We hope enemies of the United States aren’t too overjoyed at TV reports of our government’s tepid response to the oil spill slowly poisoning the Gulf, destroying fragile ecosystems, scuttling American livelihoods and trashing animal and plant life in the sea and on the surf.

After all, our enemies might get the idea America is hardly ready for prime time in a catastrophe. Just how well prepared would we be to handle anything that, say, jihadists threw at us if we can’t even show unity and resolve in handling the disaster served up through abysmal governmental oversight and oil industry deceit?

Yes, we saw President Barack Obama’s address Tuesday, including his vow that BP would soon be capturing 90 percent of oil spewing from the Deepwater Horizon well. But some scientists fear the federal lack of preparedness and poor coordination guarantee environmental fallout from the spill lasting decades.

Republicans need not gloat over our castigation of this president and his administration’s sluggish response to the crisis. The bureaucratic permissiveness and corruption that allowed this disaster were clearly stamped on an earlier watch. In short, Republicans and Democrats share blame for this crisis.

We’re amazed at alleged oil spill disaster plans filed by major oil companies engaged in deep-water drilling — all nearly identical, as if copied from one another, and all equally pie-in-the-sky. None of these companies really has any ability to clean up such messes or we wouldn’t still be seeing the Gulf of Mexico thicken with more and more crude.

If one thing encourages us, it’s this president’s call for our nation to seriously begin transitioning from an oil-based economy to one embracing a sweeping array of energy sources.

“We cannot consign our children to this future,” the president said. “The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now. Now is the moment for this generation to embark on a national mission to unleash America’s innovation and seize control of our own destiny.”

Some promptly accused Obama of using the disaster to push unreasonable energy policy. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said, “I am concerned the administration is attempting to capitalize on public outrage over the spill in order to push through a cap-and-trade bill that will significantly raise energy prices for all Americans and add more burdens on businesses.”

Let’s get real. We Americans these days are seldom quick to show political courage and willpower when it comes to changing paradigms and sacrificing for future generations. We’re rarely compelled to any action until disaster erupts — and nowadays some would even have us ignore costly, irreversible disasters and continue on paths to greater failure.

When $4-per-gallon gas hit us like a two-by-four a couple summers ago, it got many of us thinking of a world beyond petroleum. It even spurred the Texas revolution in wind power, something Republicans and Democrats now brag about. But the moment gas prices dropped, many were quick to return to old ways. In doing so, we unwittingly put aside the needs of our children and grandchildren. Shame on us.

We don’t believe crafting bold energy and environmental policy is overreacting. The spill is a symptom of something very wrong in this nation. While we may argue about details and the level of sacrifice required, destruction along the Gulf coast should be a clear call to action that unites Americans in ensuring that this never happens again.