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I like the idea of drilling and refining our own oil as a starting point, moving towards alternatives.
There's a couple problems though.
The environmentalists won't "let" us drill our own because it's bad for the environment. Well, that used to be true. It isn't really all that hard on the environment now and if given the opportunity to drill, the technologies would improve even more.
As mentioned, that shale oil is hard to get and expensive too. Given the opportunities, the technology will be developed that could make that easier and less expensive. But again, tree huggers....
.....okay, so you don't want to blame everything on the fringe nut jobs....I agree....let's put the blame where it belongs....on our elected-by-the-people-even-though-they-don't-really-represent-those-people politicians....they have jacked the prices/fees of gaining permits, building, and operating refineries here in the US to dizzying numbers. If you want to build a refinery here in the US, it will cost you somewhere in the neighborhood of $1B (yes, that's billion with a "B") and something like 5 years worth of studies, surveys, etc before you can even break ground. Then you actually have to pay for the physical construction of the refinery. That first billion gets you the permits and covers the upfront fees. You could easily be $5-10B in before you even get to refine your first barrel. Then you have these same idiotic politicians that want to "super-tax" these oil companies. Is it any wonder that they don't want to build here?
Sorry, but we should let US oil companies drill the oil here in the US, refine it here in the US, and sell it here in the US. Again, not a permanent solution, but if you want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, do it. While we do that, the technologies and alternative fuel development needs to continue. Then, you can tell OPEC, the Middle East, Venezuela, etc to shove their oil, their sand, etc.
By the way, just the threat of doing this would drop the price of oil. Actually moving forward with the plan would drop it even more. Once we actually start producing our own, the price of oil would be ridiculously low. Oh, and as a side benefit, some of our worst enemies wouldn't be able to use our own money to fund their attacks/terroristic threats/etc against us and we would crumble their economies.
As for "using the food" as leverage. There are too many people here in the US that think we should have so much compassion for everyone else around the world. The US, even though we should, will never use food as a weapon/threat/leverage around the world. It just won't happen. Of course, neither will the lowering of taxes or the drilling of our own oil.
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