Sunday May 2, 2010, 1:21 pm
This is so unbelievably disastrous that it is hard to find the words to describe it. Someone allowed these rigs to drill in these areas, and they hold some responsibility for every disaster that takes place and we can be sure this will not be the last. Our planet is already in jeopardy and now is being destroyed by just plain greed. And who pays for it all? We all do; and especially the marine life. They are in desperate need for people to come down and help to clean the animals and birds. Thanks, so much, Carole

Sunday May 2, 2010, 1:26 pm

Well, Barbara, I want to thank you for "elbowing" me in private emails to get something out.

I'm not sure if the immensity of this debacle has really hit home with most people. This is NOT just a Gulf of Mexico/Louisiana/Florida problem.

This has the potential to ruin all worldwide waters.

(I can't stop shaking my head.)

Sunday May 2, 2010, 1:27 pm
I am supprised that the local conspiracy "theorists" have not connected the oil spill to the H1N1 flu since every thing they claimed about that was bogus.

A horrific disaster has occcured concentrate your energy in recovery verses using it to furthur a personal paranoia.agenda.

Maybe it was Al Kiiida with a hoe and a long tube to suck air; they walked along the bottom of the ocean with a secret wrench, wacked the pipe and lit a secret flair call it Rick Flair....yea thats it Rick Flair and Al Kiiida worked with Hal Burton (Richards brother) and used Obamas original birth certificate to lite Rick Flair into action.

Then they released the deadly H1N1 vaccine with microchips that will enter the skin of all the animals activists to actually try to help the animals so thy can be tracked and sent to Az to be searched as illegals and put in tent city..

Sunday May 2, 2010, 1:36 pm

Thanks, Bill. I leave it to the intelligence of the individual readers to read the information and form their own conclusions.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 1:39 pm
Sometimes a disaster is simply the result of known, and highly ordinary, factors. Unless and until there is some credible evidence of unusual happenings, I believe we should ignore the conspiracy theorists.

But it is indeed a major disaster. And one I truly hope can be contained.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 1:48 pm

The issue that most concerns me, in addition to the overwhelming potential magnitude of this disaster, is that it sends the very strong message of the dangers of oil-drilling.

If this doesn't put a stop to it . . . WHAT WILL????

Sunday May 2, 2010, 1:54 pm
As a teenager I lived 5 miles away from the blow out fire of a well at Pigeon Lake Alberta, Canada. It took a long time to cap that well. It was so hot that the trees for a half mile around died and to this day not much grows there.

What is happening in the Gulf of Mexico is horrendous and will affect life on Earth for many years.

Thanks for the post, have put it on my FB page.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 1:56 pm
This whole thing makes me sick... It is beyond my ability to articulate exactly what I would like to say without being other than a lady... It is nothing more than greed run a muck... and I think all the talk of mini subs, etc, is nothing more than those responsible trying to cast aspersions in an attempt to avoid responsibity themselves... those who own, operate, and sub-contract the rig are those responsible...

Sunday May 2, 2010, 2:01 pm
Although the article is highly speculative, let us note that Haliburton was involved, which I did not know. Top dollars & great contracts for horrid results, as usual.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 2:06 pm
It just Proves the "science" of deep water drilling is not safe or sound - IF they can actually drill as deep as they Say they can, they can do it at an angle from solid ground. Shut down ALL off-shore rigs & put the money into SAFE energy..
PS. Nuke the pipe to seal it???? C'mon, even Palin wouldn't do that..or would she..;)

Sunday May 2, 2010, 2:13 pm
This is so horrific it is hard for me to function, thinking about the innocent sea life like dolphins. I think the North Korean angle is nonsense, if anything it is cooked up by BP or Halliburton to deflect attention away from themselves.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 2:18 pm

It's the GREED issue, more than anything, that makes me furious. It's no secret that corporations are controlling this government (and that the most horrendous experiences seem to consistently include the same key players).

But, when an incident, such as this one, arises -- I don't feel that a "temporary" ban on off-shore drilling is the answer.

 

Offshore drilling should be off the table for Obama
 




Just a few short weeks ago,President  Obama lifted the ban on offshore drilling.  Though environmental activists in his base were disheartened, the move was seen as typical of the president’s centrist, pragmatic approach.
 
Now, as a massive oil spill slowly creeps toward the Gulf Coast bringing environmental and economic disaster, the idea of lifting the ban on offshore drilling  looks plainly like the short-sighted political compromise that it was.  To deprive Republicans of their  idiotic “Drill Baby Drill,” slogan, the administration figured they’d let a couple oil rigs go up, and in the meanwhile move forward on green energy and climate change legislation.
 

Sunday May 2, 2010, 2:40 pm
Thank goodness the President canceled for now his idea of drilling in the ocean. We must keep encouraging him to keep it off the table permanently. I don't think that convincing him of the dangers will now be so hard to do. It is dangerous, plain and clearly dangerous, and can end up destroying the planet from pure greed by oil industry who think clearing $45 Billion dollars last year was enough profit.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 2:56 pm
$$# tKS Carole
Agree with Barbara

Sunday May 2, 2010, 3:12 pm
Good article Carole--as always. Thank you.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 3:13 pm
All I can say it is a scary situation. I hope no more drilling and those responsible are punished, fined, put in jail. Whatever this is serious.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 3:28 pm
oh boy i was wondering if the middle east had anything to do with this but they did not say anything in the article. I cannot believe how stupid humans are. Example:They build house after house with no consideration of how many highways they will need in the future or how much congestion it will cause well it is the same thing here-no consideration of safety at all!! There are no shut off valves that work at that depth and look at the destruction this is causing when they could have saved the planet by a few extra precautionary measures. Unbelievable! I am so so disgusted with humans right now. I am furious as a matter of fact. We are all paying for this all of us and those stupid drill baby drill idiots better keep their mouths shut from now on!!! Idiots. geez, thanks Carole this is an eye oepner!

Sunday May 2, 2010, 3:49 pm

There are a great many "stop off-shore drilling" petitions at the PetitionSite, and I just signed a handful of them, for anyone who's interested.

I'm sure that you, like me, have been signing them as they come to your attention, but I HAD to do something to make myself feel useful! (sigh)

Sunday May 2, 2010, 3:52 pm
Thanks Carole. While BP (self-professed environmentally conscious organization [that's no joke- have you seen their logo?] ) struggles to point the finger of blame at anyone but themselves, the elected MPs in our country (Canada) sing the praises of the Alberta Oil Sands who are looking pretty green right now beside the worst disaster since the Exxon Valdez. As you can see, being engaged in a blame game accomplishes nothing. This disaster gets worse by the day and even if they manage to cap the well off, the repercussions will resonate for decades and decades to come. Will we learn anything from this? I'm guessing we won't. The circumpolar nations in the north are still planning to drill in the pristine Arctic waters and are just biding their time until this "blows over".

Sunday May 2, 2010, 3:53 pm
Tierney, I agree, the "Drill baby drill" morons better just shut up. The garbage that spews from their mouths is sheer stupidity that I'm sick of having shoved into my face on a daily basis. No truth needed. It is just such a tragedy that this happened, and I fear that there will be no recovery any time within the next 20 years, if ever. Oil kills everything. Just spill a little on your lawn and try to get new grass to grow in that spot. Not possible. You need to remove all the dirt for a ways around it and down a good depth as well as the spot itself and replace all the dirt.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 4:01 pm
 
Yes, over a year ago, I posted one of Greg Palast's wonderfully insightful stories:
 
Stick Your Damn Hand In It: 20th Birthday of the Exxon Valdez Lie
 
Ahhhhhhhh . . . But they count on amnesia-inducing propaganda, hoping we'll forget.
 

