The networks made a big deal today of Tony Hayward sailing his yacht, Bob, in the clean waters of the English channel. There was one passing comment about President Obama playing golf. Yesterday the Prez visited a construction site in … OHIO.
“People here are not on their yachts today,” Senator Richard Shelby, R-AL, said. “I believe it’s the height of arrogance. He is the chief executive of BP, he was testifying in Washington and now he’s going out on his yacht in England.” Of course there were yachts sailing in the Gulf of Mexico today even if Sen. Shelby pretended not to know that.
Oddly, the networks didn’t show us a single image of Katie Couric, Diane Sawyer, Shepard Smith, or Brian Williams, all of whom were also enjoying a DAY OFF the job on a Saturday.
Mr. Obama called this the “biggest natural disaster” in the history of this country. Well, by golly, then he and Mr. Hayward should be out there personally scooping oil out of the water, shouldn’t they? Shouldn’t Ms. Couric, Ms. Sawyer, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Williams be out there, too?
I can understand that the people who live on or near the Gulf would get jacked up by the media with pictures of people relaxing on a day off. It really really irks me that the networks would send in their second team to stir up these troubled waters for no reason other than to sell toilet paper.
They all know better. And so, dear reader, do you.
Something everyone especially the peeps whore intent on creating a scape goat should listen to is this Science Friday podcast segment titled The Fate of Nature.
It presents an interview with the author of The Fate of Nature, a new book by Charles Wohlforth, an Alaskan journalist who covered the Valdez spill, looks at the impacts of that event and what society can look forward to in the future.
Interestingly, he started this book six years ago and it was in the publication cycle when the Deep Horizon accident happened.
One interesting comment he makes alludes to the fact that were trying to punish BP he likens that to slamming a chair against a wall when we stub our toes on the chair; the chair feels nothing but we sure feel better when we really should be looking where the blame properly belongs.
And a better way to punish BP is not to boycott BP, but to take the steps we need to to take away BPs and Shells and Exxons reasons for existing and drilling into our planet. So long as we have a demand for oil (and natural gas; another disaster in the making concerns fracking) the BPs of this world will be doing a risky business.
So when Harwood trolls you next, turn the blame around on him. Have him tell you what he is doing to resolve the oil leak.
“drilling holes in the planet”, eh? Lordy lordy.
I have always felt that off-shore, deep-water drilling and oil retrieval was a bad idea — for the very reason that we are now experiencing. Those opposed to my view counter by claiming that *there is not anymore oil to be found under dry land*.
That’s like saying “Since Michael Jackson died there are not anymore freaks in popular music.”
They — and oil deposits are plentiful. Unfortunately, the freaks are easier to spot.
— George