Oil!

[BUTT]

I agree with 909, no fucking way I'm voting Obama in 2014.

 

[909]

I tend to blame this disaster on years of incremental deregulation of the Oil Industry to the point of criminal negligence, but thats just me. Whether Obama is to be blamed for this is up to one's opinion/political affiliation. Personally, I doubt Obama or the culpable party can really do much at this point in the game.

At this point, I doubt any President of any affiliation can do much to reverse the downward spiral of this country. We have given the corporations and the oligarchs way to much power in the country, and nothing short of an armed revolution will be enough to reclaim power for the regular person.

Sorry but when we have Old Faithful pouring filth into the ocean for 34 days and he isn't taking any sort of lead in doing shit, then this country has a leadership problem. He hasn't done anything else worth mentioning in those 34 days. He's totally to blame, no need to front. You give BP a chance to do something for 10 days and then you take the lead, should've been the plan from day 1.

 

[still fly]

Is there an established protocol to deal with an oil spill of this magnitude deep in the middle of the ocean? Please let me know.

And here is what Obama is doing: http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/543103/

So let's stop with the intellectual dishonesty. Ok?

 

[909]

Yeah, they are doing such a great job.

Also in case you didn't notice, there is still a leak and oil is washing up on shore.

Also I'm not politically affiliated at all. You can try to associate me with something all you'd like though.

 

[still fly]

And again, is there any established protocol in dealing with this catastrophe of this magnitude? An oil leak more than 5 times the size Exxon Valdes, which up until this, was the biggest ecological disaster of all time? So what is enough then? Just saying it doesn't make it true by the way.

 

[909]

How about plugging the hole? Drilling relief wells is not the solution.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

I don't care about Obama much one way or the other but I don't think anyone would be handling this that well. Just because we don't see him doing things doesn't mean he isn't. I'd rather he took his time and got it right then watch him try various stupid shit and fail repeatedly.

I would think if it was as simple as just plugging the hole they'd have done it already.

 

[snuffbox]

He should have been doing something between January 21 2009 and the spill.

 

[909]

is there any established protocol in dealing with this catastrophe of this magnitude?

Also, not having an established protocol has never stopped people from dealing with things before or exempt them from criticism for not dealing with them.

All I see in your posts are talking points swallowed whole.

You do know we could have relieved our need to take on these high-risk drilling projects?

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

He should have been doing something between January 21 2009 and the spill.

In general or about energy? You don't just change that sort of thing overnight. Again, I'd rather he take his time and come up with something that works instead of rushing out a plan that will cost tons of money and fail.

 

[still fly]

is there any established protocol in dealing with this catastrophe of this magnitude?

Also, not having an established protocol has never stopped people from dealing with things before or exempt them from criticism for not dealing with them.

All I see in your posts are talking points swallowed whole.

You do know we could have relieved our need to take on these high-risk drilling projects?

I provide proof to my assertions that counter your claim that Obama isn't taking charge, while you've got nothing apparently. And I'm the one spouting talking points? I think you do a good job of painting yourself, I have no need to do it.

So other than simplistic non-answers that have no basis in anything, what should Obama have done to rein in a disaster that the likes of no government has ever had to deal with?

 

[still fly]

He should have been doing something between January 21 2009 and the spill.

Predicting the future is easy!

 

[snuffbox]

Well, I could mean that in general, too re: so many of his campaign promises.

But energy in this case. We have done nothing but continue to prop up big oil companies during the Obama presidency. I agree that the problem could not have been fixed overnight. And, had he started first thing the morning of Jan 21 2009, it would not be solved at this moment. The problem is that he has not done anything in that direction at all. His biggest step in terms of energy policy thus far was his announcement of allowing further offshore drilling not long before the spill started.

 

[snuffbox]

He should have been doing something between January 21 2009 and the spill.

Predicting the future is easy!

We have experienced oil spills before. This is not something brand new at all.

And he campaigned rather hard on moving away from oil and towards new energy avenues.

 

[still fly]

I don't disagree with anything you've said now that you've presented it with context. You're right, we should have been moving towards green energy from day one, and sadly he's pretty much been as effective as the last idiot.

 

[cobainwasmurdered]

I think the scale and nature of this is different than anything. I really don't know though. I'ma casual follower of this stuff at best. Obama should have been more careful with his campeign promises seemingly. I would have thought hsi focus was entirely on health care reform and then he would move on to other issues. I dunno.

