…..our production buffers us from instability and events in other parts of the world that affect the supply of others.
It also prevents other countries like the Saudis from price gouging. And while lower prices limit our own profits from oil to some extent, we are the largest consumer in the world which provides far greater value while still bringing in profit that would otherwise not be there.
A great example of this was the Venezuelan melt down during Trump’s presidency where our own production was able to buffer us and the world from what otherwise would have been a greater shortage.
Surprisingly, your post makes it clear that you don’t understand what we mean when we say “energy independence”
We are not talking about making our own oil to hoard to ourselves separately. We refer to the stability that out production offers to ourselves and the world. Not only does the US have the greatest reserves in the world, we also have the most stabile political environment in the world so that the supply is much more reliable than the middle eat, South America, or Russia.
Your simplistic comment about being in a global market is a given that needs not be mentioned. It is not a rebuttal.