While the United States  government sets its sights on the Middle East, others are concerned the Obama administration ignores the very place that could turn into a crucial ground for valuable resources. The ice in the Arctic Ocean has been melting since the 1970s. Fox News points out that many countries, like Russia and China, are already starting to make their claims on Arctic areas that are rich in resources such as oil, shipping lanes and national defense. As of now, the U.S. has not made an effort to claim any property in the Arctic region.
    Fox News recently interviewed Alaskan Democratic Sen. Mark Begich, who remains skeptical of the U.S. government’s decision to remain indifferent to the fast-approaching lack of resources in the Arctic Ocean. He states that, while countries like Russia are valuable allies, they could dominate the economic resources of the Arctic if the U.S. doesn’t decide of a course of action soon.
     Though the pressure of a possible Cold War II hangs over their heads, neither the U.S. Coast Guard or the Navy feel the need to spend the money necessary to build the icebreakers that make it possible to sail safely in the Arctic. Currently, the U.S. Coast Guard only has two icebreakers that are typically busy escorting or rescuing ships stranded in the Arctic Ocean. Both ships are almost 40 years old.    
     To build such a ship easily costs up to $800 million, and it takes $300 million to turn an existing ship into an icebreaker. The U.S. government chooses to save that money in order to comply with the Pentagon’s push to cut $70 billion in spending over the next two years. Fox News recently revealed Russia has 25 icebreakers currently sailing the Arctic — six of these are nuclear powered.
     So how does the government’s decision to remain indifferent to Arctic resources affect the rest of the U.S.? It might not have to affect the general public much at all, except the U.S. chooses to rely on the ice in the Arctic as a primary source of oil. The Arctic Ocean, though it is often reserved as a last resort, also serves as a shipping lane in trade and national defense. If other countries claim territory in the Arctic before the U.S. does, this country might not have easy access to these resources without having to answer to another country. If the Arctic does become a battleground for resources, the U.S. will either have to settle for leftovers or fight with other countries.
    This rising issue could serve as proof of the one-track minded path the United States has set for itself. The government has been focusing on issues in the Middle East since 9/11. The U.S. also hasn’t moved to offer a solution to the economic distress in America until just recently. Issues like the conflict in the Middle East have stretched over such a lengthy period of time that it is almost part of American culture to discuss them on a regular basis. And arising problems, such as possible lack of Arctic resources, continue to be overshadowed by long-term problems  with which the United States is used to dealing. It also doesn’t help that money is tight in the United States. The government has made drastic cuts in the funds of the military, school systems, scientific research facilities and many more organizations. That in itself limits the United States of its own resources.
    Can anything be done to reverse issues such as these? The United States could choose to focus on new problems, rather than dwelling on issues that give no end result for years. Maybe America is just wasting resources in the wrong places. It is possible that bringing the troops home from the Middle East and Asia could be a stepping stone to moving on and preserving resources within the United States. America might have a chance to deal with other issues if the ones that are profitable to the economy are sorted out. It might also help solve economic issues within the United States. The time to act, however, has to be soon for the United States because for other countries, the time is now, and the United States runs the risk of being forced into another war.