A colleague of mine at the NCPA just published a report detailing the lessons that the U.S. should and shouldn’t take from Brazil’s successful push for energy independence. The next time someone raises Brazil as an example to be emulated by the U.S., this paper gives a short summary of the major arguments showing why this comparison fails. There is one point U.S. politicians should take to heart from Brazil’s example, however: allow the development of domestic petroleum reserves.