Sunday May 2, 2010, 5:11 pm
Whoever is to blame I don't care!! My #1 concern is for the sea life!! And I know this may sound harsh but I'm glad that the fishermen can't work. The turtles and dolphins, even whales, get tangled up in the tuna nets.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 5:17 pm
I'd like to add, however, I do wish it could've been under less dyer circumstances that the fishermen can't work. I just wish we had one big siv that could drain out all the oil and send it into a black hole out in space. Thanks, *C* !!!

Sunday May 2, 2010, 6:36 pm
 
I just signed a petition from Firedoglake.  My comment was:
"This is the ONLY environment we have.  Tell big business to make profits that don't endanger it!"
 
Please join me:
 
←Tell President Obama to end all plans for offshore drilling
 

Sunday May 2, 2010, 8:10 pm
 

Leaked report: Government fears Deepwater Horizon well could become unchecked gusher 30 Apr 2010 'The following is not public' document --A confidential government report on the unfolding spill disaster in the Gulf makes clear the Coast Guard now fears the well could become an unchecked gusher shooting millions of gallons of oil per day into the Gulf. "The following is not public," reads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Emergency Response document dated April 28. "Two additional release points were found today in the tangled riser. If the riser pipe deteriorates further, the flow could become unchecked resulting in a release volume an order of magnitude higher than previously thought."
 

See continuing coverage of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010 on al.com and GulfLive.com.
 

Sunday May 2, 2010, 8:57 pm
This is terrible especially if it gets into the Gulf Stream. Who's going to take the blame for it then? Obama won't eventhough he always wanted the Off Shore Drilling. Who knows how many petitions there are and as far as I know I've already written 3 letters oposing the Off Shore Drilling. Now he can see for himself what damage it can do. I'll go looking for the petitions you mentioned although I won't get any credits but I don't care this has to be said. Not just for America but ALL OVER THE WORLD, NOT OFF SHORE DRILLING ANYWHERE.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 10:24 pm
Just Carole ~ Glad you posted this article, but the "leaked report" looks credible and is a doomsday scenario. Everyone should read it...NOW. My husband was working in the garden this afternoon. I stopped him so I could read out that article to him. He was stunned. He stopped working and sat down. He's always after me about my "conspiracy theories" and such. Because he has a mechanical, analytical mind, he said this could be very, very bad for the entire world.

Obama needs to come clean with with the nation and the world and put a halt to all drilling. He needs to tell us just how bad this situation is so we will all cooperate and get on board. He needs to fix a very high rate on any oil and gas we use today and in the future. It needs to be so high that it will force all Americans to reduce our driving to bare necessities - work, shopping, emergencies.

Transportation needs to start building high speed rails right away. Alternative energy sources needs to get moving fast. BP needs to go bankrupt paying for this disaster, and all oil companies need to be heavily taxed to help pay for what BP cannot. American taxpayers should not have to pay one more dime to bailout these corporations and their messes.

But if this leaked memo is true, and I think it is, we may not recover from this disaster. If they cannot plug this oil hole formation in the ocean floor, sealife will be destroyed, oxygen will be affected and the atmosphere may very well be compromised.

Throughout the years I have worked to keep drilling off California's coastline. I never imagined anything this big could ever happen. Man has been playing God with our natural resources long enough. I'm afraid it may be too late. I am one sick puppy tonight.

Thanks so much for your work on this, JC.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 10:51 pm
Actually, Marion, oil companies are paying a special environmental tax that goes into a special fund that was set up to address this kind of disaster. That said, it should not relieve BP of their poor safety and maintenance record or from being sued by businesses that will be affected or by animal rights groups or environmental groups.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 10:52 pm
I found this clip from a blog at doomers.us. While these people are about doom and gloom, some of the stuff there is on the mark. This clip struck me. Judge for yourself...


"A reader who is an engineer of considerable experience says watch this one evolve carefully because it is destined to continue to grow and he shares this long (but worthy explanation why:

"Heard your mention of the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico this morning, and you (and most everyone else except maybe George Noory) are totally missing the boat on how big and bad of a disaster this is.

"First fact, the original estimate was about 5,000 gallons of oil a day spilling into the ocean. Now they're saying 200,000 gallons a day. That's over a million gallons of crude oil a week!

"I'm engineer with 25 years of experience. I've worked on some big projects with big machines. Maybe that's why this mess is so clear to me.

"First, the BP platform was drilling for what they call deep oil. They go out where the ocean is about 5,000 feet deep and drill another 30,000 feet into the crust of the earth. This it right on the edge of what human technology can do. Well, this time they hit a pocket of oil at such high pressure that it burst all of their safety valves all the way up to the drilling rig and then caused the rig to explode and sink. Take a moment to grasp the import of that. The pressure behind this oil is so high that it destroyed the maximum effort of human science to contain it.

"When the rig sank it flipped over and landed on top of the drill hole some 5,000 feet under the ocean.

"Now they've got a hole in the ocean floor, 5,000 feet down with a wrecked oil drilling rig sitting on top of is spewing 200,000 barrels of oil a day into the ocean. Take a moment and consider that, will you!

"First they have to get the oil rig off the hole to get at it in order to try to cap it. Do you know the level of effort it will take to move that wrecked oil rig, sitting under 5,000 feet of water? That operation alone would take years and hundreds of millions to accomplish. Then, how do you cap that hole in the muddy ocean floor? There just is no way. No way.

"The only piece of human technology that might address this is a nuclear bomb. I'm not kidding. If they put a nuke down there in the right spot it might seal up the hole. Nothing short of that will work.

"If we can't cap that hole that oil is going to destroy the oceans of the world. It only takes one quart of motor oil to make 250,000 gallons of ocean water toxic to wildlife. Are you starting to get the magnitude of this?

" We're so used to our politicians creating false crises to forward their criminal agendas that we aren't recognizing that we're staring straight into possibly the greatest disaster mankind will ever see. Imagine what happens if that oil keeps flowing until it destroys all life in the oceans of this planet. Who knows how big of a reservoir of oil is down there.

"Not to mention that the oceans are critical to maintaining the proper oxygen level in the atmosphere for human life.

" We're humped. Unless God steps in and fixes this. No human can. You can be sure of that."

http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/topic,66715.msg1021547.html#msg1021547

The comments continue...

"If this guy is correct... then I'd say this may be THE event. And, I have a question. They keep mentioning a nuclear blast to seal the hole. "IF" they used a nuclear blast... wouldn't that create radioactivity in the ocean? I know this is probably a very silly question, but I don't know the answer to that."

Response: "Certainly it would. I gather you also have the problem of GETTING a nuke 5000 feet below sea level with all of that pressure and not having it completely crushed before you get it to where you needed it. Rest assured that if it does come to a nuke, you KNOW that TPTB realize that this guy is right and the only other option is the total extinction of the world's oceans. You are talking about a desperate gamble to save life on earth.

And even if it DOES work, the world's governments would need to stop ALL deepwater oil drilling immediately and permanently. And what does THAT do to Peak Oil?

Earlier, I was calling this situation a clusterfuck. Now I realize that it is more like armageddon."

also...

"George Ure also claims:

We hear - again from people who are reliable sources, but who we won't name in order to keep them from getting fired, is that there are a couple of parishes (county equivalents) in Louisiana which are preparing evacuation plans because people are being made sick by the smell of the oil and gas being blown onshore."

::

I'm going to continue reading that blog this thing develops.

I would love for someone to tell me this is hyped conspiracy garbage.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 11:05 pm
Ralph, Do you mean like the Exxon Valdez spill where victims were compensated with our tax dollars and listed in the bailout money?

Hmmm more illegals on the way eh?

