the stuff! No problema amigo, we will upgrade your plant, spend 290 million Yankee dollars to boot and you can repay in mangoes, bananas, hard or soft currency ... who cares, anything you got! After all, what are friends for? However, I'll take 49 per cent of your refinery and by the way, amigo, you must vote for me to go to the Security Council and you must snicker when I poke the Yankee gringo in the eye. And don't worry amigo about my sour crude poisoning your trees with acid rains. Who needs trees? Just ask your cousins in Haiti, they have no trees and ... and no problema mon!

And especially amigo, do not listen to those whacky scientists and fuzzy environmentalists who warn about the danger of fossil fuel and all that stuff about climate change and global warming. You have dodged category one, two, tres and cinco. And isn't Sista P sent forth from the big man, you know, El Gran Hombre! He will protect you from any storm that should blow your way, including geopolitical ones. ¿Comprende?

I've got the stuff

And when they tell you that the Europeans don't want my stuff and so you should, because it is so sour and heavy, don't listen to them mon. Just stick by me and we will go hand in hand up the Bolivarian alternative mountaintop. Remember amigo, I've got the stuff you want, the stuff that you need, PetroCaribe ... ¿Comprende?

The addict suffers while the dealer and his cronies spin their diabolical web. They never tire of telling us why we cannot do without the stuff, while laughing all the way to the bank. Sure we will suffer the pangs of withdrawal but coming clean is always the best alternative.

Jamaica must break its addiction to crude oil, sooner rather than later. In any addiction treatment though, a milder addiction is beneficial. I prescribe alcohol ... ethanol, methanol, butanol ... ¿Comprende?

I am, etc.,

Capt. TREVOR BOGLE

bogle108@yahoo.com

Aka Energyman