False Promises on Gas:

The sad part about this squabbling is that it drives the debate toward short-term fixes of dubious value and away from the heart of the matter, which is getting the country to cut consumption while embarking on a serious program of alternative fuels. Tweaking the petroleum reserve, jawboning foreign leaders, even increasing refining capacity - none of these ideas have ever provided sustained protection against the volatility of world oil prices. A better approach would be to wean the nation from its profligate use of oil. In that context, a 50-cent gasoline tax is not a ridiculous idea; had such a tax been imposed a decade ago, consumption might well be less than it is now.

Tired of energy shaping so much of our political debate? Me too! Why didn't we make the difficult changes during the '70's and the energy crisis? I guess we don't want it to hurt too much. Eventually it's going to hurt a lot!