Sunday May 2, 2010, 11:07 pm

I'd love that too, Marion. But, there are many reasons these "theories" (which often contain the same figures) are being highlighted by some reputable, but non-mainstream media . . . they've learned to follow the money. It's like the old saying, "Fool me once, shame on you -- fool me twice, shame on ME."

As for the money for damages, Ralph, here's an item by CNN:

Gulf of Mexico oil spill could cost BP $3 billion or more

There are a lot of uncertainties right now about the Gulf oil spill. But one thing is clear: In addition to the intangible loss of wildlife, it's going to cost BP a lot of money.

Under current law an oil well's owner is responsible to foot the bill for the entire cost of clean up in the event of a disaster. In this case that includes BP and minority partners Anadarko and Mitsui.

Clean up costs are currently running about $6 million a day, according to BP. Those include the cost of running the remote submarines that are trying to close the well, the drilling rig that's needed to permanently cap the well, and the boats corralling and removing the oil from the water.

And with the government mobilizing to help in the clean up, it also includes reimbursing any costs that the Coast Guard or Navy incur above their normal operating expenses.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 11:24 pm

Sue, yeah, this is a pretty "effed up" way to create jobs, eh?

(And, even over 20 years later, Exxon never did clean up as promised, which was the basis for the article by Greg Palast I mentioned above.)

Sunday May 2, 2010, 11:39 pm
I am just sick to death with the gov's lies and controlling ties with all our resources. Nothing has an effect on me anymore and there is nothing that I could say they would not do to gain further control as it is they have all our money and dangerously close to all our rights.

We went to war over oil. Why lie anymore?

Sunday May 2, 2010, 11:44 pm

Yes, this is a prime example of corporate control -- even at the cost of the planet's ecological balance.

And, yes, just because the government denies something doesn't mean it isn't so. They still deny that there is any danger in using depleted uranium, in spite of birth defects rising over 600% in areas where it's been/being used in mortar shells.

That's their story . . . and they're stickin' to it!

Sunday May 2, 2010, 11:45 pm
BP Oil Platform Spill Disaster is CHENEY'S Fault

Mike Papantonio, an environmental lawyer on the Ed Show just now: An 'acoustic switch' would have prevented this catastrophe - it's a failsafe that shuts the flow of oil off at the source - they cost only about half a million dollars each, and are required in off-shore drilling platforms in most of the world...except for the United States. This was one of the new deregulations devised by Dick Cheney during his secret meetings with the oil industry at the beginning of Bush's first term.

___________________

Life in prison for Cheney would be too generous.

Sunday May 2, 2010, 11:47 pm
Why does that not suprise me Marion?

Sunday May 2, 2010, 11:48 pm

Funny how that guy (Cheney) never seems to go away, huh? (And we can't even get anyone to prosecute him or GW.)

Sunday May 2, 2010, 11:57 pm
We are screaming more over Az law than GW or Cheney. Perhaps because Az is small fry in comparison to the the big kahuna's. Silly huh! They would look like how Sadam did iin the hole he was hiding in f they were ever truly confronted.

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:03 am

Diversions, Sue . . . just diversions.

The government doesn't really care about illegal aliens. Why? Because the corporations who benefit from their use control the government. That's also why the aliens are targeted, and not the corporations.

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:08 am
Exactly Carole, there is always some kind of ploy behind the bought medias franticism As with the oil spill I am sure.

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:08 am
 
Shoot, even in the film, Food, Inc., which graphically illustrates the gangster mentality of Monsanto's efforts to monopolize control of this country's meat and vegetables, there was an example of how the major meat distributors -- who use illegal aliens as workers, because they know they can't complain about the conditions -- alert INS of when to round up some of them, just to appease them.  And then, replace them with more.
 

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:30 am
Noted

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:30 am
signed

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:31 am
!!!

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:31 am
thx for that Blog

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:31 am
Yep and our gov is co owners of Monsanto!

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:39 am
Let me recap, your Government lied about chemical weapons and Al-Qaeda, sent hundred of thousands of your kids to get injured or die, took out hefty loans for u to pay and all their friends and family got just as much richer as u got poorer.
To me(a non American) that sounds like the biggest robbery in history!!
Why then do u need to blame North Korea when u had the axels of evil at the helm??

( I don’t buy this story, but the disaster is just that!)

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:41 am
Just goes to show that humans are not Gods. Why do people believe they are so confident and able to convince everyone that they have a right to drill into our earth and cause so much damage. Don't they realize the risks they are causing. How is the general public to be aware of the possibilities when we are talking into allowing such insanity to begin with? There is little hope for capping this off that far below the ocean, more than a mile deep. I always wondered what happens to the space under the earth when oil is extracted, if it could cause plates to move and increase friction when they do? It will take the planet a long time to recover from this, and will be changed forever. Who knows if this will be our ultimate demise. If we poison the ocean, the whole chain begins to break down. So sad. So many confident people who are really incompetent and cause hell for the rest of us. The nature of our mistakes keeps getting larger and larger. Maybe God has had it with us.

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:41 am

I post the articles, and as I said earlier, each reader needs to come to his/her own conclusions.

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:43 am

Judith, I agree with much of what you said, with the exception of using the word "confident," I'd replace that with "unconscionably greedy."

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:47 am
MAY OIL DRY UP SO IT'S ALL GONE - DO AWAY WITH CORPORATIONS

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:48 am
PUT AN END TO FOSSIL FUELS

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:51 am

Even if we could abate our ridiculous dependence on them . . .

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:51 am
My point in the former comment is only this;

The First Rule of power is to find an external enemy to divert attention from what the leaders are doing. It does not matter if it’s the Jews, the Mexicans, the Capitalists or the North Koreans. Diversion is the key!

( a sceptic man)

Monday May 3, 2010, 1:00 am
 
True, Mike. (Now I getcha.)
 
I remember watching this video awhile ago, which was used to illustrate how the government purposely distracts people from seeing the obvious:
 
Awareness Test
 
 

Monday May 3, 2010, 1:07 am
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704423504575212031417936798.html

Article in Wall Street Journal about the acoustic switch that would close off the pipe leaking but wasn't installed because Cheney wanted to save them money. Good article with drawings. Recommend. Not sure how long it will be available.

Monday May 3, 2010, 1:09 am

That said, however, since the overwhelming possibility of extreme future consequences of this oil spill is NOT being widely broadcast by mainstream media . . . and the fact that oil is involved . . . I would be inclined to believe this source.

(And that's pretty much what it's coming down to -- if you DON'T hear it widely -- LISTEN CAREFULLY.)

Monday May 3, 2010, 1:10 am

Thanks, Judith!

Monday May 3, 2010, 1:15 am
Thanks Carole for the post and following comments.

Thank you Marion for your comment from the blog, please keep them coming. It sure has me thinking and I'm somewhat concerned as we all should be.

Monday May 3, 2010, 1:49 am
thanks carol for the post

Monday May 3, 2010, 1:57 am
Very interesting comments - on what could be one of the most horrendous environmental disasters ever.

Monday May 3, 2010, 2:18 am

As caring patriots, we have an OBLIGATION to educate others. Pass truth along!

"Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government;... whenever things get so far wrong as to attract their notice, they may be relied on to set them to rights." --Thomas Jefferson to Richard Price, 1789. ME 7:253

Monday May 3, 2010, 2:46 am
Perpetrators of 09/11 is still a mystery to some extent, but the beneficiaries are a matter of public record and history. And soon will be the beneficiaries of the disaster begin to appear, however, Middle-class investment banker type of dollar oil debt created currency mortality is always on the table. And needs appear to be other concerns Trump community rights.
micro sd card

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:10 am
 
[from Care2 Code of Conduct]
"Problems and abuse reporting - Do not respond to abusive posts or otherwise engage in the furthering of inappropriate topics and posts. If you encounter a member that is abusing our system, report them directly using the 'Flag' tool so that appropriate action can be taken."

