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Has US bloodlust at BP gone too far?
Guardian.Co.UK ^ | 06/10/2010 | Andrew Clark

Posted on 06/10/2010 6:22:32 AM PDT by txlurker

As each day goes by, the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico becomes more gruesome. Oil-drenched birds and turtles wash up along the shoreline, pristine beaches are polluted by balls of tar and an oily slick laps at Louisiana's ecologically fragile marshland. Understandably, Americans are livid. But has the bloodlust directed at BP gone too far?

Egged on by catch-all protest coalitions, a "seize BP" campaign is organising demonstrations in major cities calling on the US government to snatch the British company's US assets. A "boycott BP" action group advocates shunning BP service stations. Placards abound with slogans such as "God bless America – go to hell BP" and "BP – billionaire polluters". The wife and children of BP's chief executive, Tony Hayward, are under police protection following threats.

Urged by political strategists to act more angrily, Barack Obama shed his uncharacteristic cool this week and declared that if it was up to him, BP's boss would be fired. The White House now wants BP to pay not only for cleaning up the Gulf, but also for the cost of jobs lost on 33 other oil rigs because of a government-imposed six-month moratorium on offshore drilling. And the US department of justice is threatening legal action to halt BP's dividend payouts to investors.

Anthony Weiner, a usually sensible Democratic congressman, declared: "Whenever you hear someone with a British accent talking about this on behalf of British Petroleum, they are not telling you the truth."

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: bp; oilspill
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To: rintense
There’s no doubt BP knows the seriously of this. Its unfortunate Obama doesn’t, and prefers to play golf and have BBQs.

I can't even imagine what this meeting today with the family members of the workers who were killed will be like. If I were them, I would have told him to take a flying leap. It is day 53? and he is just now meeting with them?

61 posted on 06/10/2010 7:20:41 AM PDT by txlurker
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To: dennisw
Fund uses were delineated by OPA to include:.....

Removal costs incurred by the Coast Guard and EPA State access for removal activities;
Payments to federal, state, and Indian tribe trustees to conduct natural resource damage assessments and restorations;
Payment of claims for uncompensated removal costs and damages;
Research and development;
and Other specific appropriations.

62 posted on 06/10/2010 7:21:34 AM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: rintense

How far away do you live from the Gulf? Most people on the Gulf have zero problem with BP getting reamed out to pay your fellow Americans who are being harmed and made jobless by this non-stop (47 days and counting) oil spill

Gee, do you live like say 1000 miles away? I thought so! Just sit back and relax with your mint julep or what have you. Life is good!!! Just so long as you don’t live in certain coastal states


63 posted on 06/10/2010 7:22:03 AM PDT by dennisw (History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid - Gen Eisenhower)
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To: concerned about politics
They already paid through extra taxes. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund

You are correct except that I would add that more than likely you and I paid those extra taxes everytime we filled up.

64 posted on 06/10/2010 7:23:03 AM PDT by txlurker
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To: concerned about politics

Why are your reciting this boring stuff. In a 20 billion dollar cleanup any US Federal oil spill fund will be dwarfed and is only 1 billion or so. So BP has to be dug into directly and the billions extracted from them directly to pay Americans put out of jobs by the black oil they are painting the Gulf with


65 posted on 06/10/2010 7:24:55 AM PDT by dennisw (History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid - Gen Eisenhower)
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To: txlurker

Poor, poor, BP. I really feel for them. sarc/


66 posted on 06/10/2010 7:25:23 AM PDT by chessplayer
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To: cripplecreek

Bet you support companies that support liberal candidate too don’t you, after all, it’s not the employees fault either. Following your logic, you can’t choose NOT to give your business to any company.

I’ll decide where I spend my money. If you think BP IS GREAT, keep right on supporting them... As long as no one pays a price, nothing ever changes....


67 posted on 06/10/2010 7:25:46 AM PDT by Robbin (If Sarah isnÂ’t welcome, IÂ’m not welcome, itÂ’s just that simpleÂ…)
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To: txlurker

Wow, when the Left loses The Guardian, you know something’s up!


68 posted on 06/10/2010 7:26:38 AM PDT by popdonnelly (Forty years of electing leftist fools to Congress have culminated in Nancy Pelosi.)
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To: dennisw
I want everyone harmed by BP to get restitution from BP

They will! Plus who knows how many others and lets don't even talk about the blood sucking attorneys.

