34 days after the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, people are starting to wonder if this disaster - described by the White House today as the worst in US history - will be to President Obama what Hurricane Katrina was for George Bush.
Oil continues to spill, causing huge and unprecedented environmental damage and pollution. In the meantime, BP is only liable under current legislation for $75 million worth of compensation despite the cost for the spill currently being estimated at $14 billion. This is also despite the fact that BP's first quarter profits for 2010 were up 135% to $5,598 million, compared with $2,387 million a year ago. Who do you think will be the ones to bear the brunt of the cost for BP's negligence? Taxpayers.
Yet, the White House has been hesitant in coming forward to criticize BP, which quite frankly - along with other major oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell - spills oil pretty regularly in other parts of the world (Nigeria for example where major spills happen nearly every year) with little to no recourse.
The fact that such a major spill has now happened in the US provides an opportune moment for the US government to put an end to the damage and destruction that is being committed by oil companies everyday not just in the US, but around the world. But will they do that? Or is the government too beholden to such companies?
President Obama runs a political risk if he chooses not to take a hard stance against BP. He risks being seen as a president who is more concerned with corporate interests than the interests of the people which is clearly not the platform on which he was elected. Being seen to pander to Big Oil, along with Wall Street bailouts does not look good for this president, particularly one who has touted green jobs and new technology as the future of America's work force. Hopefully such jobs would not be as the result of cleaning up oil spills. Republicans are already using this oil spill against him.
This is bigger than politicking though, bigger than right versus left, or even Obama's reputation. This really is about the future of the world in which we live. This is about rampant profiteering with no regard for people. And surely the future of our earth is more important.
Listen to Dr Boyce Watkins and I discuss this issue.
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1. Man made disaster.
2. BP purposely mislead the public about the severity of the spill.
3. The administration was involved from the 1st day.
4. The US government lacks equipment and expertize in oil well drilling.
5. BP continues to diminish the severity of the spill.
6. The US Government makes resources available to combat the spill.
7. The US Government lacks engineering expertise in deep water oil well drilling.
8. BP shines on the media and the public, while still trying to protect a profit stream.
9. $4000 per barrel fine will be levied against BP.
10. The US government does not have Supertankers.
11. BP assures everyone that they can contain and stop the leak.
There is no similarity other than location of the disaster.
''She is a strong leader and has done tremendous work''
Remarks. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on MMS Director Liz Birnbaum. May 27,2010....
...right after The New York Times [May 26] splashes a report detailing booze,sex parties,and the acceptance of gifts by MMS federal regulators from BP flaks [ who provided the goils], and just before we found out that she perjured herself before a Senate hearing by stating that she did not know the amount of ''public input'' for the BP project when a 2009 internal memo with her name and remarks on it said she did...
Fixing/pluging a leaky oil well 1 mile under the sea = not available in Obama's arsenal, unfortunately.
The Buck Stops Here eh....?
The buck has stopped.
I did notice that Jihndal, after decrying the need for any sort of disaster preparedness, and State's rights and the dangers of federal interference, is now crying to the Federal government for help.
I would rather have Obama than any other contender, and I didn't expect the Messiah or Superman. Not did I expect such stupefying, raging opposition. Look what he has managed to accomplish nonetheless. If only people could stop b1tching and get behind his efforts.
Say it again!!
How about the media ask how did we get to today and how do we make sure it never happens again? If you begin the narrative with substance maybe we can get to a substantive answer.
The narrative doesn't begin with PBO. Stop looking to blame PBO for something he didn't create
Bush is being blamed for not responding to people in need. The government's slow response caused people to die. Birds and turtles are not people dying. Big difference.
The media trying to place blame on the President is silly. The govenors/congressional leaders of those states know the risk of oil spills. Heck they are backed by big oil. Why were they not prepared for this risk?
Could the media ask a question that is pertinent to the situation?
Just pathetic.
The media are just as culpable as the Republicans who want him to fail to get the story!! He's not going to fail, because we are not going to fail. Notice how the media was way offbase with the recent elections?
Ratings and ad revenue.....Controversy increases ratings, which raise ad prices....
Media sources, like the health care industry lost most credibility when they became for profit endeavors.
before it hit. The Bush administration then sat back saying stuff
like ' Heck of a job Brownie' while thousands of people were left
stranded. The BP disaster is as a result of corporate crime and
company people lying about the extent of the damage. To try to
compare the two makes apples and oranges one and the same.
Or at least that's what it looks like.
Now what evidence do you have that Obama has not responded competently.
If you can do these 2 things, I'm open minded and will change my mind. But as of now, Obama was confronted with a heretofore unforseen technical challenge and assembled the right people to get the job done. And the long time it has taken is evidence ot the difficulty of the challenge, not the capability of the responders. We're talking about 1 mile under ocean where humans are out of their depth.
Since "Blame Obama" has become the first response of conservatives of all stripes, it is difficult to take them seriously any longer.