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:25 am
Another Jefferson quote

Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.
If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.'

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:28 am

Good one, Sue!

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:31 am

(But, excuse me, I'm still looking up "ture" and "ou.")

(hehehehehe)

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:40 am
Marion I agree "We are doomed" may all the good people in this world go quickly and peacefully when the time comes. To all the bad may they go via the crimes they have committed against all humanity and the incredible planet at triple the suffering they caused!!!!!!

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:49 am
This is how our government operates. Must be true patriots eh?

Would you please call the U.S. Representatives today and ask them to vote no on H.R. 2499? This is a trojan horse, middle of the night kind of bill that you may not have heard about yet. The Left is trying to label anyone who votes against this bill as a racist, so all representatives must be called!

Congress is at it again!

Now they are trying to sneak in a vote that would put Puerto Rico on the path to statehood. The only trouble is, they haven't exactly told US about it (sound familiar??).

* The U.S. would transform, overnight, into a bilingual nation. At least half of Puerto Ricans do not speak English, the language of our U.S. Constitution and founding documents. The Washington Times article, "Puerto Rican statehood," analyzes all the implications of adding a foreign language-speaking state to the Union.

* It would bring immediate demands for massive federal spending. The average income of Puerto Ricans is less than half that of our poorest state, and infrastructure and the environment are far below American standards. Puerto Rico has a population with a median national income of $17,741, nearly a third of that for the U.S.

* Puerto Rico is already a democracy. Despite the bill's deceptive title, Puerto Rico already has an elected government and exists as a self-governed commonwealth of the U.S.

* Statehood would give Puerto Rico more congressional representation than 25 of our 50 states! It would inevitably give Democrats two additional U.S. Senators and 6 to 8 additional Members of the House.


H.R. 2499 is stealth legislation designed to lead to the admission of Spanish-speaking Puerto Rico as the 51st state, thereby making us a de facto bilingual nation, like Canada. The U.S. Congress should not be forcing Puerto Ricans to vote on statehood, especially since the Puerto Rican people have rejected statehood three times since 1991!

No Member of Congress who describes himself as a limited government, fiscal conservative should be casting a YEA vote for H.R. 2499,as Puerto Rican statehood would cause an immediate increase in federal expenditures, particularly for taxpayer-funded welfare state services.

Read the whole thing:
http://biggovernment.com/taylorking/2010/04/28/puerto-rico-51st-state-congress-scrambling-to-make-it-so/

The Puerto Rican government is even playing hardball with it own people! Read this by Ann Shibler :

The United States House of Representatives is set to vote on H.R. 2499, the Puerto Rico Democracy Act, as early as this week. This bill would mandate a non-binding expression by the voters of Puerto Rico as to their wishes with regard to retaining their commonwealth status or becoming a state or becoming an independent nation, but in conjunction with other legislation already introduced inside Puerto Rico, the commonwealth status of the island could be eliminated as early as this year.

Three times in the past 43 years Puerto Ricans have voted against becoming the 51st state in the Union, the last time being 11 years ago. But this time the bill is rigged to eliminate the commonwealth option and grant either full statehood, or total independence. Sen. Jose Hernandez-Mayoral of the island's minority Popular Democratic Party said, "Behind this innocuous bill lies a fully thought out assault on Congress to designate the island the 51st state." "With the commonwealth option out of the ballot, statehood is finally, albeit crookedly, assured a victory."

HR2499 text:
Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009 (Reported in House):
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h2499rh.txt.pdf

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:53 am

Nope. I think they are "ture" patriots.

ROFLMAO!

Monday May 3, 2010, 4:20 am
Thanks,noted.

Monday May 3, 2010, 4:50 am
No surprise that Haliburton was in on this fiasco. SNAFU! FUBAR!

Monday May 3, 2010, 4:55 am
NP admittedly didn't install a safety switch on this vessel, and they had the nerve to say after the fact "whose to say the switch would have worked properly" Am over big oil, and am over anyone who doesn't SCREAM their disatisfaction to their political reps via congress.org. The only way to make change is to swarm them with your thoughts on this and to ban drilling and oil production altogether. Oil should be as outdated as the dinosaurs themselves. Anyone who doesn't DEMAND cleaner fuel alternatives is a fool. Sadly all the sealife will suffer most...and those who make a living off of them too.
Congress.org....everyone needs to favorite/bookmark this. It is a proven fact that the way to make change is to threaten your politicians by telling them you will neot re-elect if they won't listen.

Monday May 3, 2010, 5:13 am
Thanks for the article and the petition, Carole. This nightmare will haunt us for years to come.

Monday May 3, 2010, 6:08 am
This made me actually sick to my stomach when I first learned of this on the news. I remembered the Valdez and right away I knew this would be far worse. The Stupidity of the Human race is apalling. Is this enough to convince Obama to change his mind about offshore drilling, not that he should of gone there to begin with. I was so disappointed in him when he was going to allow more offshore drilling. I'll quickly get over to the petition site you mention Carole and add my name.

Monday May 3, 2010, 6:31 am
wow how stupid are human.. greedy pigs! poor animals

Monday May 3, 2010, 6:51 am
This is a worldwide probem - and do they care?

Monday May 3, 2010, 6:51 am
Maybe all the politicians should tour the the Gulf of Mexico in the water, so they can relate to the creatures plight with Dick Cheney as their Captain and Sarah Palin as his First Mate. Thanks Just.

Monday May 3, 2010, 6:54 am
Thank you for the article, Carole. I personally hope that this catastrophe really wakes up all people and works as an initial breakaway to make all! stand up against the oil-mafia. Due to there profits they have a tremendous lobby and only a collective wave (better a tornado) of citizens will be able to stop them. And to force politics for legal regulations that do not allow any loopholes for corporations. I just remember the attempt of introducing clean electric cars in the US, that has been smashed ba the oil-car-mafia in order to preserve their source of capital. May this disaster create the desired wave ...

Monday May 3, 2010, 7:48 am
I vote to send Cheney down there to fix this - he can be a human plug. It is all heartbreaking and sad and way too depressing - and it only proves that when it's human vs Mother Nature, Mother Nature will win every time. Wouldn' you think we'd learn?

Monday May 3, 2010, 8:29 am

Just woke up after getting some (a few hours) sleep.

Glad to see the enthusiasm here!

Monday May 3, 2010, 8:55 am
If it leads to disaster It seems to always have the Cheney name on it in some way.
What gets me about this is that people are calling it a oil spill. It's not a oil spill, it's a OIL FLOW and it keeps on flowing at the rate of 210,000 gallons a day. It is a disaster of monumental proportions and it hasn't been fix yet.

Monday May 3, 2010, 10:47 am
Thanks, Cynthia. Yes, it is an OIL FLOW that is running wild. Mainstream media is reporting less gallons lost per day and downplaying this. Saw this on twitter this am:

" BP #oilspill may affect the entire Carribbean, Gulf, Atlantic Ocean : disgusting BP officials are lying to all of us."

Monday May 3, 2010, 10:51 am
BP lawyers are running around to residents asking them to sign waiver of liability if they are given $5000.

Ted Kennedy's son and another congressman planning to sue BP for BILLIONS.

BP only liable to pay $75 million on this. After that, it goes to an oil fund by oil companies to pay.

