Glad you're not teaching English composition, Mr. Smolden.  Seven paragraphs of 'chicken analogy' wore out after the first paragraph.  You could have said everything in two paragraphs.  Besides, the more fitting analogy would be chess, where both sides are pawns being moved by their masters (I'll leave it to you to figure out who they are).  But if you must persist with 'chicken', note that most Alaskans aren't on the sidelines, they're standing in the road between those drunken drivers.

But an economics teacher who fails to mention revenue of any sort?  And ignores the spending of our vanishing savings accounts to stave off draconian cuts and new revenue sources?  And makes no comment of the magical thinking by the senate regarding greatly increased future oil revenues?

I'll be generous and give your essay a D+.