You've got a point, but who says the feds would let you? Where are you going to refine the oil, and would the EPA allow you to discharge the water? Probably not.
This situation cries for leadership and we have none.
Mere triffles to consider. Venezuela would love the PR storm of 'saving' the United States by using supertankers to sweep the ocean, and then process the oil for home heating by poor Americans. I mean, really, the PR nightmare of some fed trying to stop a Venezuelan flagged vessel from sucking up oil that is floating around in the gulf?
It's not that it's too expensive to do, or that there's no technology available, it just is that it wouldn't do anything useful.
In answer to your remarks : “you’ve got tens of millions of gallons of oil just sitting there for the taking - why not just go collect that free money yourself if BP’s too cheap to do it. And heck, make the feds pay you at the same time too.
“You’ve got a point, but who says the feds would let you? Where are you going to refine the oil, and would the EPA allow you to discharge the water? Probably not.
“This situation cries for leadership and we have none”
see post #17.