My point is not 'don't drill'. We're always going to need petroleum... Even if we got every erg of energy from other sources, petroleum is the starting place for an endless array of chemicals, materials and etc... A feedstock thats not easily replaced. And for the next generation, doubtlessly some of our energy needs will be met by petroleum.
My point is more complex. First, it is absolute stupidity to think we can drill our way into independence, or that we have even enough petroleum to significantly alter the price equation of a barrel of oil, or that even with a crash program we could alter it in less than 10 years (which is about the time needed to bring estimated untapped reserves online at capacity).
Also, doing that will just 'burn' our supply up faster.
Essentially, we need to drill enough to meet as much of our needs as we can. However, the Right wants us to believe that Energy Independence is just a few off-shore rigs and 1 ANWR away. Thats bullshit, absolute and unfettered propaganda. Since offshore drilling and ANWR type scenarios won't fundamentally alter the equation we are presented with, then we must look at things on their merit. There is value to our coastal ecology. There is value in places like ANWR. Given how little it would achieve and how much damage it would cause (Especially in ANWR), then I am not in favor of drilling in ecologically sensitive or pristine environments. Bakken? Hell Yeah? Use some CO2 Injection on those old slow-seep fields in Oklahoma and Texas? Sure! Deep-Water rigs? Check.
But Domestic drilling won't do jack squat for our economy or jobs. Do some sniffing around, and I promise you that you'll find that most of those big offshore rigs don't employ many Americans. And, as you said, the oil does not belong to Americans when its pumped- it belongs to multi national corporations who will invest that profit as they see fit.
However, sponsoring a renaissance in domestic production of photovoltaics and wind turbines, and construction of nuclear plants... That will employ americans and all those industries america is well positioned to take the lead globally- if we can shake off the pack of moronic wolves who wish to throttle all life out of any attempt to build for the future- you know who I'm talking about. The Do-Nothing, Know-Nothing right.
Yeti