British Petroleum-Corporate Greed Fails To Plan For Disaster

The pipeline is still leaking and the tide has now washed the oil into the Louisiana wetlands damaging the eco system and harming countless wild life.  It’s put people out of work and will affect the tourism economies of the area for many years into the future.  I’m having a hard time understanding how the situation in the Gulf of Mexico could have possibly turned into the disaster it has become.  I understand that accidents happen, but it is mind-numbing to me that apparently, BP was allowed to operate in the Gulf of Mexico without having any kind of a plan in place for what to do in case of an accident.  It makes me wonder if there are nuclear reactors in full operation that don’t do any disaster planning?  Kind of a scary thought isn’t it?  Can you imagine a major nuclear accident and company officials going to the internet after-the-fact asking the public for ideas on how to fix it?  That would have been a ridiculous question a few months ago.  Now, it doesn’t seem too far fetched at all.

How could the government allow BP or any other oil company to operate an oil rig anywhere, especially in an environmentally sensitive area prone to hurricanes and other natural disasters without a step-by step plan for how to cope with a worst case scenario disaster?  It is not only reasonable that there should be a plan on file of what they would do in the event of a leak or an explosion, but it should be a requirement for operation.  This is a monumental failure obviously, but not just of BP who is taking most of the blame in the media. The real disaster we are seeing is hidden between the lines and belongs to the lawmakers, talk radio, and voters who have been touting the virtues of smaller government since the days of Ronald Reagan.  This is one of many all too common failures driven by corporate greed to the precipice of disaster while no one is minding the store.  For those of you who want lower taxes, deregulation, and smaller government, congratulations.  You have what you asked for in the name of British Petroleum, Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Lehman Brothers, Arthur Andersen, etc.  I’d much rather pay higher taxes in exchange for job stability and growth.  In exchange for a government that is adequately funded and qualified to provide public services and perform its’ regulatory and oversight duties.  Just my opinion.