British Petroleum....had better cough up the cash!

[Leafless]

Humans are way too lazy, stupid, and short sighted to phase out the oil economy in time to prevent a major economic catastrohpe.

Humans are addicted to their gasoline driven automobiles.

In a poll it was discovered that people would sooner give up sex than their automobiles.

The real problem is that our corporate masters do not have the answers in providing any real alternative to the gasoline driven automobile.

Soon the BP issue will be a thing of the past and the damage caused by the oil spill will be nothing more than simply a fact of life.

Edited June 14, 2010 by Leafless

[WIP]

When you hear the term "green" you may as well be talking oil base green enamel paint..it means nothing - Oil should not be phased out - it should simply be controlled - it is an addictive substance that leads to death eventually - It must be used in moderation or not at all...It is NOT to be used as a tool to enslave and addict so a few certain people can have influence and personal fortunes in the billions...no one needs a billion dollars - and if they think they do the should be committed to a nut house - a place for the criminally insane - Oil Barons are criminal and their approach to life was fine 50 years ago and time has changed - time for them to bow out gracefully.

Agreed! Except that it is not likely that the oil barons will bow out gracefully, or even make serious attempts to diversify their companies (as BP was pretending to do) since 7 of the top ten largest corporations in the world are oil companies. This industry is just too profitable for them to stop or allow governments to shift away from the oil economy until they've pumped that last drop of oil out of the ground.

[WIP]

Humans are addicted to their gasoline driven automobiles.

In a poll it was discovered that people would sooner give up sex than their automobiles.

Well, we're not all addicted! I moved so that I could be closer to my place of work and not have to drive there every day. And there are alternatives to gasoline.

The real problem is that our corporate masters do not have the answers in providing any real alternative to the gasoline driven automobile.

No, our corporate masters won't allow governments to take serious steps to phase out the oil economy. They fund a web of conservative think tanks and PR agencies to fill the airwaves with disinformation on climate change, the future availability of cheap oil, and the real costs of changing to alternative technologies. It's a shame that a majority of people are so easily swayed by continual repetition of lies, but that's the way it is!

Soon the BP issue will be a thing of the past and the damage caused by the oil spill will be nothing more than simply a fact of life.

More likely we'll all be dead before that day arrives!

[WIP]

Your post is full of unsubstantiated premises. First off, who says BP drilled there because there is no other oil available? There a HUGE numbers of oil and gas reserves already mapped that are much closer to the surface!

I wasn't using that phrase as an absolute, come on, common sense should tell you that we are all aware that there are pockets of oil, and dirty oil - such as tar sands and shales that will be pulverized for their oil content. There are not "huge" numbers of oil reserves close to the surface, unless you are counting tiny pockets of oil that are too small to be worth developing.

The cost of these deep ocean rigs was apparently enough to cause BP execs to get cheap and cause this latest disaster. They were anxious to get it in production as quickly as possible, and they were apparently willing to cut corners and make this gamble that has turned into a disaster for everyone who lives along the Gulf.

They drilled in the Gulf because techology has advanced to the point where it is not that big a deal to drill that deep. Once you have the oil flowing you save a fortune in shipping costs to get it to your land-based markets. Louisiana is much closer than shipping in an oil tanker from Saudi Arabia.

The reason why the American and British oil companies went to the Middle East was because it is the cheapest to develop -- but now that oil is running out. Shipping costs don't make up for ocean rigs that have to drill down three miles into mile-deep water just to get at the oil. If cheap oil was still plentiful, they wouldn't be going there pure and simple.

The problem in the gulf occurred not because it was such an iffy technical challenge but simply because BP wasn't conscientious about using the safety technologies we have had for some years! They were slackards and idiots, pure and simple.

No, they were criminally negligent! And so are the politicians and government agency appointees who were supposed to be monitoring off shore oil development to ensure it's safety. Did anyone ask BP if they had the capacity to deal with a blowout 5000 feet below the surface? No, they just took their word for it (along with kickbacks) and declared that since there was no risk of a blow out, there was no need for environmental impact studies.

And what is BP doing now...as of today? We are almost two months into this disaster, and all of the hopes are that they will hit their target when the first relief well is drilled in August. Past experience with Ixtoc and other disasters have shown that it can take many attempts before a successful relief well is drilled.....and when you factor in all of these costs that makes deep ocean off shore drilling pretty god damned expensive! BTW how safe are Canada's offshore rigs? Some day we may find out how easy it is to solve the same problem in our northern oceans!

Second, the Gulf is a VERY big volume of water! There will be negative effects but it will NOT be poisoned until it is dead across it's entire area! There will be a lot of dead birds and dead sea life but eventually it WILL recover!

You are a little past date with this response. This may have made sense on day one, but right now this is about the stupidest thing anyone has said here lately! So, little is understood about how ecological systems work that it will take years to understand the full impact of this disaster ( a lot depends on how much more oil and toxic dispersants are added to the Gulf) but I won't be surprised if most of the Gulf of Mexico is turned into a dead zone.

Mother Earth is HUGE in comparison to Man and it is the height of arrogance to always assume that Man has the capacity for destruction that so many trumpet.

