Americans pushing their luck with BP!

POPPYOSCAR

vivatifosi wrote: »

What's with all the anti-American sentiment?

If BP is at fault - and under the due process of law the US will get to the bottom of this - then they should pay. It's only right that people are compensated for their losses and those responsible pay for the clean up. If an American oil rig failed and polluted the beaches in the UK in the biggest environmental disaster in this country Brits too would be annoyed. It isn't us vs them. Yes there are some nutters on both sides getting exorcised about this but lets get back to the middle sane ground.

BP have said all along they will compensate and pay for the clear up.Why do some people keep saying that if it happened here we would be annoyed.IT HAS HAPPENED HERE but I don't recall the same thing going on here.Just remember, I think it was 167 men that died on the Piper Alpha along with all the oil. Just to mention one incident.

This is also not the biggest environmental disaster for America as pointed out earlier.The Dust Bowl is.

vivatifosi

lvader wrote: »

This was an American oil rig, designed, built and run by Americans and operating under a US license. It's only owned by BP and only 65% of that.

In which case those people will be held responsible. Which is my point. I was living in Hemel Hempstead at the time of the Buncefield explosion and it was pretty clear who was responsible from the outset (the people who owned and ran the site). Those organisations are now being pursued through the courts and the same will happen in America. Anti-BP sentiment is being whipped up in America and the opposite is happening here. It's pointless.

lvader

vivatifosi wrote: »

In which case those people will be held responsible. Which is my point. .

That won't be any consolation to BP share holders if the company goes bust in the meantime. That is the point, the US government should be helping BP resolve the spill, not make it harder for it to meet it's obligations which the company from day one has said it would.

I'll add, everything done by BP to try and stop the leak has to be approved by the US.

sabretoothtigger

Sapphire wrote: »

The BP executives should be booted out, and power should be taken away from the oil companies – just as it should from the bankers.

Absolute answers create bigger problems then the original questions. Sounds like your suggesting private enterprise is the enemy and government is the answer, both contain people who will make mistakes.

This isnt the first giant Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The last time it was by a government run oil company.
The easy answers will just lead to a repeat of this incident in a decade or so by yet another oil company american or not

lvader wrote: »

Just like it is easy to blame bankers for government policies that allowed the subprime crisis to occur. It is easy to blame BP for US government policies that have allowed this disaster to happen. It is still unclear what BP have done wrong and how they differ from all the other oil companies.

Bankers didnt cause subprime, greedy men destroying their own companies by excessive risk is completely normal and will always happen. Failure is part of capitalism
The only surprise was that anyone believed it wouldnt happen this time

Oil companies failing to anticipate all consequences of their actions again just sounds inevitable.
A good system would accept this and be ever ready to clear up the mess.
Ive not heard any clear reason who is at fault, BP was the majority owner and most responsible but theres nothing sorted as to what actually what caused it yet.

Propaganda isnt an answer, its a misdirection of the question

StevieJ

vivatifosi wrote: »

What's with all the anti-American sentiment?

If BP is at fault - and under the due process of law the US will get to the bottom of this - then they should pay. It's only right that people are compensated for their losses and those responsible pay for the clean up. If an American oil rig failed and polluted the beaches in the UK in the biggest environmental disaster in this country Brits too would be annoyed. It isn't us vs them. Yes there are some nutters on both sides getting exorcised about this but lets get back to the middle sane ground.

I thought this was exactly what BP said they would do, not good enough for vote seeking Obama.

vivatifosi

StevieJ wrote: »

I thought this was exactly what BP said they would do, not good enough for vote seeking Obama.

A lot of people haven't exactly covered themselves in glory over this, whether its the run up to an election democrats with their quick to blame attitude or the board of BP, in particular their CEO who seems to have his foot permanently in his mouth (anyone else wish Browne was still CEO?) Neither group in charge is coming across as particularly good. I just don't get what that's got to do with the Vietnam War or other things that Americans have been blamed for on this thread.

A._Badger

vivatifosi wrote: »

A lot of people haven't exactly covered themselves in glory over this, whether its the run up to an election democrats with their quick to blame attitude or the board of BP, in particular their CEO who seems to have his foot permanently in his mouth (anyone else wish Browne was still CEO?) Neither group in charge is coming across as particularly good. I just don't get what that's got to do with the Vietnam War or other things that Americans have been blamed for on this thread.

I certainly don't wish the disgraced Browne was still in charge! It was he who presided over the transformation of BP to a hippy's fantasy. Perhaps if it had concentrated on letting BP remain what it was, it might not be in this mess now.

I do agree with the rest of what you write, though.

Generali

lvader wrote: »

This was an American oil rig, designed, built and run by Americans and operating under a US license. It's only owned by BP and only 65% of that.

Lest we forget, BP is 40% UK owned and 40% US owned. It is not a UK company.

StevieJ

vivatifosi wrote: »

. I just don't get what that's got to do with the Vietnam War or other things that Americans have been blamed for on this thread.

I think the point was - hypocrisy and the that other citizens of the earth don't really matter.

POPPYOSCAR

StevieJ wrote: »

I think the point was - hypocrisy and the that other citizens of the earth don't really matter.

Exactly!!!