Tight oil and shale gas had been always where it had been but it required innovative minds and perseverance to enable it change the dynamics of world energy scenario today.
Innovation keeps US keep distance ahead of others.
It’s never been just availability of resources that gave US lead , it’s always been zeal of its people to innovate and let those innovations stand out and be rewarded for. Wold war was not won merely on ground strength but mostly on the technology deployed and it’s technology today which makes it militarily powerful . The focus on technological progress has made this country surmount most challenges.
Its hold over money , markets and politics draw most of the strength from ability of its people and space provided by the State, to look ahead into future and start transforming dreams into reality.
Allowing people to innovate and creating enabling environment to generate motivation enough to trump failures and continue efforts to make impossible possible , has brought prosperity for its people.
Contrast this with nations which take pride in throttling innovations and snatching creative output of its people in the name of public welfare. Such nations continue to lag decades behind in progress and prosperity. Political empowerment here refers to mere internal controls of the ruling elite and the commands at the State disposal . These countries hardly claim to have global voice which is heard with respect.
Technology for these nations means learning from attempts made by others and unthankful adoption of creative results of those who dared to take first steps . Be it space technology or oil exploration.
True , we can have resources only as much as nature provides but to bring that to use worthy purpose requires that individuals and organisations have motivations to innovate and to know that their innovations would be rewarded and protected. Those who invest knowledge , ideas, minds and creativity to make innovative products, methods and processes would do so only if State provides guarantee of protecting creative output with rewarding legal framework.
That turns any isolated , unknown , Continent into an admired America.