OK, we're facing perhaps the largest natural disaster ever (by the time it's resolved) and everybody is looking at somebody else to blame. And there's plenty to go around.
Where to start? Me. And you. Our cars, trucks and SUV's require more and more oil. Most of us outside of a large central city don't have access to good public transportation and are 'dead in the water' (no pun intended) without a personal vehicle, and we're still using (needing, demanding) that oil. And by the way, keep the cost under $2 (or $3 or $4) a gallon, please.
Politicans. Are they too cozy with big businesses? Too afraid of losing campaign fund donations? Too busy to properly manage and oversee government departments that are supposed to be doing the regulating/overseeing?
Governments. Federal and State governments have to be held somewhat responsible, too. Allegations about corporate cost cutting, taking short cuts to get wells into production - shouldn't that have been discovered with proper oversight? How about the Minerals & Management Service of the US Dept, of the Interior? Sure, they're on the case now, but did they do everything the were supposed to do prior to this accident? Some Gulf States are also screaming up a storm about deep water drilling cuts that will adversely impact their budgets. Wow. How about another oil leak for adverse impact? You can't have it both ways.
Corporations. Yup, they exist to prevent any one person from being held responsible and to make the most possible money from their ventures. When times are good the management team gets kudos. As long as the shareholders keep collecting dividends there isn't a problem. It'll be very interesting to see what happens in this case.
Environmentalists. Did their successful lobbying to stop on-shore and drilling at shallower depths force companies to go a mile or more deeper with oil rigs? I'm not a rocket scientist, but even I can see that problems are more easily solved on land or at a few hundred feet than at 5,000 feet under water.
There is no 'cure' for this event. And I have doubts as to whether we will learn the myriad of causes. I have less confidence that we will adequately correct the causes the become known to us, too. There's too much money and political power at stake. Somebody will take the 'fall' for it, but a huge natural area will still be devastated.
I've long considered myself a political independent, trying very hard to choose the best candidate for the office regardless of political party affiliation. Political parties are entities that want to accumulate and then retain political power to further their goals. It becomes their primary purpose and you have to wonder how often the greater good is thrown out the window when it's convenient for them to do so. In that way, they are no different than what many people call 'big business'. You might even make the argument that organized political parties (at least the two primary ones) *are* big business.
Is there hope for our future? I think there is, when citizens start taking more than a passing interest in how business and government really works. I believe we have the best system and the best way of living in the world. Let's not let a group if idiots mess it up for us.
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