on the question of morality - why dont we take it one step further
and forget the oil embargo - and just assume that last summers blackout wasnt just on the eastern seabord, but all over - and the power didnt come back on..
what would anyone do?

likely people would pour out of the cities and into the country side - the farms..(and hope that maybe the locals hadnt barricaded themselves in and are willing to share)

but ultimately there isnt enough to support everyone so you either have to make the decision to lay down and die or make some other poor sucker do it.