Need is what I would say, too. More recently and increasingly powerful second force, is the profit motive driving free enterprise. Still subsidiary but extremely important.

There is far, far more incentive to develop something truly unique and innovative with $100 oil than with $40 oil. The need has been recognized for 60 years -- since the Japanese attacked us over oil and the Germans invaded the USSR for oil. But there wasn't much profit motive. Now there is.

But nothing innovative is instantaneously apparent. It just seems so when viewed through the flat screen of history, when all things appear to move in a linear fashion. But if history were truly linear we would all know just what is going to happen, wouldn't we?

B