Oilpocalypse

posted by The Vidiot @ 7:45 AM Permalink

That's what I really feel like it is. I'm walking down the street with my dog. It's a lovely day. She's prancing and sniffing away, oblivious to almost everything but the occasional dog, squirrel or pigeon, and I'm thinking, "How much longer is life going to be this good?"

Dark, I know.

Unwarranted? I hope so. But I think not. I can't shake this feeling that it's really the end of the world as we know it. And I don't mean the Earth is going to dissolve into a bazillion bits or anything, but a lot of human beings will die. I only hope that the ones who survive aren't the ignorant cousin-f--king kind.

{sigh}

The media has started to dig into it a bit, but they're covering it like it's just another story, granted, a big one, but just another story,

It's tempting to believe that the Gulf spill, like so many disasters inherited by Obama, was the fault of the Texas oilman who preceded him in office. But, though George W. Bush paved the way for the catastrophe, it was Obama who gave BP the green light to drill. "Bush owns eight years of the mess," says Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican from California. "But after more than a year on the job, Salazar owns it too."

It's not just a story. Sure, we all know that Rham Emanuel was BP's bitch

Remember Rahm Emanuel's rent-free D.C. apartment? The owner: A BP adviser

And that BP would rather spend billions revamping it's reputation than cleaning up the mess they made

BP has embarked on an aggressive campaign to repair its public image in the wake of its disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. It has repeatedly run full-page ads in major newspapers, retained high-powered lobbying and public relations firms, and launched a series of television ads with CEO Tony Hayward looking apologetic. The company has even hired Anne Womack-Kolton, a former top aide to Vice President Cheney, to be its new spokesperson.

Though, they say they don't understand what the problem is.

BP notes the fall in its share price in US trading last night. The company is not aware of any reason which justifies this share price movement.

Also, with so many politicians in their pockets, it's no wonder they're ready to spend billions on PR. Hell, the government will just take over and have the taxpayer pay for the cleanup.

Congressional Democrats and the White House are toying with different ways to force BP to cover the costs of damages from the Gulf oil spill. But they face stiff opposition from industry...and it seems leading Republicans. In response to a question from TPMDC, House Minority Leader John Boehner said he believes taxpayers should help pick up the tab for the clean up.

But what they can't dodge is the fact that the oil is much worse than anything anyone can possibly imagine.

New figures for the blown-out well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico show the amount of oil spewing may have been up to twice as much as previously thought, according to scientists consulting with the federal government. That could mean 42 million gallons to more than 100 million gallons of oil have already fouled the Gulf's fragile waters, affecting people who live, work and play along the coast from Louisiana to Florida -- and perhaps beyond.

And more nightmarish than anything on Elm Street.

Labels: bp, corporate greed, gulf of mexico oil spill, oilcano