Let's not forget, one big reason we are "dependant" on Mideast oil is that we worked like hell to get dependant on Mideast oil! Check back 30 years on the big jump in prices that we could have avoided, we discouraged domestic production with feel-good crapola, we set ourself up, really our politiicans set us up.
I was there, and the way I remember it is that the spread between the price of domestically produced oil ( mostly due to government imposed regulations) and the price of imported oil was so great, that to not acknowledge it with a change in policy ( by allowing greater oil imports) was leading to economic suicide. Who can forget the "Stagflation" of the 70's ? It was bad.
We could easily increase our production of domestic oil now; if the government would just get the hell out of the way. I guess I agree with you there; our present problems have been caused by politicans.