Monday May 3, 2010, 11:02 am
Hurricane Season and the BP Oil Rig Disaster
http://www.thiscantbehappening.net/?q=node/512


from a blog:

"We had to do it, didn't we? In our desperate effort to maintain our over the top lifestyles, we had to go and waste the Gulf of Mexico, and now possibly the entire world's oceans! We HAD to do it. Let's take a look at what man is actively doing right now, this very minute. We're building nuclear power plants with no idea where to dump the highly radioactive waste, so we're just digging holes and burying it. A few scientists have recently announced this great new idea, to create an explosion of which they say, "If all goes well, the resulting reaction will be hotter than the center of the sun (more than 100 million degrees Celsius) and will exert more pressure than 100 billion atmospheres. This will smash the hydrogen isotopes together with so much force and heat that their nuclei will fuse, sending off energy and neutrons." But not to worry, it will be contained within a 7 foot thick cement box. And you gotta love the Hadron Collider and it's attempts to create a honest-to-God Black Hole right here on earth! We're genetically modifying our food, with no idea what possible strains of new plant borne diseases we might be creating in the process. We're genetically modifying our farm animals. And now we're talking about genetically modifing ourselves! And how are we liking this nanotechnology thing?

It's a horrible shame what we're doing to this planet in our giddy desire to get rich, to live fat and sassy, to strip the earth of every single last bit of goodness it held that could have sustained man, his future generations and indeed all of life if used in moderation, with sustainability in mind. But no. We had to do it. No big surprises there.

And I've absolutely NO doubt but that, should a miracle occur and we actually figure our way out of this new human caused disaster, we'll simply continue on with Business as Usual. This is our legacy."
http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/topic,66715.75.html

Monday May 3, 2010, 11:14 am
Thanks C.........Absolutely disgusting................Just another false flag/biz as usual I'm sure............the PTB are desperate and running scared. It has been said desperate people do desperate things. This is absolutely appalling, but no more appalling than 9/11..........By now the desperate PTB have made their agenda obvious. I hope more and more people are waking up......the corporateocracy and FRAUD has been rampant for way too long. It has been the root cause of most all atrocities we've witnessed and everything that has been wrong. THERE IS HOPE now..............this is perhaps not the venue for me to say all this, but as the result of computer problems with Care 2, and being unable to post a story myself, I'll take a few minutes here to to express what I believe is some encouraging news.

In case anyone is interested, there is the Restore America Plan (RAP), www.restoreamericaplan.net It is in full swing, moving quietly behind the scenes. Can't explain all here, much too lengthy. Suffice it to say on 03/29/10 the governors of all 50 states were served with administrative paperwork informing them they had 30 days to end their corporate ties and corporate biz as usual and begin functioning as the De Jure governors they took an oath to be and work for 'we the people' again, or be removed from office. If they do not step up to the plate, scrap their corporate agendas, take a new oath which puts them in 'contract' with "we the people", to serve, uphold and protect the constitution for the united States of America, c. 1789, they will be removed from office by military personnel and replaced with those who will uphold their oath of office.

Since 1860 congress has had no 'quorum'. Congress must have a quorum to pass laws. In 1860 some in Congress walked out because they did not like legislation being voted on. With no quorum, America was placed under the 'emergency powers act', our government became a de facto corporate government and America has functioned under military law ever since (behind our backs). The original constitution FOR the united States was pushed aside in favor of the constitution OF the UNITED STATES. The new version is actually a "CORPORATE" constitution. RAP promises to return America to the original constitution and bring an end to all the rampant injustice and corruption.......amendments14-27 are all part of the CORPORATE CONSTITUTION and are not part of the original constitution. These amendments were put in place without a quorum. Under RAP, these amendments no longer exist.

Every government official who works for the "CORPORATE" government MUST HAVE A BOND IN PLACE to serve in the office they hold. ALL of the bonds of every governor in America were arrested. They are functioning without bonds in place. No bonds = no corporate protection. This means they are lawfully between a rock and a hard place now, they can and will be held accountable for every action they take from here on out, there will be a steep price to pay for making the wrong choices. Of course this is just another story that was all but ignored by MSM and those who did report on it, like CNN, MSNBC, and a few newspapers, simply spewed lies and propaganda.............

I will give an example of the ramifications of no longer having a bond. A lady in Minnesota who's been fighting a foreclosure appeared in court not too long ago. She had many court watchers with her. The judge wasn't particularly nice to her (who's surprised). When the judge got finished ranting, the lady said to her, "I'm not sure this is true, but I think you should research it, I think you should really check this out, I think all the bonds for Minnesota have been arrested, and this means you're sitting on the bench without a bond." Then she gathered her purse and papers and left the courtroom. Her court watchers watched the judges reaction. Apparently the judges face turned snow white. All judges and other government officials KNOW exactly what the ramifications are of not having a corporate bond in place.........

What all of this will mean to all of us is no more illegal (actually unlawful) wars, no more corrupt actions by gov't officials, no more of a lot of things, INCLUDING situations like the one being discussed here.............nuff said

I will only add this. It is declared that RAP has the full support and backing of high ranking officials in our military. If it's absolutely true, we will see very good changes begin to happen in America. Apparently there are people in countries all over the world now who are coming to the guys who have implemented RAP for help to do the same thing in their own countries. There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes that are not being shared for a reason. We know de jure grand juries are in place in every state and many could find themselves on trial for having committed treason.

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:23 pm
Oil Slickonomics

"Three scenarios lie ahead. They rank as bad, worse, and ugliest (the latter being catastrophic and unprecedented). There is no “good” here. [visit the link for these scenarios.]

In addition, the offshore-drilling energy sector will face much-increased and more costly regulation. Deepwater and all offshore drilling in the US has been set back for a generation, just as Three Mile Island set back nuclear power development for decades. No politician can win an election now with a permissive view on drilling. Sarah Palin’s “Drill, baby, drill” now condemns her to political marginalization. Off shore drilling has lurched to the top of the political agenda in this November’s election cycle"

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/05/oil-slickonomics/

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:43 pm
 
Great references, Marion . . . thanks!
 
I also ran across the following article from England's The Independent:
 
var articleheadline = "Leading article: It's not just BP we need answers from";
Leading article: It's not just BP we need answers from
 

Monday May 3, 2010, 12:50 pm
We are all to blame, we let them do it because we are using oil non-stop, so there, now evrything is being destroyed, we are part of it unless we stop it, they want oil, for them, we can use clean energies. This is I think the greatest disaster ever.

Monday May 3, 2010, 1:50 pm
so sad

Monday May 3, 2010, 1:50 pm
This is going to be so much worse than any of us could imagine! May God forgive man for his selfishness!

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:01 pm
We are all to blame. We must choose to grow up now, or, face the consequences. If it is not already too late. We must not use oil. Period. Or nukes. We must change our way of thinking, use less, use alternatives, do without. Or pay for it with the eventual death of this planet. The planet can only take so much and we are throwing so much at it and expecting the earth to just take it and go on. Eventually, it will not so do.

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:24 pm
How many lost lives, animal, fish, andperson will it take to convince Obama and big oil and Sarah that fossile fuels are not the way to the future, but the way to the end? Please sign and share http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-offshore-drilling Thank you

Monday May 3, 2010, 3:34 pm
Interesting article..... interesting for me was to find out the involvement of Halliburton with the cap issue.
Interesting because about 10 days before this (accident) the ink was dry on Halliburtons deal to purchase the biggest oil spill recovery company in the world. Now there's some valuable inside info to profit on.

If this corporate cabol can convince the American people it was a terrorist attack that would relieve BP of all resposabilities on the clean up and that cost would be absorbed 100% by the taxpayers- YOU.

There were a lot of great comments above. The diversion comment is right on the money.
I hope this will get people talking more about the suppressed hidden technologies of free energy etc that already exist and are purposely withheld from us in the name of profits for the corporations that run the government from the shadows. We don't need OIL and haven't needed it for over 100 years now.
Is it time to demand the release of these US Patents and say No More to the oil companies for good.
They have screwed us 100% of the time, 100 ways from Sunday for the last 100 years.
I sure hope so.

