Energy independence... so they said then

"[In 1973] we were lined up at the gas station - turned our thermostats down as Washington announced 'Project Independence.' We were going to become self-sufficient, able to provide for our own energy needs. At that time, we were only importing a small percentage of our oil. Yet, the Arab boycott caused half a million Americans to lose their jobs when plants closed down for lack of fuel…. [T]hree years later… 'Project Independence' [had] become "Project Dependence." Congress [had] adopted an energy bill so bad we were led to believe Mr. Ford would veto it. Instead, he signed it. And, almost instantly, drilling rigs all over our land started shutting down. [So], for the first time in our history [in 1976] we [were] importing more oil than we [were producing]." -- Ronald Reagan (1976)