Ahh. This topic again.
A few points: There is no oil shortage. There is a cash shortage.
1. The middle east is 1 area of the world where we get oil. Why don't we ***** about Canada or Mexico?
http://www.eia.doe.gov/pub/oil_gas/p...nt/import.html

2. It does not matter, in the short term, if America increases production. Are we so naive to believe that this oil won't be sold on the same market as OPEC? America is based on capitalism, not nationalism.

3. Conserving fuel will not lower the price. It will allow more oil to be sold elsewhere.

4. Lowering the speed limit will not lower the price, see note 3.

5. If America were to nationalize the oil fields, and mandated the oil be used exclusively for America's vehicle consumption....we'd still have to import oil to meet our needs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_reserves#United_States

6. The oil is available. America just does not want to pay the fair market price, which has been determined by the WORLD market.

7. Now, the fair market price is being set by speculators. These are the people that want you to believe the rice is set upon concerns of pirates in the Sudan, or hurricanes, or the US oil reserves, or the price of soap in Tampa. I believe this is where the nonsense starts.
http://theendofoil.typepad.com/my_we...l-specula.html