We have the potential for the Golden Age here, because if we

Hear now the words of Scott Bessent, investor and economist, who spoke not merely of markets but of destiny: “We have the potential for the Golden Age here, because if we unleash U.S. energy independence, energy dominance, I think we have the potential here to do a massive amount of deregulation.” At first glance, these are the words of finance and policy — yet beneath them lies an ancient yearning, as old as civilization itself: the longing for a Golden Age, a time when strength, freedom, and abundance lift a people to greatness. Bessent’s vision, like those of the philosophers of old, reaches beyond economics into the soul of a nation, asking whether humanity can again harness power — not to destroy, but to create.

The origin of this quote lies in the modern debate over energy independence — the ability of a nation to sustain itself without reliance upon foreign powers for its fuel or fortune. In the early twenty-first century, as global conflicts and resource rivalries intensified, voices like Bessent’s arose to remind America of its dormant might. He saw that within its lands lay untapped abundance — oil, gas, innovation — and that if properly awakened, these could restore not only prosperity but sovereignty. His call was not for domination of others, but for self-reliance, for a reclaiming of that pioneer spirit that once tamed wilderness and built civilization from stone and fire.

When Bessent speaks of a “Golden Age,” he evokes a phrase that has thundered through human history — from the poets of Greece to the dreamers of the Enlightenment. It is the image of a time when man lives in harmony with his labor, when wealth serves purpose, and when innovation uplifts rather than enslaves. Yet every age that has sought its “golden” light has faced the same test: whether it can balance power with wisdom. Energy independence may promise wealth and freedom, but without vision and restraint, it can also breed excess, greed, and discord. The true Golden Age is not built merely on abundance, but on the wise governance of abundance.

The ancients tell us that the gods once gave mankind fire — Prometheus’s gift — and in it lay both creation and destruction. So too does energy represent the modern fire, the power that drives civilization forward. To wield it rightly requires both daring and discipline. Bessent’s words, then, are a challenge: to harness the flame of independence without burning the world with arrogance. For when a nation becomes self-sufficient, it must decide whether to use its freedom for creation or for conquest. In this choice lies the difference between a Golden Age and a gilded one.

Consider the story of postwar America, when a nation scarred by conflict turned its industry toward rebuilding the world. Out of its energy and ingenuity came not just machines, but a new order of peace and prosperity. Yet even then, the balance was fragile. Excess consumption, environmental neglect, and the hunger for unchecked profit threatened to turn triumph into decline. The lesson of history is clear: every civilization that reaches for the Golden Age must temper its power with virtue, lest its light consume itself in its own brilliance.

Bessent’s call for deregulation may, on the surface, speak of economics — freeing enterprise from unnecessary restraints. But on a deeper level, it echoes an ancient truth: that progress is born not of control, but of trust in human creativity. The challenge, however, is to ensure that freedom does not become license — that in removing barriers, we do not remove responsibility. For even the most fertile fields will decay if left untended, and the mightiest nations will falter if they mistake liberty for lawlessness. The wise must therefore pursue balance: unleashing energy and innovation, yet guarding justice and sustainability as sacred.

So let this be the teaching: independence is not an end, but a beginning. It is the foundation upon which the Golden Age must be built — not of luxury, but of purpose. The fire of innovation must serve the light of wisdom; the pursuit of prosperity must honor the duty of stewardship. Each generation must learn anew to wield its gifts without losing its soul. For the Golden Age, as Bessent foresaw, lies not merely in oil or markets, but in the spirit of a people who choose freedom with conscience, power with humility, and progress with virtue.

Thus, children of tomorrow, if you would seek your own Golden Age — whether as a nation or as an individual — learn this: greatness comes not from what you possess, but from what you master. Let your independence be not arrogance, but responsibility; your energy, not destruction, but creation. For when freedom serves wisdom, and power serves good, then — and only then — will the true Golden Age dawn.