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 ...
Dog is a fine meal.
No, you don't, because your "American resources for Americans" rhetoric would mean that other countries would be justified in using the same rationale to expel American businesses, thereby obliterating the investment and causing immense harm to the Americans who own the company. E.g. Mexico and Venezuela.
If Socialist British pensioners want charity, let them form a queue at the “church” of England’s door
Should be nominated for the dumbest comment of the year...we're talking about American pensioners who have their retirements invested partially in BP, a publicly traded company on the NYSE.
>>expel American businesses
It’s a Republic. Not an Empire.
>>we’re talking about
Extortion.
Too big to fail, right? WRONG.
Why are you wearing a kilt at all? You should be in a straight-jacket.
>>long term retirement prospects
“COMMERCE BETWEEN MASTER AND SLAVE IS DESPOTISM”
—Thomas Jefferson
Is the BP stockholder the master or the slave in your fantasy world?
With Mexico assuming the American border states progressively, and Britain once again with a strong presence in Louisiana and the Canadian border states, it appears that a great many Americans may be fleeing to Kansas, along with Dorothy.
As I said, you should be in a straight jacket.
>>be justified in using the same rationale
What’s the point of having borders if pirates can cross them at will, rape and pillage the indigenous peoples and resources, all under the flag of incorporated “Investment”?
I honestly hadn’t given it much thought - but maybe the folks down in Venezuela’s thinking was much like that of the American Founders - who saw the exploitation of themselves and their resources as Taxation without Representation.
What representation were the citizens of Venezuela given in exchange for the removal of their natural wealth?
Were they at least given a stipend like the folks in Alaska receive? Or were they just treated as a disposable nuisance?
>>As I said, you should be in a straight jacket.
Will you come visit me in the Gulag?
WTH does your link have to do with the subject? And since you are raising your kilt do you have on panties?
Honestly? Honestly? WTF? Comparing the Founders to Chavez and his Marxist thieves is beyond the pale. I'm sure you'd be more at home some place like DU.
You can bury a diamond in a pile of dog poo, it’s sill a diamond.
As with the diamond - Regardless of misdirection, the truth of the Royal’s historical ownership of BP is still the truth.
And I agree with your assessment of the Royals - Inbred Dip$hits, all of them.
Aren’t you putting the cart before the horse here? Compensation for what? Future income/profits that are not even guaranteed in good times much less recessions? Penalties before a finding of guilt, even before the trial?>>>>>>>>
Turn on your TV and you will see boats forced to stay at dock. That can’t go fishing. Certain fishing grounds are already closed. It will be worse getting worse week by week. BP should be paying these people who are being deprived of income right now
Turn on your TV. Don’t just get your news here from freepers who think corporations can do no wrong and governments can do nothing right
Lets see what happens with tourism. People don’t go to beaches with oil washing up and where they can’t get on a boat for recreational fishing
But what counts for retirement funds, et al, is what the stock is selling for. It may or may not have any relation to the actual value of the company, as we all know from recent events on Wall Street.
Stock prices will adjust to reflect that new lower company value.
The amount of stock issued and the value of the stock is set on the value of the company at initial offering. After that, the stock value is based on what the market says its value is. BP's stock is an example. They have billions in assets, but their stock is tanking. Why? Because with this spill, people know it is going to have a dark future - at least for some time.
No, it doesn't. I would hope that none of us want to be like them.
>>WTH does your link have to do with the subject?
Subjects, actually - Royal. NOT!
If British Royal-subject Pensioners want charity, let them line up at the door of the “church” of England.
And if American Citizen Pensioners take a whipping, let the pain sink in deep in order for future generations to be less inclined to empower America’s former Royal masters with the the fruits of our resources and labor.
>>I would hope that none of us want to be like them.
American citizens have always demonstrated their compassion. That is as it should be.
Ask and the needed will be given.
Pirate, demand, or try to take via dishonest scales, however... and the “Special Relations” are likely to see the moons rise and wave from across the pond.
“I HATE SEIU, but I’m not stupid enough to back companies that rape our natural resources. Hell, this is a FOREIGN country and YOU STILL DON”T CARE THAT THEY ARE DESTROYING THE GULF COAST.”
And they never will care. BP is an oil company, therefore they will kiss it`s ass to hell and back.
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