 

[909]

is there any established protocol in dealing with this catastrophe of this magnitude?

Also, not having an established protocol has never stopped people from dealing with things before or exempt them from criticism for not dealing with them.

All I see in your posts are talking points swallowed whole.

You do know we could have relieved our need to take on these high-risk drilling projects?

I provide proof to my assertions that counter your claim that Obama isn't taking charge, while you've got nothing apparently. And I'm the one spouting talking points? I think you do a good job of painting yourself, I have no need to do it.

So other than simplistic non-answers that have basis in anything, what should Obama have done to rein in a disaster that the likes of no government has ever had to deal with?

I already told you what should be done. He is talking a big game about punishing BP but hasn't. He talked a big game about moving onto alternative energy but didn't do it. I've got no reason to trust him. And where would I get talking points from?

You just have to read the newspaper to see that BP are the ones who have had sole input in the matter of the actual leak. The administration is concerned with cleanup. They are doing a decent job of it. That is not my main concern. My concern is with these high-risk drilling projects and how this hole has not been plugged. This could be one of many leaks if we do not divorce ourselves from oil, other drilling projects will be much more high risk because we're getting to the point where that is all we can get more oil from. I'm not saying I know how to plug the hole. But we have plenty of engineers who DO and because we are not taking charge with regards to the LEAK, they aren't getting a chance to close it. That's the problem.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/05/05/ongoing-administration-wide-response-deepwater-bp-oil-spill

Just read this whole page. I said the same things as Snuff, we shouldn't be in this position at all. But now that we are we need some leadership in the matter.

 

[Dobbs3K]

At the very least this has been a huge P.R. disaster for Obama. You would think he wants the Republicans to win in November. Maybe that is for the best at this point, since the Democrats haven't exactly done a bang up job.

 

[NoCalMike]

I might regretfully vote for Obama in 2014, depending who is running against him.

 

[oldskool]

I might regretfully vote for Obama in 2014, depending who is running against him.

He'd really appreciate your vote two years sooner, I'm sure.

As for plugging the hole...jesus christ, if it was that easy to plug it they would have done it already. It's underwater, there's unbelievable amounts of pressure down there and everything we've got that can get down that far hasn't been able to plug it. Unless you are suggesting we take all our submersible robots and just drive them into the exploded pipe to clog it like a drain pipe full of hair...

 

[ericmm]

As if anyone thinks that McCain / Palin would handle this disaster any better.

Sheesh.

 

[alkeiper]

I don't see how this could've been handled any better really. Should we have taken steps to curb offshore drilling? Perhaps, but the american people will lose their shit far more at increased gasoline prices than they will about the danger of environmental problems.

The problem with people in general is that they don't look at the consequences of their actions until it slaps them in the face.

 

[snuffbox]

As if anyone thinks that McCain / Palin would handle this disaster any better.

Sheesh.

Has that been the point made by anybody here?

 

[ericmm]

In terms of regretting my Obama vote..?

 

[snuffbox]

I regret my Obama vote. You would have to be incredibly stupid to think that means I wish I had voted for McCain, though. And there were not any worthwhile 3rd party candidates in 2008, either.

What I should have done is either leave the presidential section blank or write in Warren Harding for a posthumous 2nd term.

 

[NoCalMike]

Umm yeah I meant 2012...stupid typo ???

 

[Dobbs3K]

I regret my Obama vote.

I voted for Obama in order to punish the Republicans. Not really much more reasoning beyond that, other than McCain/Palin wasn't exactly an appealing ticket.

 

[Urban Warfare]

I'd argue almost every major problem in the States today is rooted in your staggering lack of choice during elections. Every single election basically boils down to the lesser of two evils. Fact of the matter is, Obama isn't gonna change a fuckin' thing because the same lobbyists and corporations who lined Bush's pockets are lining Obama's. Campaign finance reform would be a good a start but the two party system needs to end or America will continue down the path to ruin. Not that our system is that much better, but I'm glad I'm taking it all in from here in Canada.

 

[Twisted Intestine]

I don't understand people saying they won't vote for Obama in 2012 because of this - Obama saying he wants to get away from oil but "not doing anything about it". Won't the republican candidate be even more in favour of off shore drilling? So you'd rather vote for someone who encourages it rather than someone who says they don't like it but does nothing about it?

Or maybe republicans are for clean energy, what do I know.

 

[909]

You don't have to vote Republican. In fact I don't think anyone in this thread has advocated that. I sure as hell wouldn't.