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I have to agree with Brad, at least strategically. The outcome of the "problem
solving" farce being painted by the President and the Democrats is to blunt the
real anger that has been generated by this human-made disaster born of
negligence and service to profit. It is in their interest to "solve the
problem" as long as it helps them get re-elected. Making it appear that the
President's superior problem-solving skills will win the day while decrying the
incompetence of Big Oil is great "politics", especially if they can still
maintain a cozy relationship with the oil industry by demonstrating that they
"can get it right" with the right kind of guy in White House and in the
meantime keeping their rights to continued drilling, even if they have to eat a
few bills and some additional limitations.
I also believe that the pressure should be continued to force them to "fix it
NOW" or seize BP's assets so that the government can do it. It really isn't
up to us or the rest of the people to know "how" to solve the spill. After all,
that's what the "problem solver" is supposed to do. It should be firmly placed
in his hands so that he not only "accepts" sound byte responsibility, but
actually owns the problem. If his government solves it, great, the spill gets
stopped, Obama get re-elected (something that is probably weighing on his mind
right now), but, most important, another precedent gets set about government
expropriating private industry. If he doesn't solve the problem, all sorts of
ferment begins to happen and the working class begins at least to scratch their
heads about maybe we need to start coming with solutions ourselves to these
crises. That's all good.
What needs to be exposed is that the only solutions being implemented are ones
that are acceptable to BP and what BP finds acceptable is keeping their right
to make a buck, even if it means profiting from the misery they created. Obama
has actually laid his own trap by pontificating that he is "ultimately
responsible." His willingness to consider only those solutions that are
"business feasible" needs to be shown for what it is; that he is willing to do
"what it takes" as long as it is good for BP. In reality, Obama and Big Oil may
not know how to fix this spill and "blowing it up" may also not work. That's a
lesson in itself. What we do know, and what needs to become clear to the
people, is that the capitalists have made decisions not on whether it is good
for society, but what is good for their profits. Many workers, especially in
the south, who in the past have been impervious to radicalization have gotten
their bell rung. They may not see it immediately, but their class consciousness
is more likely on their minds today than before during the heady days of "drill
baby drill." Fix it. Fix it Now, or Get Out of the Way and Let Somebody Who
Can. Yeah, we can work with that.
>
> I also don't find it too radicalizing to allow them just to say
> 'whoops nothing we can do now' but we will let BP keep trying because,
> gosh, its really hard to figure out how to stop it and they are doing
> all they can (which has been and will be what they try to sell us on
> all environemental problems including climate change). No, if you
> wanted to radicalize people you would force them to fix it NOW and
> when they try to be tight with the means to stop it, you call them on
> their profit headed ways.
>
> Brad
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