Monday May 3, 2010, 4:01 pm
Noted. Thank you for sharing this!

Monday May 3, 2010, 5:27 pm
Noted, thanks.

Monday May 3, 2010, 5:48 pm
Good article, JC. With 40% of seafood coming from the Gulf, the increased cost of fish will be out of range for most. Obama has said BP will pay for all of this, but talk on the street says they will get out of it and Americans will, again, eat the bill.

I'm all for reinstituting the death penalty for corporation CEOs who commit fraud in disasters like this, liquidate all corporate assets and dissolve the business. I bet we'd then see some accountability and responsible business practices.

Monday May 3, 2010, 7:11 pm
thanks

Monday May 3, 2010, 7:35 pm
This is threatening to be the worst horror story since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. What we have here is something with the force and potential of a large volcano like Pintaube. Just hope that controlled ignition can be started. Think of the burning in Iraq after Gulf War I. I think we have to prepare for the large disaster; evacuation and logistics.

Monday May 3, 2010, 7:36 pm
I live near the Gulf Coast and not only are animals washing ashore dead just imagine the loss of coral reefs, shrimp, oysters, etc. Not only that but nesting sites of pelicans; poor otters, turtles and the gulf waters. Many families who depend on shrimping, fishing and crabbing will now have no income. All these disasters occuring - from the mining 'accident' in West Virginia (because even though the powers that be were warned about the problems, chose to 'ignore' them)to this oil spill....WHAT IS GOING ON? The money these big corporations use to pay off politicians is BLOOD MONEY!!!! EVIL, EVIL, EVIL!!!!

Monday May 3, 2010, 7:43 pm

From Peaceteam.net:
 
There is no verbal hyperbole sufficient to express the magnitude of the environmental catastrophe now known as Deepwater Horizon. It is nothing short of an Armageddon of Oil. Assuming we even survive this one, we must immediately mobilize a crash program for truly renewable alternative energy resources.
Despite the gusher of lies we've heard trying to minimize the planetary scale disaster now in progress in the Gulf, the terrifying truth is available for those who will hear it. First they told us the "leak" was only 1,000 barrels a day, when in fact it is at least 5 times that much. Of course it's hard to pretend an oil slick the size of New Jersey isn't there. And it could easily blow out to 50,000 barrels a day (2,000,000 gallons) in a heartbeat, according to a "not for public" NOAA emergency report.
This is not just a leak, it's a monster underwater oil geyser, under upwards of 100,000 pounds per square inch of pressure, enough force to lift 50 tons with your thumb. And unless it is somehow stopped, it may spell the end of all marine life on the planet. We are not talking about just one Exxon Valdez size tanker spill, we are talking about one of largest oil fields ever discovered completely venting its entire contents into the ocean, thousands and thousands of tankers. It's THAT cataclysmic.

But, assuming we miraculously dodge the literal end of the world this one time, we need to finally do what should have been done 20 years ago, and throw everything we've got into a crash program for alternative renewable energy, and stop burning fossil fuels before they kill us all.
Action Page: http://www.peaceteam.net/action/pnum1043.php

Monday May 3, 2010, 9:37 pm
Why not nationalize all oil companies in the US now? Let them pay for the cleanup, instead of US taxpayers, with disaster declarations and tapping into 'federal' funds.

After the cleanup, the profits can be allocated to developing solar, wind, and other renewable energy sources, plus some checks to US citizens, like they do in Alaska... they get oil profit sharing checks for each resident. If it is so good for the followers of Palin, why not for the rest of us?

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 1:29 am
Thanks Just C.! I hope it does put a stop to offshore drilling because this is far from the only spill even it it's the biggest. That Haliburton might try to blame someone else is NOT in my book that far fetched at all! I of course don't know where this will take us but my mind is open to all sorts of things!

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 2:58 am
If it's true, it's very scary. Thank you for sharing

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 4:22 am
thanks for sharing,

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 7:30 am
I find the timing of this whole mess to be very convenient, I also have learned that when this kind of thing conveniently happen that it is far less likely to be coincidence. Lets just hope and pray that it all works out as best as possible and this does not become any worse than it already is.

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 8:53 am
Road Less Traveled ~ Great idea! But we need time to think about that. Let's not "rush anything" and "shove this down our throats." Let's table this idea until the oceans are all ruined and we can revisit your idea.

The oil companies lobby to legislators, primarily republicans. They will fight this idea tooth and nail. Guaranteed. Anything good for America is not good for them.

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 10:43 am
Maybe my link did not come out as planned as I tried it and couldn't open WS article. Here is a comment from another that opens the link without a problem, and interestingly enough a comment from the UK on the 29th of April. Seems they get their news faster than we do about the lack of acoustic valve closure. Criminal if you ask me. Try it again if it didn't work before.


Posted 29 April 2010 - 09:56 AM
Once again, boils down to greed!
The US does not have a mandatory ruling on an acoustic switch

Quote:-
"The U.S. considered requiring a remote-controlled shut-off mechanism several years ago, but drilling companies questioned its cost and effectiveness, according to the agency overseeing offshore drilling. The agency, the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, says it decided the remote device wasn't needed because rigs had other back-up plans to cut off a well"
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704423504575212031417936798.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular

Drilling Companies questioned it's cost?.....oh yes!..I'm sorry!....They can't afford such things....I mean lets face it...what is the death of eleven people, and an environmental catastrophe compared to a final solution cut off switch?

Well, let's hope the head men at 'The Drilling Companies' don't lose any sleep eh?


W*nkers
Posted Image

Death From Above

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 11:28 am
Thanks for sharing. Noted.

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 12:50 pm
 
Although the situation is being minimized by mainstream media, we have a right to be aware of the TRUTH!
 
The following is of EXTREME interest:
 
Climate Change in The Gulf of Mexico from the oil slick; Oil Slick Could Cause Drought across the Southern USA.
 
"The weather is already changing. Clouds are not forming as readily above the oil slick"

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 12:58 pm
"NP admittedly didn't install a safety switch on this vessel, and they had the nerve to say after the fact "whose to say the switch would have worked properly" Am over big oil, and am over anyone who doesn't SCREAM their disatisfaction to their political reps via congress.org. The only way to make change is to swarm them with your thoughts on this and to ban drilling and oil production altogether. Oil should be as outdated as the dinosaurs themselves. Anyone who doesn't DEMAND cleaner fuel alternatives is a fool. Sadly all the sealife will suffer most...and those who make a living off of them too.
Congress.org....everyone needs to favorite/bookmark this. It is a proven fact that the way to make change is to threaten your politicians by telling them you will neot re-elect if they won't listen."

Katie ~ Your statement begs repeating. We all need to bookmark and USE this link to voice our outrage...EVERY DAY:

http://www.congress.org

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 1:01 pm
Thanks Just Carole. We are in crisis mode and this may eventually impact the entire nation and world.

Maybe now people will be ready for disaster preparedness.

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 1:06 pm

I am so overwhelmed right now that I can't do it (fielding responses on posted articles is extremely time-consuming) . . . but I am asking that someone post as C2NN news the article I mentioned above!

Climate Change in The Gulf of Mexico from the oil slick; Oil Slick Could Cause Drought across the Southern USA.

(Which, I will be pleased to help promote.)

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 1:20 pm
Would love to Just Carole. But my PC is slow and I'm swamped contributing to articles. Wish I could help. Hope someone else has the time.

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 3:22 pm
When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.

Do not judge your neighbor until you walk two moons in his moccasins.

A brave man dies but once, a coward many times.

