The reason for the high prices is that the world economy is improving. Unfortunately, due to the short sightedness of our leaders (most notably Reagan, who removed the tax on foreign oil put into place by Jimmy Carter, and destroyed the US alternative energy industry in it's infancy at a time we were the most technologically advanced society in that regard. Now we buy solar panels from the Chinese.) we are between the proverbial rock and the hard place. The Chinese can deal with higher oil prices by simply tacking a few cents more onto their next bill to Walmart, where we will pick up the tab. The US is simply not in the same place and cannot do the same thing. For us, our 20% or more dependence on foreign crude for our gasoline supplies means a huge net outflow of dollars from our internal economy to Saudi oil fascists and unfriendly South American countries, and we cannot pass the cost on to anyone.

Foreign crude oil is a cancer on our economy. Cheap crude oil just makes it worse, because we just use more, and the outflow of capital still is a massive hemorrhage. The US needs a crash program, on the scale of the Moon Shot or the WWII effort, to change over it's automotive fleet to plentiful domestic natural gas. If we did that, what crude we did need could come from domestic supplies and NAFTA countries. Even if the cost per BTU is higher than it would be if it were foreign crude, those costs would be being re-invested into our domestic economy instead of building palaces for dictators. The best thing to do for the US, of one wants to be a patriot instead of greedy slob, is to hope gasoline and diesel prices go thru the roof. Just switching our commercial trucks over to NG would bring the price of all other crude products down immensely.

But of course, to see it in those terms, one must think along a little more complex lines than your latest Rush Limbaugh Ditto Head Sound Bite, so my guess is the American right wing will do everything they can to continue destroying this country for the sake of cheap gas.