An Alternate Opinion on BP...with *some* nuggets of truth.

[TOW-19]

It's an alternate opinion on this whole situation, and alternate opinions are always good to digest.

Though I think the first half of his article is a bit flimsy, I can definitely see some windows of truth in the second half.

Hypocrisy, sadly, is all too prevalent in today's eager-to-bitch-about-something society...

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Charles Davis

Special to AOL News

 

(July 21) -- We Brits are very attached to BP. Or our pension funds are, at least. And since our pension funds are rapidly falling apart, any Brit intent on mitigating the looming indigence of old age needs to come to the defense of this great British institution. So, as an expatriated Englishman whose pension policy is to be a burden on BP shareholders, let me suggest a different take on recent events in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Seen from the land of cheese-eating peace-monkeys, it would seem that a gross injustice has been inflicted on this beleaguered giant and its hapless principal, the widely vilified Tony Hayward. BP has been portrayed as negligent, greedy, arrogant and grasping.

 

Well, there's your first positive spin right there. Negligent, greedy, arrogant and grasping has been the role an envious world has thrust upon the United States over the last half-century. Indeed, as far as the French are concerned, those words define the American model of liberal capitalism. You should be thanking that nice Mr. Hayward for relieving you of such an onerous burden.

 

Second, there is a widespread suspicion in the rest of the world that, when Americans need oil, they're normally obliged to invade somewhere warm and dusty to get it. Oh, really! There's just no pleasing some people. Here we are, actually delivering the stuff to your very doorstep, and you're up in arms about that, too. In fact, contrariness has been the principal characteristic of the American response to this whole affair.

 

It's worth remembering here that there has been a low-grade war going on in Nigeria for the last 30-odd years, largely because a lot of irksome locals think it might be nice if the profits from the oil that is being pumped out from under their land -- the same oil that is polluting their rivers, contaminating their crops and obscuring their skies -- could be used to educate their children.

 

People really are unaccountable. BP took account of them, though. It did the decent thing and went as far away from people as possible -- and now it's being condemned for that, too!

 

Some people might go further. Some people might say that the outcry against BP was slightly hypocritical in a nation dominated by a car culture that has engendered cities in which, as Martin Amis memorably observed, the only way to cross the road is to be born on the other side. A nation where it is thought that the cost of a tank of gas, like the price of a baguette in France or a pint of beer in Britain, could not climb above a certain amount without provoking social unrest. A nation where the Hummer was considered a suitable recreational vehicle for your average suburban gorilla. A nation that was, until very recently, governed by men who thought climate change was what happened when you drove from Miami to Maine.

 

Some people might even regard as faintly grotesque the spectacle of a palaver of politicians working themselves up into a lather of moral indignation so potent that they were obliged to repeat one another's bold denunciations for what seemed like days on end. But, as I say, there's no accounting for some people.

 

If your own moral disgust is such that you're feeling a touch embarrassed by the BP shares in your portfolio, please don't hesitate to forward the certificates to me.

 

Mind you, I might have a slight problem explaining the acquisition away to the neighbors.

[BIGDANIEL]

Interesting point of view. I wonder though how his article would read if he and his countrymen were faced with 4 million gallons of crude oil per day, for a few months, floating in the waters surrounding their beautiful island. And any chance the French are eating fresh (non-contaminated) seafood with their baguettes?

 

I see some truth "nuggets" in the article as well. I do hate reading things though that reference the "American People" as a general body whose every decision and action are as one. I've spent time in London and I have some really good friends in Scotland. Any amount of time spent there watching and talking to people and you can see that the people of the UK are no more "One" than we are. But every opinion gives insight into something. The key is to back your opinion with fact.

 

I personally applaud BP for what they've done to help the Gulf Coast businesses effected by the spill. They know they're going to catch hell for what happened but they continue to focus on stopping the leak, cleaning it up, and paying for the damages. Now China has an oil spill and the world will be forced to turn its focus to the measures taken by all oil companies to safeguard against spills instead of simply beating BP into the ground. This is my opinion.

 

I'm not sure though how to take the rumors that Exxon is looking into buying BP. It's makes me laugh in a scared kind of way.