Do not wrong or hate your neighbor for it is not he that you wrong but yourself.

It is no longer good enough to cry peace, we must act peace, live peace and live in peace.

It does not require many words to speak the truth.

If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other.

If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.

When the Earth is sick, the animals will begin to disappear, when that happens, the Warriors of the Rainbow will come to save them.

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 3:27 pm
Marion, thank you so much for your intelligent input on this matter (and so many others).
I've decided to post the article here myself -- I couldn't stand that it might not be read:
 
Climate Change in The Gulf of Mexico From the Oil Slick; Oil Slick Could Cause Drought Across the Southern USA.
 

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 3:46 pm
Just heard...

Oil is blowing toward the Florida Keys. This would be a humongous disaster!

(will cross post)

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 7:40 pm
As oil gets harder to find, deeper oil wells, like this one, on the ocean floors, pose more risks. Deep oil wells in the oceans -- just don't do it.

Tuesday May 4, 2010, 9:42 pm
I am curious as to why with all the science in our new millennium and the need for off shore oil drilling, why, why after Exxon Valdez disaster have they not come up with some sort of "neutralizer" (for lack of a better word) since we know that soap gets rid of oil it would seem that it would not be so hard to devise a "degreaser" foam of some sort to save the world since everyone seems to think this is the big one. I'm not a scientist but I'm just saying, we can do anything we want to apparently, why not this?

Thursday May 6, 2010, 11:23 am
Ty JC.

Thursday May 6, 2010, 11:40 am
Good question, Rebecca. I suspect it has to do with money. BP and the oil companies have cheaped their way around the whole operation of safeguards and protecting the environment.

Currently, BP has dropped 165,000 gallons of dispersants on the oil. As the word implies, this merely disperses the oil across the ocean, but does not get rid of it. What is needed are "coagulants" that would coagulate the oil into areas where it can be collected and recovered for use. But that makes too much sense...and costs more money.

Right now, there's a headlong rush to get this oil out of sight and out of our minds.

And while the government is doing all they can to clean up this mess...

Mike Papantonio: BP Unleashes the Flying Monkeys on Washington DC
Mike Papantonio talks to Ed Schultz about British Petroleum's political tactics and the use of their "flying monkeys" as he calls them such as Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and "heck of a job" Brownie to do the fear mongering for them that the right wing extremists of this country and the tea bag crowd respond to. Ed said he'd have Pap on every night if that's what it takes to get something done about this disaster and to continue to draw attention to how the oil industry is handling it.

I think that would be a good thing since Papantonio unlike 99.9% of the guests you're going to see on cable "news" basically broke down their tactics pretty well. Misdirect anger, use corporate shills for your defense, focus on the Obama administration instead of industry, misdirect and basically try to scare the hell out of everyone about getting off of fossil fuels and if that doesn't work, bring god into it.

As Pap noted, BP probably doesn't have enough enough money to throw at this problem to make it go away this time, but that hasn't stopped them from dispatching their lobbyists to converge on the politicians in Washington D.C.

Sadly unlike Ed's show and a few scant others we're not going to hear much about corporate America's influence on the Washington D.C. and how that influence has led us to stay dependent on oil and to give little care for things called oversight and regulation. Businesses need rules of the road. When you take those road signs down, they're always going to abuse them. This BP disaster just looks like another example where we need to get the money out our of politics if we're ever going to reign them in and actually get us off of oil while making this industry act responsibility in the mean time.

I'm not holding my breath. Sadly it's looking like even one of the worst spills in history still isn't enough for the right wingers in the House and the Senate who are still pushing for more drilling offshore.

Thursday May 6, 2010, 11:50 am

I saw on the news this morning that environmental groups (a Sierra Club spokesperson was present) are concerned about the long-term effects of the chemicals contained in the dispersants (although exactly what chemicals they are was not revealed). BP has ceased applying them directly to the water (but is still doing fly-overs, dusting the ocean).

Now, they are hopeful that this 100 ton behemoth concrete/steel structure will divert the flow, to be captured and contained. (However, it's never been used at these depths, so there's some doubt it will work.)

And, yes, Marion . . . future off-shore drilling is STILL on the table, just temporarily on hold.

(Shaking head.)

Thursday May 6, 2010, 3:09 pm
Update...

Oil has just reached the shoreline.

A major fight is going on in congress over offshore drilling.

Thursday May 6, 2010, 3:27 pm
 
Here's a well-written discussion on dispersants:
 
Researchers worry about oil dispersants' impact, too
 

Thursday May 6, 2010, 7:15 pm
from the article...

"The dispersants, which work much like detergent on greasy dishes, are being used in amounts that may exceed anything ever tried. They break up the oil slick floating on top of the water and spread it in tiny droplets that mix deep down into the water, preventing it from reaching shore.

At the same time, though, the toxic brown brew could damage or destroy the fish, coral, oysters and other creatures that live under the surface. So far, no one is predicting what the consequences might be for humans.

The dispersant has a low to moderate toxicity. Nalco won't reveal its exact makeup, because the information is proprietary, Pajor said. The company is trying to make more of it as fast as it can, he said.

"There's research out there that shows that dispersed oil is more toxic than the oil itself, and then there are studies that say it's the same," she said. "The big questions are what are the long-term or delayed effects, and how will the different routes of oil exposure due to dispersant use affect exposed organisms? Those are topics that really haven't been looked at in detail and were highlighted in the NRC report."

Oysters, for example, could take in the droplets as they feed, she said. Fish can ingest the droplets by drinking water, or the droplets can stick to fish gills, suffocating them. The droplets also bind to other organisms, including those that are part of the food chain.

...People are expecting to see birds covered in heavy crude, but the real suffering in effects is happening out at sea out of sight of the cameras," he said in a report on his trip.

...A safety data sheet for Corexit 9500 said it had a low to moderate toxicity to humans. It also said that no toxicity studies had been conducted on it. Another version of the dispersant could cause damage to red blood cells, kidneys or the liver through "repeated or excessive exposure," the safety sheets said. The company recommended people handling Corexit wear protective clothing and gear.

The oil itself contains chemical components that evaporate, causing vapors that are a potential health risk. The contaminants also can accumulate in the food chain.

In an experiment never tried before, BP used robots to pump dispersants on the sea floor near the leak about 5,000 feet below the surface. The test stopped Tuesday night until scientists could evaluate how well it worked."


This is truly disturbing, Carole. Nalco won't disclose the ingredients in the dispersant. But humans are advised to not get it in the eyes, skin, mouth, clothing or breathe it. I think those are similar instructions on old Drano cans containing acid. I'm exaggerating, but if humans are sensitive to these chemicals, I'm sure it will devastate everything in the ocean and may worsen the situation if sea life was just dealing with the oil.

I wouldn't be surprised if Nalco is somehow associated with Halliburton (Cheney) and BP.

I wish we had never discovered oil. Sickening. Poor creatures.

Thursday May 6, 2010, 7:25 pm

I so agree, Marion! This is just another "quick fix." ("Make it disappear, and then make them prove it was our fault later.") Much like the government's patent denial that DU is harmful . . . in spite of glaring statistics proving contrary.

And, I don't see anyone stopping them. If you and I are aware of this much, then, surely, so is our government, with their plethora of advisors, who are paid to relay this same information to the decision-makers.

Sometimes, I just want to scream and throw up my hands at the utter lack of compassion for life (animal and human); not to mention the domino effect on our (one and only) ecological system.

Hey, at least I can find thinking people, like you, who understand and won't treat me as if I'm a hysterical alarmist.

LOL!

Thursday May 6, 2010, 7:38 pm

Clarification: When I said, ("Make it disappear, and then make them prove it was our fault later.") . . . I was referring to the aftermath caused by using the unstable, and largely untested, dispersants, on humans, sea life and the environment.

