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The Oil Spill was Whose Fault?

Posted 20 months ago|9 comments|1,906 views
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Out Of The Box
 Moderator
Dallas Morning News: Decision to send troops and equipment is long overdue.

Seattle Times: ...oil spill, crisis not under control, despite all of the promises. The inexcusable delay in the cleanup of the oil spill continues. More than a week after [the president] expressed interest in the catastrophe


the administration yesterday faced sharp criticism from the U.S. congress for not decisively taking control of the oil spill as senators called for new laws that would require the president to direct such cleanup efforts in the future.

Senator majority leader said he was, quote, slow to comprehend the magnitude of this disaster and valuable hours were lost after the May spill when it might still have been controllable.

The press hammered him so much that one month later after the oil spill, his standing on environment dropped from 60% to 39%.


We're not talking about Obama here. This is all what was said in the aftermath of the Juan Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound. he Tanker ran aground and ruptured, spilling millions of gallons of crude in a relatively short time. Within fourteen days, Bush had federalized the emergency, and sent National Guard troops and equipment to begin the cleanup process. He was handed his arse by the press.

Now, 37 days into the Gulf oil spill, Obama stood before America and tried to take credit for stopping the ruptured oil pipe, and even explained to all us lay-people the process used.

So we see an entirely different message, one of vehemence toward the oil industry, and nothing from the media about president's incompetence. We should especially note that the Juan Valdez disaster was laid squarely at the feet of George H. W. Bush, and the BP disaster was laid at the feet of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

It's almost like Obama isn't even the real President.
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COMMENTS
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
20 months ago: So who was it really, that packed all of the regulatory agencies with anti regulatory zealots, who then watched porn instead of doing their jobs?

Obama does deserve some criticism because he didn't fire everyone in all of the regulatory agencies and start over again with people who actually believed in protecting the public from the abuses of the corporations.

As it is, he couldn't even replace the heads of the agencies. The Republicans in Congress have continuously blocked confirmation requests of Obama's regulatory appointees. At one time one Republican put a hold on 77 appointees. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/03/2...
20 months ago: Al, 16 months into office and this new ground breaking information is coming out? How timely. Why didn't your commander clean house before now and a better question is why isn't he cleaning house now? UH, he owns it. He would have to start at the top downward. His picks have been running the program for 16 months.
20 months ago: I'm concerned about your accusations towards Juan Valdez. The guy and his donkey are just trying to grow some coffee. Then you come along and suggest he had a part in spilling of millions of gallons of crude oil.

20 months ago: I'm concerned about your accusations towards Juan Valdez. The guy and his donkey are just trying to grow some coffee. Then you come along and suggest he had a part in spilling of millions of gallons of crude oil.

Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
20 months ago: Chuckle. OK, I was typing fast, and probably needed a cup of joe.

To Juan Valdez: I hereby retract any and all statements tying you to the oil spill in Alaska, and recognize it was your older brother, Exxon Valdez.
20 months ago: Now this is good! Obama is getting the lawyers into the action! Miles and miles of shoreline are going to have oil all over it. Cities and counties are going to ask BP for compensation.

Who is in charge of "How much compensation"? BP is in charge of that!

Obama is going to take it out of their hands. An independent, stand-alone organization will make decisions about "How Much Compensation".

And if BP doesn't like that, then they are stuck with the USA government itself making those judgments!

Congress make a (stupid) law that $75,000,000 was the maximum damage for any single oil spill, but with this one, BP has caused much, much more.

Get the lawyers into the act and BP won't be able to quench the fire!
Out Of The Box
Out Of The Box
 Moderator
20 months ago: And who is going to pay for the damages? Why, you and I are. BP, and every other oil company for that matter, are just going to jack the prices up in perpetuity to recoup their losses.

Who knows, maybe the Exxons and Citgo's are celebrating Obama's legalistic approach. You know, let the damage mount so the settlement will be higher. That is one way to help eliminate capitalist competition.
20 months ago: The drilling rig blew up because the escaping gas exploded. How can an oil well do this? Gas and oil are trapped together and the gas burns very quickly, it is explosive. Good drilling practice handles the gas. BP did not use good practice. Gas escaped in quantity, it burbled upward through the water, reached the platform and found an ignition source. It Burned. Whose fault? BP's fault.

Good drilling practice captures the gas coming of a newly drilled well. They used to burn it, but today that gas is captured and used to create plastics.

BP is at fault.

The well's poor drilling practice led to lots of oil into the water. And BP is responsible for that and the damages it caused.

Who is going to pay? BP is going to pay.

It will no longer be easy for the oil companies because BP's gross mistakes have raised public awareness. New and enforced standards will be put into place.

When the lawyers smell money, they bring lawsuits and there are going to be a lot of them, not just in America.
Altruist
Altruist
Eugene, OR
20 months ago: To the right, their hatred of Obama supersedes any other considerations. Doesn't matter how much Obama does or when he does it, the right will find something to criticize.

I thought that the prez did a good job tonight explaining everything they have and will do, and that he is forcing BP to set up an escrow account to insure everyone gets paid. He made 17,000 National Guard troops available to the governors but they are mostly lacking enough equipment and safety clothing.

I thought it interesting that when the oil other execs were grilled by congress that they all had the same cookie cutter emergency response plans that had 40 pages on how to deal with the press and only 9 with solving the disaster, and part of that was how to save the walruses.

And the right wants to continue deep water drilling with these plans?

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