Monday, June 07, 2010
How did liberals become so conservative on the matter of the Oil Spill?
Normally they wouldn't be. If Bush were in charge today, OMG if Bush were in charge today you can bet dollars to doughnuts that that scalawag Michael Moore would probably do a scathing documentary on it. Pretty safe bet that MoveOn.org would have something to say too. Now I wasn't gonna do a new blog on this subject so soon but Shaw's blog yesterday inspired me. Actually alot of folks both right and left have some very good points to make. Mal's point that the government and BP should just get together and solve the damn thing first makes the most sense, assign blame and let the bashing begin but LATER. I also get Saty's point that the government doesn't have the technical know-how to cap the damn thing but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be involved at all and pretend it ain't happening. Actually I find the liberals to be most inconsistent here first because they're normally such big environmentalists and such strong advocates of the government taking the leading role in other environmental matters such as global warming and climate change. Nay in the liberal cosmos those aren't just matters but crises as well. Funny thing though is if we conservatives said what they are saying we should say, namely advocate for no governmental involvement in the matter whatsoever we'd be lambasted for that too. Basically the reason the libs have come up with this curious application of a very basic conservative, libertarian free-market position/approach here is really quite simple: they are still so damn in love with Obama that it's the ONLY logical position open to them whereby they can still defend their man. It's parabolic logic at least for a liberal, a default position and they know it just like if your brakes fail you pump the pedal up and down or turn off the keys or just jump the hell out of the car. I strive for absolute honesty here in my blog and on another matter if I am mildly curious why the Gores are separating or divorcing then you liberal bloggers have every right to opine why Rush seems to keep turning off his wives. Have at it, it's all good. On the crisis in the Gulf the consensus has been reached rather quickly among people as varied as James Carville, Colin Powell and Malcontent that Obama has been disengaged from this crisis from Day One, doesn't know how to handle it but the hardcore libs still aroused by Obama deny he's been Peter-Principled into office and would rather attack conservatives as if this is gonna somehow save all those Brown Pelicans and the Louisiana shrimp industry. Actually this is the one issue that we should all be nonideological on, could've been a proud moment. As liberal Matt Rose has said Obama is a loser. Just admit it, it'll make the pain go away.
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Well said.
ReplyDeleteI mean even they have to admit they're a little inconsistent. Look we all have our little disappointments in life like the time I liked this new girl at work until the day when there were a couple of flies buzzing around and she tried zapping them with a bottle of bleach Fantastic but hey you get over it.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt Obama has not been at his best in the communications dept. on this one. His aloofness has been a huge anchor to any solution he may propose.
ReplyDeleteBut this oil spill is causing consternation on both sides of the aisle.
Liberals are waiting for big business to save them, and us while the conservatives are asking for the socialist control wanting bug government to jump in and solve the problem.
There is really no intellectual consistency on either side of this issue, just like most issues.
It is interesting to note that when longtime GOP stallwarts were critical of Bush, they were instantly branded as RINOs, and the party moved quickly to discredit them [Powell, Turner, Noonan, et al] yet when Dems turn on their party, they are seen well informed seers.
Maybe these folks you cited are just DINOs?
You know Z Man, this could be a 'learning moment' because on one hand the conservatives have to acknowledge that smaller government, less regulations, and all of that is NOT the solution to everything and on the Liberal side they have to deal with the fact that government cannot solve every problem and cannot be depended upon to solve everything.
ReplyDeleteBut of course who really wants to learn anything when we can just keep insulting each other....
What I think is really absurd is the fact that you have the whole movement on the right about wanting to take their government back and on the left you have also always had the movement that believed that government was in bed with corporate interests...
Wonder if anyone notices that both the political extremes want the same thing...
Well said, TAO.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone truly know the extent of BP's power? They are the 3rd largest energy company and 4th largest corporation in the world. The company is among the largest private sector energy corporations in the world, and one of the six "supermajors" (vertically integrated private sector oil exploration, natural gas, and petroleum product marketing companies).
They can pretty much do what they want, and there is probably little the US government can do to stop them.
