Stupid? I'll tell you stupid - stupid is to hold a whole nation hostage over a few caribou. That is stupid.
Please rationalize the worth of giving a whole reserve to caribou while we have people on welfare in the U.S. who, of course, can not pay higher gasoline bills.
A little common sense in government would be very helpful to taxpayers.
Another little secret to this little discussion is that there are damned few caribou in what is now referred to as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the herd in that part of the state is farther south; most of it is the most barren, God-forsaken country you've ever laid eyes on. It is not, as some of the Enviro-Nazi commercials tried to tell us, a pristine wilderness with mountains, trees, flowing streams and teeming with wildlife.
Oh, and if you doubt whether or not it'll have an impact on world prices or domestic supplies, check the original production estimates for Prudhoe Bay and compare them to what has been pumped out of Prudhoe thus far...