grc, I hear you. Please don't take my somewhat brutally objective stance as one of approval. I'm just observing what's happening. I mostly think we got ourselves into this mess.
If I thought the Government could program-in a real transition to less oil dependency I'd be all for it, but unfortunately, as you allude to, the government itself is heavily influenced by powerful lobbyists for a powerful oil industry that has much to lose by folks wising up and not needing nearly so much of the stuff. And you're absolutely right about who will be disproportionately hurt.
Agree, again about the ME generation and greed. But I don't look for the Government to ever change that--it must come from the population, themselves. In order to gain entry into a government position of influence, one must be cut from the same cloth as those already there or they won't be invited to the party. So I would rather see the population in general, outside of government, realize that gas is a major expense and one that should be minimized. Change it from a daily necessity to an occasional use item.
A tall order, for sure, but I really think we, the people must find ways to cut back on our consumption if we ever hope to stop complaining about how expensive gas is. Then let the oil companies and the arab oil sheiks feel the pinch when their market dries up.