69 posted on 06/10/2010 7:26:40 AM PDT by txlurker
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To: dennisw
How can you “pay off” the people you “injured” when

a) your ability to pay is being slashed - now and for the future

b) the number of “victims” is unknown and open to interpretation of judges yet to take the case

c) Some (many) Gulf Coast “fishermen” and other entrepreneurs and self-employed people are not willing to file honest claims and provide BP with tax records to show what their income was before the spill so BP can replace it- because they were taking cash under the table and not paying taxes.

d) the crisis and damage is expected to last for decades,

e) the assignment of co-responsibilty for damages by lax and incompetent govt oversight agencies and other companies has not begun to be addressed. Remember- obama said PUBLICLY the USG was “telling BP what to do” from Day 1. What if it is shown the USG told them to do the wrong thing? And delayed them from doing the right thing? Who pays for that?

f) the exact cause of the “accident” has not yet even been determined

LEGALLY there are predetermined caps in the law on BP’s liability. BP has not before addressed that. But now that it is being hit with demands to compensate people in every Gulf and drill related company unemployed because of OBAMA’s policies they are.

BTW, “capitalism” is such a tool term to use to blame someone or something.

Let's give you an assignment. Let's figure you caused an auto accident. Shit happens.

The judge decides your insurance limits are too low. He assesses unlimited damages against you.

He takes away your car and driver's license but demands you transport everyone affected by the accident to work and to all daily activities.

He demands you be responsible for damages claimed by the other family members, neighbors, friends and employers of the people you injured or killed, and everyone in their daily activities and supply chain. They will tell you what to pay them. No tax records or employment records or verification of past income is required. You are responsible indefinitely, as long as they claim they are unable to return to normal.

He shuts down and demands you rebuild the highway that was damaged by the accident (even if you suspect a pothole in the poorly maintained highway caused your accident). He also demands that ALL highways be shut down for 6 months to inspect for damages.

He demands you compensate every driver who uses those highways or who cannot use those highways until you pay to have them all fixed or rebuilt better than before. And compensate the families friends and employers and their supply chains for damages they claim for not being able to use highways.

Done paying off all the people you injured yet?

BTW, your employer (just like BP’s investors, who are the real employers here) dropped you because you don't have time to do your job anymore and they can't afford to share your unlimited indefinite liability to unlimited indefinite claimants.

70 posted on 06/10/2010 7:28:20 AM PDT by silverleaf (Every time history repeats itself the price goes up)
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To: dennisw

*SIGH* No one is saying those along the Gulf don’t have a right to be pissed. But you keep blaming big oil instead of looking at the aftermath and the mega fail of the Obama admin. DU would love to have you.


71 posted on 06/10/2010 7:29:14 AM PDT by rintense (God bless Israel!)
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To: Robbin

Is the SEIU writing your speeches for ya boy?


72 posted on 06/10/2010 7:29:20 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: txlurker

Oh you can bet BP will be raped and end up paying money that has nothing to do with this accident.


73 posted on 06/10/2010 7:30:51 AM PDT by rintense (God bless Israel!)
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To: chessplayer
Poor, poor, BP. I really feel for them. sarc/

Who feels sorry for them? It is more a question of being rational vs being hysterical.

74 posted on 06/10/2010 7:31:12 AM PDT by txlurker
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To: txlurker

“The comments at the end of the article are interesting.”

Yup. The lefties over there usually rant and rave against oil companies, but since this disaster is hitting the US, they will bend over backwards to defend BP. As long as the US is hurt, they could`nt care less about the damage to the environment and wildlife.


75 posted on 06/10/2010 7:31:16 AM PDT by chessplayer
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To: dennisw
So BP has to be dug into directly and the billions extracted from them directly to pay Americans put out of jobs by the black oil they are painting the Gulf with

DAMAGE CLAIM (800) 440-0858

76 posted on 06/10/2010 7:32:18 AM PDT by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: dennisw
I definitely want to go down that road.

That's socialism, in case you did not know. I don't like socialism myself and have made it my business to fight against it. In other words, you push this, I'll fight you.

You have no idea how big this disaster is.

I'm sure it is a huge disaster. But there are other avenues to deal with this. We don't need government seizing the assets of private business.

I don't care about the details you mention. I want everyone harmed by BP to get restitution from BP.

Like I said, there are other avenues for that. We don't need more socialism.

77 posted on 06/10/2010 7:32:26 AM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: dennisw
I don't care about the details you mention. I want everyone harmed by BP to get restitution from BP. I could care less if it was an accident or the role of the US Feds who seem to have cut BP a lot of slack

Define 'harmed'. Because you know that will be defined by Obama. And by the time he's done, it will be a redistribution of wealth among those who have nothing to do with the accident. But, as long as you get what you want, damn be the principles!

78 posted on 06/10/2010 7:33:10 AM PDT by rintense (God bless Israel!)
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To: dennisw
Yeah that is exactly what I want.

So you want to harm other people because you got harmed? How selfish.

79 posted on 06/10/2010 7:33:47 AM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: txlurker
Exactly right.

And this whole notion of boycotting BP only hurts local business owners, not BP itself. BP will find other buyers for their product.

But hey! Others MUST suffer too! /s

80 posted on 06/10/2010 7:35:27 AM PDT by rintense (God bless Israel!)
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