This stupid idea that the earth can be used as a garbage dump and take whatever a growing human population dishes out needs to be stopped before we join the list of animals that have become extinct over the last few centuries.

[Oleg Bach]

I concur with the previous writer - if you damage something - that does not belong to you - it is either an act of willful contempt with intent or it is negligence on the part of the person or persons in supposed control of a legally permitted operation where neglect and lack of due diligence can not be tolerated. The damage to common seas out side the jurisdiction of a nation is illegal - as much as an attack on the national sovereignty of the shore line..and connecting natural and man created resources and industry.

The masses are so naive and so trusting of governments...all along BP had no intention what so ever to do what was lawful - the still make reference to the leaking crude as "product" and worst of all governmental spokes people use the same shameful type of deceptive language. IT no longer is useful or positive product when said product becomes an uncontrolled weapon. Product is supposed to be helpful not hindering.

This deep water find of oil is vast - even the layman can see that via the sheer amount - it is worth trillions - and government and big oil are willing to ruin a nation because of some uncontrolled raging greed - NOW suddenly and surprise surprise - suddenly as if by magic they have found trillions of dollars worth of minerals in Afghanistan - just think - now we know why there are really there..and now we also know that thousands of young people in the flower of their youth lost life and limb just to keep these bastards rich.

[bush_cheney2004]

....Well, we're not all addicted! I moved so that I could be closer to my place of work and not have to drive there every day. And there are alternatives to gasoline.

...but you are still addicted. Your "place of work" and countless other products and services would not exist let alone be affordable without the energy density and material derivatives of petroleum and refined distillates.

Edited June 14, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[Oleg Bach]

...but you are still addicted. Your "place of work" and countless other products and services would not exist let alone be affordable without the energy density and material derivatives of petroleum and refined distillates.

True as usual BC - I thought the same thing the other day...which must mean that it is true>>> PLASTICS are oil - power for the hospital generator is oil during an emergency situation..our f*&King collective blood is damned oil..and if that is not an addiction I don't know what is ---all great fortunes come from preying on human weakness - on addictions -whether it be opium - sex shelter or food. HOW do we break an addiction that has become our very being - and the fact that humans have evolved into snail like creatures that wear cars - is quite bizzare.

[BubberMiley]

Unless, of course, the money going into those refined distillates instead went into the development of superior technology that didn't require petroleum. But then you wouldn't have any wars to cheerlead from your couch.

[Oleg Bach]

Unless, of course, the money going into those refined distillates instead went into the development of superior technology that didn't require petroleum. But then you wouldn't have any wars to cheerlead from your couch.

BC like the war thing..he believes that he is marshal class and that waging war to plunder is an American tradition...one to be proud of --- as the great teacher Christ said "your traditions are killing you" ---To de-addict America you would have to go one step at a time - first the addiction to the shedding of human blood would have to be dealt with - then the oil issue would be second...When I saw that horrific Orwellian display under the guise of entertainment - that stupid "shock and awe" strike on Baghdad --- I was shocked - shocked that America looked at this long distant remote killing as if it was the super bowl or something...they are addicted to violence and bad kinky sex - so were to you start when it comes to weening them off their vicious vices? The wages of sin is ultimately death - But the sinister - have such self loathing that they do not want any sort of salvation..they want to be punished - it's a very perverse situation.

[dre]

Heres why BP will get off without having to pay huge damages.

Any huge settlement will come mostly from the pockets of wealthy American investors and those inventors have a lot of friends in the US government.

40% of BP is owned by American Shareholders.

35% of the well is owned by domestic companies like Anadarko.

And responsibility is probably shared by Haliburton, and TransOcean as well.

You wanna bet on the odds of the corporate US government throwing the book at the nations elite and at the investor class? I sure wouldnt.

I think Exxon eventually paid about 1/100th of what the courts found them liable for

[bush_cheney2004]

....I think Exxon eventually paid about 1/100th of what the courts found them liable for

Nonsense as usual...Exxon has paid and is currently liable for punitive damages and interest payments of more than $1 billion. Original court awards were about $5 billion.

Edited June 15, 2010 by bush_cheney2004

[Oleg Bach]

Nonsense as usual...Exxon has paid and is currently liable for punitive damages and interest payments of more than $1 billion. Original court awards were about $5 billion.

Sure and it took over 20 years to come to a full settlement. The idea that you can have "punitive damages" involving and oil company is laughable - How do you punish someone monetarily when money is no object?

What is really telling about this situation is the fact that Obama is now "faking" out rage towards BP - just shows you the guy was a fraud to begin with and is just another browned out white guy that represents big business and is not willing or even capable of taking care of his common wards which are the small people..the common AMERICAN citizen..Is not important - so what the hell is a president actually presiding over? Certainly it is not over incorporated America - but the exclusive CORPORATE AMERICA ...and their connecting foreign fields of investment...So - now we know - America can not and will not elect a president that is loyal or caring to AMERICA at large...just another mafia front man like all of them...

