Apparently Rep. Joe Barton of Texas (where else?) thinks BP should be able to declare bankruptcy and not owe a dime to the Gulf citizens whose lives they've upended.
I don't need to look into any databases or registers to see that Barton's pockets are oily. There's being conservative and then there's being disgraceful. You suck Barton. I hope someone hides crude oil in your next burger.
3 comments:
how do people get it so twisted?
Some random thoughts on your post:
1. This guy is not conservative, although he may call himself "a conservative". He is pro big business, no questions asked. He gives conservatism a bad name. True conservatism would be the desire to preserve that which merits saving for posterity, such as the biological bounty of the Gulf.
2. Contemporary global capitalism is the least conservative social meme on the planet. It has brought limitless wealth, but at a price.
3. All of the posturing about BP, including critics, misses the major points, which are:
A. As a society, and as individuals, we shouldn't engage in activities that we can't afford to have go wrong. Are we ready to forfeit the Gulf? Are we willing to suffer a Chernobyl? Are we willing to suffer global climate change? Even though losses are not certain, we need to assume the worst.
B. BP & its subs made mistakes. Newsflash: humans always do. This does not serve to exonerate us from responsibility for those mistakes, but it means we must plan for them. We know drivers will not always drive as carefully as they should, thus, we require insurance. We pretend that we won't suffer oil spills, nuclear accidents, financial bubbles, etc., but we do, again and again.
C. We need to consider our addiction of oil as a society. The Daily Show had a clip on this week showing every president since Richard Nixon preaching energy independence. It's like telling a junkie "that stuff isn't good for you". We need to think differently.
D. We talk about anger, and it's certainly appropriate to express anger and sorrow over this loss. But I often see individuals and societies who use anger as an excuse to avoid hard thinking about how they got in the mess, what they can do about it now, & how best to rectify it. The collective ass of the American people needs kicking as much as any at BP. We want Obama to display anger, but not at us. I suggest skipping the talk and share with us a plan to deal with this type of problem.
Thanks for your post & allowing me to vent some as well.
Uncle Steve - one day I hope that I'm 1/4 as intelligent and well spoken as you are.... Great points on all fronts!
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