Americans may be apathetic at times, and distracted, when it comes to public policy.  But they’re not stupid, and there’s only so long they’re going to believe nonsense about high gas prices being the result of evil, greedy oil executives.

Even as the price of oil nearly doubled over the last year, the percentage of Americans pointing the finger of blame at oil companies fell, from 37% a year ago to 20%.

And 57% favor drilling in areas of the US that are currrently off limits.

Other factors measured, a drop in the percentage of Americans blaming high gas prices on the Iraq war, and single digit percentages blaming speculators (6%) and a weaker US dollar (4%). Those pointing to economic forces and supply vs. demand up from 10% to 15%.

Fact: America’s economy runs on oil right now, for better or worse.

Fact: Without some major technological breakthroughs the previous fact isn’t going to change any time soon.

Fact: Unless we start exploring for and/or utilizing our domestic reserves of oil we’re going to continue to be dependent on oil from places like Venezuela and the middle east, something that essentially provides funding for factions in those parts of the world that hate us.

The solution to the oil problem is not higher taxes. The solution is less government involvement in the oil industry.