Edited July 23, 2010 by BIGDANIEL

[Pillorian]

The thing that some people don't realize is how much what they do to a company during a crisis effects not just the business but everyone else. My father, who worked in a refinery that BP owned then sold to Tesoro here in SLC, UT, has the majority of his stock/retirement in BP. He has lost nearly half of his retirement because of this due to the price of BP stocks falling nearly in half.

[TOW-19]

BIGDANIEL;814160']Interesting point of view. I wonder though how his article would read if he and his countrymen were faced with 4 million gallons of crude oil per day' date=' for a few months, floating in the waters surrounding their beautiful island. And any chance the French are eating fresh (non-contaminated) seafood with their baguettes?

 

I see some truth "nuggets" in the article as well. I do hate reading things though that reference the "American People" as a general body whose every decision and action are as one. I've spent time in London and I have some really good friends in Scotland. Any amount of time spent there watching and talking to people and you can see that the people of the UK are no more "One" than we are. But every opinion gives insight into something. The key is to back your opinion with fact.

[/quote']

 

Well, it's not just a native waters situation, considering the import/export of goods all over the world.

Back in the days of cavemen, this would not have been an issue. They simply would have picked up and moved to another continent and got fossilized over there instead.

But today, a fisherman hauling in a catch in NY is shipping it over to California to long-haul it over to Asia using fuel bought from Europe that was drilled from the Middle East that got attacked by the US that funds its wars from every other country in the world. Except for N. Korea. Because they suck and no one needs to play with them.

Basically...it's all connected now. So an oil spill here in America does affect our overseas neighbors.

As does a drought that affects crops in Asia or South America affects the commerce for other countries.

 

As for I do hate reading things though that reference the "American People" as a general body whose every decision and action are as one, we kinda do the same damn thing.

It's just generalization and everyone does it to some degree...just like racism.

Ireland likes to drink and explode everything.

China keeps overpopulating the world and overpopulating our store shelves.

Canadians are pussies in war.

Switzerland will never BE in a war.

Americans are the fattest people on earth and just poke missiles at everyone else.

It really can't be helped.

And more often than not, as with ANY cliche or general opinion....they're usually rooted in SOME kind of truth, so whatever level or degree.

[[SoW] Lucky_Saint-]

TOW-19;814176']Well' date=' it's not just a native waters situation, considering the import/export of goods all over the world.

Back in the days of cavemen, this would not have been an issue. They simply would have picked up and moved to another continent and got fossilized over there instead.

But today, a fisherman hauling in a catch in NY is shipping it over to California to long-haul it over to Asia using fuel bought from Europe that was drilled from the Middle East that got attacked by the US that funds its wars from every other country in the world. Except for N. Korea. Because they suck and no one needs to play with them.

Basically...it's all connected now. So an oil spill here in America does affect our overseas neighbors.

As does a drought that affects crops in Asia or South America affects the commerce for other countries.

 

As for [i']I do hate reading things though that reference the "American People" as a general body whose every decision and action are as one,[/i] we kinda do the same damn thing.

It's just generalization and everyone does it to some degree...just like racism.

Ireland likes to drink and explode everything.

China keeps overpopulating the world and overpopulating our store shelves.

Canadians are pussies in war.

Switzerland will never BE in a war.

Americans are the fattest people on earth and just poke missiles at everyone else.

It really can't be helped.

And more often than not, as with ANY cliche or general opinion....they're usually rooted in SOME kind of truth, so whatever level or degree.

 

that part made me laugh....

anyways my opinnion is how are they gonna fix the problem if they dont have funding? i really dont think boycotting BP as ive seen ppl doing helps anything...i think they know they fucked up. BAD. as far as that brit goes(only the one in the article i love great britain) he can go fuck himself royally. while he is affected like tow said as everyone in the world is.... its not on his doorstep hes not on vacation and looking at seagulls not flying cause there covered in oil or that your daughter runs into the water and comes out a black moat monster.

 

hes not staring at this everyday

Edited July 25, 2010 by [SoW] Lucky_Saint-