[Oleg Bach]

The criminality that took place was in the fact that this company wanted to keep drilling...keep bringing up "product" and made no real simple attempt to totally "kill" the well.

[bush_cheney2004]

.....So - now we know - America can not and will not elect a president that is loyal or caring to AMERICA at large...just another mafia front man like all of them...

You clearly have no clue about what America is all about. Caring for America is caring for business....not commies!

[Oleg Bach]

You clearly have no clue about what America is all about. Caring for America is caring for business....not commies!

So one fisherman losing his tradition and the ability to earn a living does not matter..nor does a thousand fishermen..?

AND if big business has a detrimental effect of the majority then that is just fine also I suppose? You are not making any sense - the common person as a collective entity IS business _ I am disappointed in you - that you are a bright man but still resort to stupid rhetoricals and hot button words like "commies" - get with it BC - commies or the communal labor force IS big business - and evidently big business has lost it's ability and possibly it's will to take care of itself.

[bush_cheney2004]

So one fisherman losing his tradition and the ability to earn a living does not matter..nor does a thousand fishermen..?

Nope...try to find a buggy whip manufacturer these days. Tradition does not pay the bills...but lawsuits do.

AND if big business has a detrimental effect of the majority then that is just fine also I suppose? You are not making any sense - the common person as a collective entity IS business _ I am disappointed in you - that you are a bright man but still resort to stupid rhetoricals and hot button words like "commies" - get with it BC - commies or the communal labor force IS big business - and evidently big business has lost it's ability and possibly it's will to take care of itself.

Commies works for me and anybody who wants to live off the fat of "Big Oil" while whining about the risks and disasters. Do you really think that harvesting crawdads and fish is bigger business than oil production in the Gulf of Mexico?

[Oleg Bach]

Nope...try to find a buggy whip manufacturer these days. Tradition does not pay the bills...but lawsuits do.

Commies works for me and anybody who wants to live off the fat of "Big Oil" while whining about the risks and disasters. Do you really think that harvesting crawdads and fish is bigger business than oil production in the Gulf of Mexico?

I would much rather have a crawdad or a fish than a glass of oil for supper. Keeping the food supply and the toxins separate is like keeping the sewage separate from the drinking water - what's so hard to understand about basic survival - thought you were a military man of order -BP is out of order and so are you. As for your communal workers...or commies..that is not the issue - oh reactionary spiteful one! Believe it or not - before we lived off of the fat of oil - whale oil was the big deal - at least you could injest the stuff and light your house - YOU can not eat petroleum --- I guess as a kid you were reprimanded for eating dirt.

[GostHacked]

Do you really think that harvesting crawdads and fish is bigger business than oil production in the Gulf of Mexico?

At the end of the day I can't survive by eating oil.

[bush_cheney2004]

I would much rather have a crawdad or a fish than a glass of oil for supper. Keeping the food supply and the toxins separate is like keeping the sewage separate from the drinking water - what's so hard to understand about basic survival -

Cry me a river....I don't want to just "survive" (from "Wall Street"). I needs BTUs far more than I need shrimp to survive. Hell man, you live on the bayou? If you did, then survival is not a problem.

Petroleum is a natural substance! LOL!

[bush_cheney2004]

At the end of the day I can't survive by eating oil.

The hell you can't...oil is very important to agribusiness...you do eat oil.

[GostHacked]

The hell you can't...oil is very important to agribusiness...you do eat oil.

Oil byproducts. Not oil itself, even a smrt man like yourself understands that. I prefer oil that comes from fish.

[bush_cheney2004]

Oil byproducts. Not oil itself, even a smrt man like yourself understands that. I prefer oil that comes from fish.

OK...no more petroleum or "by-products" for you....let's see how well you can "survive". Ugg!

[Oleg Bach]

The hell you can't...oil is very important to agribusiness...you do eat oil.

TRANS FATS - just love having plastic for blood..as for living in the swamp - I grew up in a swamp- and if I could go back to eating out of that swamp I would tomorrow. I was not arguing the benefits of oil..just the mis -use and over use and abuse of it...it has to be used in moderate amounts in order for it to be a sustainable and safe resource - twenty million cars idling in grid lock every morning and evening is horrifically poor management of that power...and those wonderful BTUs that go up in smoke making us warm and cozy and suffocatingly dirty - BP are bad managers and you as a supporter of bad management should re-evaluate your use of wealth.

[GostHacked]

OK...no more petroleum or "by-products" for you....let's see how well you can "survive". Ugg!

We can survive without it. We did it before. We can and will adapt. Besides this oil is not going to last forever. It seems that you can't and won't live without it.

[Oleg Bach]

We can survive without it. We did it before. We can and will adapt. Besides this oil is not going to last forever. It seems that you can't and won't live without it.

Soma energy.creates an illusion...that all the pleasures and sustaining of modern life depend on oil. I don't think it is about wealth - or earthly pleasure when it comes to oil - it is about some sick sense of creating personal human relevancy - commonly called POWER AND DOMAIN.. Domination of other human being through oil will see it's day..eventually people will wake up and see the king has no clothes and King Oil - is a con man.