Thursday May 6, 2010, 8:44 pm
In reading the article for this thread, I missed the Halliburton connection. However, it hit home when I read the following:

"THE GULF OF MEXICO OIL PLATFORM EXPLOSION:
CEMENT CASING THAT BLEW WAS INSTALLED BY HALLIBURTON :
MORE U.S./DVD SABOTAGE AGAINST THE BRITISH?
Just as our suspicions from the outset over the Polish air catastrophe at Smolensk proved to be justified, so do we and many others smell a giant rat concerning the explosion and fire at the BP oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. And the face of the rat bears an uncanny resemblance to the ugly physiognomy of George Bush Sr.

For starters, the cement casing that blew up was installed by the corrupt Cheney-CIA operation called Halliburton. Apparently this is the second time in a year that a Halliburton casing has failed catastrophically on an oil rig.

• Before we go any further, please note that we don't deny that alarmist reports about the oil rig explosion may or may not have substance: we don't know. We are alluding here specifically and exclusively to the Halliburton casing, which, as indicated, is the second such casing to have failed catastrophically in the space of a year.

It may be recalled from our earlier coverage that Halliburton operates a huge parasitical buying and ordering department within the Central Intelligence Agency and a parallel parasitical department inside the Pentagon, and that both these entities scam the opposite host on a routine basis, at the expense of the US taxpayer. Whether this unbelievable duplicated CIA scandal was investigated and wound up after we and others exposed it [see report dated 26th May 2008, excerpted below: ARCHIVE], we don't know. What we do recall is it became the subject of a Grand Jury investigation.

Horror stories associated with this colossal corruption op. included the faulty Halliburton gun manufactured in Saudi Arabia that routinely exploded and killed the gunner, which Halliburton continued selling long after the accidents in question (plus the despicably amoral cover-up of the reason for the gun operators' deaths); and the notorious delivery of 1,000 toasters which could be bought for $19.99 at any hardware store, but which Halliburton invoiced to the Pentagon for $1,891 a piece, on the spurious pretext that they were manufactured from a special metal.

Now the oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico at 10:pm CST on 20th April 2010, was 'Deepwater Horizon' owned by Transocean Limited, based in Zug, Switzerland, with its principal office located in HOUSTON, Texas, and other offices in Zug and Vernier, Switzerland, and in George Town, Cayman Islands. Zug is where Marc Rich, real name HANS BRAND, the long-range Deutsche Verteidigungs Dienst (DVD) operative and East-West intermediary, is based.

The explosion occurred on the very same day that Transocean shares started trading in Europe, as is confirmed by the following Press Release dated 20th April 2010:

http://www.deepwater.com/fw/main/News-748.html?c=113031&;p=irol-news&nyo=0

'ZUG, SWITZERLAND, Apr 20, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Transocean Ltd. (NYSE: RIG) (SIX:RIGN), the world's largest offshore drilling contractor, announced that its shares will begin trading on SIX Swiss Exchange ("SIX") today under the symbol (RIGN). Transocean's shares also trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol (RIG)'.

Following this sabotage, Barack Obama reversed course on offshore drilling, BARELY THREE WEEKS after he had publicly announced a revised domestic energy policy lifting the longstanding moratorium on certain offshore drilling. Specifically, on 30th April 2010, the controlled US 'State News Agency' Associated Press reported:

'A top adviser to President Barack Obama said Friday that no new oil drilling would be authorized until authorities learn what caused the explosion of the rig Deepwater Horizon. David Axelrod told ABC's 'Good Morning America' that 'no additional drilling has been authorized and none will until we find out what has happened here'. Obama recently lifted a drilling moratorium for many offshore areas, including the Atlantic and Gulf areas'.

'The oil slick could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening even the Exxon Valdez in scope'.

According to Reuters [25th April 2010]:

'Swiss-based Transocean Ltd.'s Deepwater Horizon sank on Thursday, two days after it exploded and caught fire while finishing a well for BP Plc., 42 miles off the Louisiana coast.

Eleven workers from the rig are missing and presumed dead in what is the worst oil rig disaster in almost a decade. The Coast Guard on Friday suspended a search for the workers.

London-based BP, which is financially responsible for the cleanup, has deployed an armada of ships and aircraft to contain the oil slick.

The explosion came almost three weeks after President Barack Obama unveiled plans for a limited expansion of US offshore oil and gas drilling.... The explosion occurred as the rig was capping a discovery well pending production, company officials said. Some 115 of the 126 workers on board at the time of the explosion were rescued'.

• HOWEVER:

• The 'Deepwater Horizon' operation received a safety award in 2009.

• Has British Petroleum at last realised that it is just as hazardous to do business adjacent to US waters as it is to do business in the Soviet Union?

If BP had had the wit to subscribe to Soviet Analyst years ago, we could have informed them that a primary purpose, from the Soviet perspective, of enticing foreign oil corporations into the 'former' USSR was to procure the necessary transfer of technology into Soviet hands, before the GRU-KGB-controlled 'oligarchs' would squeeze the Western operators out.

• The Americans similarly use sabotage to destabilise the foreign competition.

• As you can see, there is more than a passing indication that this sabotage may be a desperate Bush Crime Syndicate-related (i.e., DVD) operation, with the non-coincidental 'happy' outcome that British Petroleum, sabotaged again, bleeds financially.

• In other words, yet another typically hardnosed US kick in the teeth for the Brits, not unassociated, we suspect, with concurrent forceful financial developments in the background."

Source: http://www.worldreports.org/news/288_endemic_corruption_in_brussels_and_halliburton"

::

I never believed the official 9/11 story, so I believe sabotage of this oil rig is possible.

Saturday May 8, 2010, 11:28 am
Let's hope and pray that a worst case scenario does not take place.

Saturday May 8, 2010, 12:34 pm

Well, we really did it this time didn't we?

Saturday May 8, 2010, 10:27 pm
did anyone actually read the article? It's horribly inaccurate.

Monday May 10, 2010, 4:48 pm
sadly noted....

Sunday June 13, 2010, 4:07 am
BP Oil Spill....how would it look in YOUR town?

http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/

Sunday June 13, 2010, 5:19 am
While I appreciate the article to some extent, no sense wasting precious brain power on unsubtantiated "what if" conspiracy theories. The Ec0-cide is the only true factor in this scenario that should be focused on. We should be glad to have this world wide wakeup call and put every brain cell in place to see that it is cleaned up and not repeated in the future. Articles like this can sometimes put more fear and harm out there, and detract from what is most important. The obvious truth is BP and Haliburton F'd up, and our World leaders need to push them aside and take matters into their own hands by overriding all the red tape to get what needs to be done-- done yesterday.

Sunday June 13, 2010, 7:11 am
We have seen the trend of just doing what they want regardless of public opinion through the last administration but the media usually does their dirty work for them . They start by little bits here and there (teasers) and continue till people get over the initial "anger" as people get used to the idea and ultimately resign to the fact that they will do what they want before the actual explanation of how it will be the lesser evil and there is just no other way.
It's a tactic proven time and time again and will be interesting to see how it will play out.
This article and others like it if true will no doubt leave some mark, they have all the time in the world to handle the spill either by nuke, their supposed handling or natual leakage. But either way the ocean is screwed.

Sunday June 13, 2010, 11:35 am
How many disasters and wars do we have to endure before we come to the realization that big corporate greed is going to be the worlds down fall. How long are people going to by into the lie that less Government and no corporate regulation and my favorite, "the market can take care of it's self" some how makes us more free. This oil pressurized river is nothing more then a classic example of corporate greed gone amuck.