I'm not claiming there wouldn't be pain, but there is pain now. If a great deal of pain is to be had, best to have it on our terms and to some purpose.
Our dependence on imported oil will only get worse before it gets better. If you think we have "pain" now, imagine if the oil supply from the ME was interrupted for any significant amount of time. It is going to take decades before we can lessen our dependence on foreign oil. We are not prepared for the kind of "pain" you are advocating. We are not going to get it on our terms.
In less than 50 years, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that immigration will cause the population of the United States to increase from its present 300 million to more than 400 million. Since the US consumes about 25% of today's global oil supply, imagine what it is going to be like with that increase of 100 million more Americans who will also be competing with the growing economies of China and India for energy sources.