As the external account deficit is the problem, that creates a national security argument for switching transportation energy over to renewables.  Add that to an  easily salable "neo-mercantilist" popular argument and you have even more ammunition for rebuilding the energy and transportation sectors around renewables.  It is not like we don't have any oil.  But we may have trouble financing reconstruction of energy and transportation while simultaneously playing global hegemon.  Perhaps we can engineer a "twofer" here.  End of Empire and Dawn of Self Sufficiency on Energy.

Without a vibrant economy that can generate money and goods we cannot long maintain effective military power.  Played intelligently, we can maintain enough power to matter.  Played stupidly we could become irrelevant. That should be the outline of the national security discussion.

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."