Here is how a powerful corporation like BP behaves:
In September 1999, one of BP’s US subsidiaries, BP Exploration Alaska (BPXA), agreed to resolve charges related to the illegal dumping of hazardous wastes on the Alaska North Slope, for $22 million. The settlement included the maximum $500,000 criminal fine, $6.5 million in civil penalties, and BP’s establishment of a $15 million environmental management system at all of BP facilities in the US and Gulf of Mexico that are engaged in oil exploration, drilling or production. The charges stemmed from the 1993 to 1995 dumping of hazardous wastes on Endicott Island, Alaska by BP’s contractor Doyon Drilling. The firm illegally discharged waste oil, paint thinner and other toxic and hazardous substances by injecting them down the outer rim, or annuli, of the oil wells. BPXA failed to report the illegal injections when it learned of the conduct, in violation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act.
And this:
ReplyDeleteIn March 2005, BP's Texas City, Texas refinery, one of its largest refineries, exploded causing 15 deaths, injuring 180 people and forcing thousands of nearby residents to remain sheltered in their homes. A large column filled with hydrocarbon overflowed to form a vapour cloud, which ignited. The explosion caused all the casualties and substantial damage to the rest of the plant. The incident came as the culmination of a series of less serious accidents at the refinery, and the engineering problems were not addressed by the management. Maintenance and safety at the plant had been cut as a cost-saving measure, the responsibility ultimately resting with executives in London.
In August 2006, BP shut down oil operations in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, due to corrosion in pipelines leading up to the Alaska Pipeline. The wells were leaking insulating agent called Arctic pack, consisting of crude oil and diesel fuel, between the wells and ice. BP had spilled over one million litres of oil in Alaska's North Slope. This corrosion is caused by sediment collecting in the bottom of the pipe, protecting corrosive bacteria from chemicals sent through the pipeline to fight this bacteria. There are estimates that about 5,000 barrels (790 m3) of oil were released from the pipeline. To date 1,513 barrels (240.5 m3) of liquids, about 5,200 cubic yards (4,000 m3) of soiled snow and 328 cubic yards (251 m3) of soiled gravel have been recovered. After approval from the DOT, only the eastern portion of the field was shut down, resulting in a reduction of 200,000 barrels per day (32,000 m3/d) until work began to bring the eastern field to full production on 2 October 2006.
2006-2008: Texas City refinery fatalities
From January 2006 to January 2008, three workers were killed at the company's Texas City, Texas refinery in three separate accidents. In July 2006 a worker was crushed between a pipe stack and mechanical lift, in June 2007, a worker was electrocuted, and in January 2008, a worker was killed by a 500-pound piece of metal that came loose under high pressure and hit him.
2007: Propane price manipulation
Four BP energy traders in Houston were charged with manipulating prices of propane in October 2007. As part of the settlement of the case, BP paid the US government a $303 million fine, the largest commodity market settlement ever in the US. The settlement included a $125 million civil fine to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, $100 million to the Justice Department, $53.3 million to a restitution fund for purchasers of the propane BP sold, and $25 million to a US Postal Service consumer fraud education fund.
BP is, essentially, the MAFIA with a British accent.
They're thugs and have gotten away with crimes under every president over the last dozen years--and probably more.
What a pathetic example of so called "leadership."
ReplyDeleteI haven't really followed the whole oil thing this week, but I for one do not think the federal government should automatically take over for any disaster. If the local and state levels request the help of the federal government, that is of course fine, should they need it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I don't like is the same people who might have said Bush didn't act fast enough who now think Obama did, or that he didn't need to...I just expect consistency, I think that is all Z-man was saying, too, right?
Well if you'll excuse me folks I'm working on a Helen Thomas post. Back at ya.
ReplyDeleteWell Beth Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal wanted to do some things but he felt stymied by the feds, by BP. I'm less pro-Big Business than most here so Shaw's facts are interesting but all that can be addressed and more after they cap the leak and that was basically Mal's point from the beginning. There's plenty of time for confabs and seminars coffee klatches by eggheads and yes plenty of time to hash out how conservatives and liberals are somehow inconsistent on the Crisis but it's nicer and better to have these discussions when the thing ain't still spewing its gunk into the Gulf.
ReplyDelete