Because "they" knew it was so full of oil it was about to pop like an old tick.
No ladles & germs, something else entirely has been going on, namely, a purposely calculated controled transfer of wealth.
It works because no one except for a few brave little boys will admit the truth about the kings new clothes.
That is it in a nutshell. The corporations insatiable desire to expand markets need to share the wealth at our expense in order to do so.
We are living through the demise of the USA. It's been going on for a while but postmodern post cold war politics has pushed that agenda mightily.