ChicagoEngineer:

of dependence on Arab oil, is to be free of dependance on oil. You're just delaying it for a few years. You can pretend that isn't the case, but the only person you're likely to convince is yourself.

Yes, we need to also fund research to find alternative sources of energy but that will take even more time than drilling..for now and while the research goes on we need to shore up our own National Oil Reserves by opening up some new domestic areas of drilling sites as well as immdiately releasing some of the reserve.

As Bush and McCain said..this will also immediately make the US more competative on the open market and will bring down prices based on the relase of some of the Oil reserves as well as the commencement of new areas of drilling.

The relief from those two things would be relatively swift.

In order to get the oil out of the ground up north it will take a couple years..but time goes by fast.

If we had done this in 2000 or 2001 we wouldn't be in this crisis today.

Anyway..I really think you have a defeatist attitude.

America can always rise to the occasion of any crisis we face.