HOW THE BIG BOYS NEGOTIATE - A Bit of Blame-Shifting, and a Bit of "Friendly" Extortion
Note: This article, written by Douglas Castle, originally appeared in TAKING COMMAND! (http://takingcommand.blogspot.com/) on September 3, 2010 is reprinted with the author's permission.
Dear Friends:
The following article, taken from The New York Times, is as humorous as it was predictable.
The factual scenario is summarized:
1. BP, through its negligence and legendary risk-taking behavior creates (by its drilling) an ecological crisis of unsurpassed proportions.
2. The coastal states' wetlands and oceans are profoundly injured, as are all of the area businesses and the long-suffering economy. All is befouled due to BP's casual approach to offshore drilling and disregard for safety and the environment.
3. The US Government (in a tussle with State and local authorities), strikes a "good faith" deal with BP where BP will accumulate a fund from which it will pay out claims to injured parties. That fund, and any claims are supposed to be handled by an independent US attorney as Special Master in order to keep everybody "honest."
4. BP claims that it is acculmulating this restitution fund, but has dropped the issue of the Special Master's participation, and is spending a fortune on some TV commercials featuring BP hotlines to call about claims. This is like having somebody mug you, and then tapping on the shoulder and asking if you could have some of the money back from the wallet he stole so that you might have cabfare to a hospital. It's putting more power in the hands of the offending party. It's stupid.
5. Parties in the US want to continue to impose a ban on offshore drilling -- largely in response to the BP disaster.
6. BP claims that if offshore drilling (its favorite pastime and a substantial profit-maker) were to be limited, that it might not be able to make sufficient money to accumulate the victims' restitution fund (which it is still supervising and administering, wolf-in-charge-of-the-henhouse style, in its tradition of "integrity" and "good faith"). In basic terms, BP is very like the embezzler who is caught, and tried in court and compalains to the Judge, "How can I repay my victims if you send me to jail? If I can't continue to steal from new victims, then how can I make sufficient money to make my victims whole?
Yesterday someone mentioned to me that BP should change its name from BRITISH PETROLEUM to "BIG PIG." I added that the US government, at inestimable cost to its taxpayers and the victims of the "little leak," will provide the trough and the swill.
Oink!
Faithfully,
Douglas Castle
---------------
Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Thu, September 02, 2010 -- 9:33 PM ET
-----
BP Says Limits on Drilling Imperil Spill Payouts
BP is warning Congress that if lawmakers pass legislation
that bars the company from getting new offshore drilling
permits, it may not have the money to pay for all the damages
caused by its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The company says a ban would also imperil the ambitious Gulf
Coast restoration efforts that officials want the company to
voluntarily support.
####
Key Terms, Tags and Labels: Conflict of interest, voluntary compliance, recriminations, circular logic, misplaced trust, BP, ecological disasters, paradoxes, shifting blame, shifting costs, economics, big business and big government, offshore oil drilling, negotiations, politics, posturing, propaganda, TNNWC Group, The National Newspicker, Left Right and Center, Blue Tuesday Report, Douglas Castle, trends, trending, confederation of dunces, conspiracy theory, victimization, juggernauts, oxymoron, farsical fossil fuels.
The factual scenario is summarized:
1. BP, through its negligence and legendary risk-taking behavior creates (by its drilling) an ecological crisis of unsurpassed proportions.
2. The coastal states' wetlands and oceans are profoundly injured, as are all of the area businesses and the long-suffering economy. All is befouled due to BP's casual approach to offshore drilling and disregard for safety and the environment.
3. The US Government (in a tussle with State and local authorities), strikes a "good faith" deal with BP where BP will accumulate a fund from which it will pay out claims to injured parties. That fund, and any claims are supposed to be handled by an independent US attorney as Special Master in order to keep everybody "honest."
4. BP claims that it is acculmulating this restitution fund, but has dropped the issue of the Special Master's participation, and is spending a fortune on some TV commercials featuring BP hotlines to call about claims. This is like having somebody mug you, and then tapping on the shoulder and asking if you could have some of the money back from the wallet he stole so that you might have cabfare to a hospital. It's putting more power in the hands of the offending party. It's stupid.
5. Parties in the US want to continue to impose a ban on offshore drilling -- largely in response to the BP disaster.
6. BP claims that if offshore drilling (its favorite pastime and a substantial profit-maker) were to be limited, that it might not be able to make sufficient money to accumulate the victims' restitution fund (which it is still supervising and administering, wolf-in-charge-of-the-henhouse style, in its tradition of "integrity" and "good faith"). In basic terms, BP is very like the embezzler who is caught, and tried in court and compalains to the Judge, "How can I repay my victims if you send me to jail? If I can't continue to steal from new victims, then how can I make sufficient money to make my victims whole?
Yesterday someone mentioned to me that BP should change its name from BRITISH PETROLEUM to "BIG PIG." I added that the US government, at inestimable cost to its taxpayers and the victims of the "little leak," will provide the trough and the swill.
Oink!
Faithfully,
Douglas Castle
---------------
Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Thu, September 02, 2010 -- 9:33 PM ET
-----
BP Says Limits on Drilling Imperil Spill Payouts
BP is warning Congress that if lawmakers pass legislation
that bars the company from getting new offshore drilling
permits, it may not have the money to pay for all the damages
caused by its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The company says a ban would also imperil the ambitious Gulf
Coast restoration efforts that officials want the company to
voluntarily support.
####
Key Terms, Tags and Labels: Conflict of interest, voluntary compliance, recriminations, circular logic, misplaced trust, BP, ecological disasters, paradoxes, shifting blame, shifting costs, economics, big business and big government, offshore oil drilling, negotiations, politics, posturing, propaganda, TNNWC Group, The National Newspicker, Left Right and Center, Blue Tuesday Report, Douglas Castle, trends, trending, confederation of dunces, conspiracy theory, victimization, juggernauts, oxymoron, farsical fossil fuels.
Douglas Castle
Toll-Free Telephone: 888.317.6498
Facsimile: 914.517.5944
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Return Email: douglas.castle@yahoo.com
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