Posted on 06/10/2010 6:22:32 AM PDT by txlurker
As each day goes by, the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico becomes more gruesome. Oil-drenched birds and turtles wash up along the shoreline, pristine beaches are polluted by balls of tar and an oily slick laps at Louisiana's ecologically fragile marshland. Understandably, Americans are livid. But has the bloodlust directed at BP gone too far?
Egged on by catch-all protest coalitions, a "seize BP" campaign is organising demonstrations in major cities calling on the US government to snatch the British company's US assets. A "boycott BP" action group advocates shunning BP service stations. Placards abound with slogans such as "God bless America – go to hell BP" and "BP – billionaire polluters". The wife and children of BP's chief executive, Tony Hayward, are under police protection following threats.
Urged by political strategists to act more angrily, Barack Obama shed his uncharacteristic cool this week and declared that if it was up to him, BP's boss would be fired. The White House now wants BP to pay not only for cleaning up the Gulf, but also for the cost of jobs lost on 33 other oil rigs because of a government-imposed six-month moratorium on offshore drilling. And the US department of justice is threatening legal action to halt BP's dividend payouts to investors.
Anthony Weiner, a usually sensible Democratic congressman, declared: "Whenever you hear someone with a British accent talking about this on behalf of British Petroleum, they are not telling you the truth."
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
“as long as other people are made to pay for their risk-free world. It’s childish, and it will lead directly to totalitarianism. “
You’ve encapsulated the issue perfectly.
>>I don’t trust them and certainly have no sympathy for them.
Didn’t there used to be an American Petroleum industry... before it got bankrupted by environmentalists, labor unions, and... purchased by America’s former royal owners?
“Special Relationship” my arse, W.
AMERICAN natural resources should be developed by Americans, FOR Americans - not by the tentacles of European oligarchs who’ve never really appreciated having all that Tea dumped into Boston Harbor by “their” pesky colonists in the first place.
Bankrupt their arses and send em packing back across the pond along with their NyLon pals at Gold-man.
>>you are hurting people, some of whom are retired
>>folks who rely on that income.
That doesn’t seem to be bother the “Too big to fail” NyLon beneficiaries of the bailouts; for whom the Fed has pinned interest rates to the floor.
Too bad for those of us who were stupid enough to save and think that interest would be paid by those parasites for the privilege of using/squandering our deposited wealth as they see fit.
Socialist British “Pensioners” can kiss my behind.
Kilt, Lifted, WAAAAAVING!
Right on. BP is foreign and somewhat beyond our justice system. An American corporation would be a lot more worried and a lot more pro-active with the booms and skimmers etc
Not to mention our lazy ass Kenyan community organizer
I was reading the article, The Ties that Bind, for about the fifth time, when it finally sunk into my thick skull what was going on with Obama and BP. The article details the close relationship between Rahm Emanuel and Herb Greenberg, the top PR guy at BP. Evidently Greenberg has two different PR companies, one that does work for private industry and one that does political work (for the Democrat Party). The partners in the political company are Carville and Shrum. Rahm Emanuel has been handing that company huge contracts for polling for the Congressional Democrats in exchange for living rent free in Greenberg’s house in DC.
So, you can only imagine the pressure that Greenberg put on the Obama administration to take a low key approach to the spill. Then the pressure started to ramp up on Obama and then Carville made that very public accusation that Obama wasn’t doing enough to reassure people. In other words, Carville wanted Obama to take some of the responsibility off of BP. I think that it was a warning that if Obama came down too hard on BP, he would let it be known that Emanuel had been accepting “free rent” in exchange for government contracts.
Cool, just like Hugo Chavez does it in Venezuela. You'd like that place, since the government really does try to stock the gas stations.
Bankrupt their arses and send em packing back across the pond along with their NyLon pals at Gold-man.
LOL...are you sure you don't ghost-write for Senor Chavez?
By law, the Mexican oil industry can only be developed by Mexican companies. No outside investment. That's why their oil industry is in decline.
Let's be more like Mexico (and Venezuela). LOL!
Think about it.. The value of stock in a company is equal to the total value of the company. Let's say the company has a total net worth of $50B. the share price will reflect that value. If the company were to pay out, say, $2B in dividends, the company has lost $2B in cash assets and its net value is now $48B. Stock prices will adjust to reflect that new lower company value.
Think about it another way. Let's say you buy shares of a company just in time to receive a $10 per share dividend, but you want to sell it as soon as you receive your dividend, would you expect to get exactly what you paid ?
If yes, then what you want to do is buy only dividend issuing shares just prior to them issuing dividends, hold them til you get the dividend and then sell them.
Sorta like money for nuthin and chicks for free.
A joke? No this is far from a joke. The gross ignorance of the American people was clearly displayed in the last Presidential election and it continues to shine. From the “just nuke it” to the “put a cork in it” crowd to now, confiscate the company, they're not from here anyway, is nothing short of disgusting.
I'm sure Chavez is smiling.
Unless they need the cash for living expenses.
>>Cool, just like Hugo Chavez does it in Venezuela.
Hugo Chavez has American Oil companies? Odd, I don’t recall the Annexation of Venezuela into the Union - when did that happen?
>>LOL...are you sure you don’t ghost-write for Senor Chavez?
You sure the 10Ring Circus Family isn’t still a bit disappointed because it didn’t get it’s Royal Lordship and land-holdings after being on the loosing side back circa 1776?
>>Let’s be more like Mexico (and Venezuela). LOL!
As opposed to propping up Socialist British pensioners whilst frat punks like you dip your proboscis into the flow?
Mexico can’t even create a functional sewer system. The American, sewer system, OTOH, works just fine. I suggest we use it to flush a few NyLons. Dip your proboscis into that. L O L!
Well said.
You should change your screen name to Rip Van Winkle...apparently, you've been asleep while the chavezistas have been nationalizing oilfields owned by American companies.
You sure the 10Ring Circus Family isn’t still a bit disappointed because it didn’t get it’s Royal Lordship and land-holdings after being on the loosing side back circa 1776?
LOL, settle down Rip, it was only a dream...coming from the guy who wants to nationalize private companies he doesn't like. I guess you'll be cheering when Correa sticks it to Chevron for $30 billion. Because Ecuadoran resources should only be developed for Ecudorans, right Rip?
If share prices fall by 5% as a result of the dividend, then they could have sold 5% of their shares for cash and been equally well off. It's all a wash.
In reality, shares never fall as far, 'cause most investors are too stupid to understand the underlying value of a company.
“’Follow the Islamic way to save the world,’ Prince Charles urges environmentalists”
Hey Boys - Why’s my kilt raised and my backside waving in your direction?
Pucker up, BP/Royal loyalists.
Kill the greedy frat punks, eh comrade?
Except for capital gains taxes and selling your nest egg. But you're right, it would be close to the same thing.
Of course selling part of your stock when it has taken such a big drop doesn't help your long term retirement prospects either.
'Cause you're gay?
>>nationalize private companies
Wrong. I believe in supporting American Companies with American values, engaging in free and honest commerce for the primary benefit of Americans.
If Socialist British pensioners want charity, let them form a queue at the “church” of England’s door.
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