The big BP picture that's not being discussed but should be...

This giant desecration of the gulf by BP has been followed by extensive coverage of efforts to stem the flow of oil, of congressional hearings, of finger-pointing, of technical drilling information, and of potential environmental impacts. Some of it is pertinent...some not.

This is all fine and expected. But hopefully when the dust settles we can talk about the big picture: the costs of privatization, the results of incredible corporate power, consequences of the enclosure of commons, the relationships between government and corporate power, displacement of and dis-empowerment of people, what kind of economic model should be pursued (is the goal enrichment of a few or sustenance of many?).

BP has caused incredible environmental, social, and economic damage. Hurt most will be many, many working people. How is this different from a huge factory farm (which in the first instance displaced hundreds of smaller farmers) polluting the river and groundwater so that locals must move, work for walmart, or take welfare? Some mitigation, some funding of local programs...and the business goes on. This is not rare and has occurred for a long time, in many countries, and in many types of industry. It is a sad old story but one which we need to revisit on the heels of this very visible example.

To BP and to other ultra-powerful corporations It is not really an un-anticipated disaster...it is an ANTICIPATED cost of doing business. When their liability (beyond cleanup) was limited to 75 million, this really was a statement that they are entitled to foul the water, kill life, destroy livelihoods...because they are royalty without real accountability. The gulf and all the life in it and the life that depends on it BECAME THE PROPERTY OF BP, in effect. The gulf commons was enclosed for their use...no different than the medievel lord kicking farmers off of historically peasant farmland and defending it for the sole use of his family. "Commoners" could no longer hunt, forage, collect produce, find wood, draw water, etc from the commons but the lord could hunt, and cut trees for grazing (fewer workers, more money), and gain wealth from this land at the expense of others. The commoners were dispossessed, excluded, negated....they could not compete and could not live.

This trend is the topic of a book I've just started to read....Earth Democracy by Vandana Shiva (highly recommended for DUrs). The section I'm reading, between news reports of the gulf disaster, talks about Agenda 21 of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (1992). 178 nations signed onto this document. The author highlights two principles of Agenda 21 that are particularly timely:

1) the Precautionary Principle...which calls for not undertaking activities that could cause ecological harm (it would seem that both businesses and government would be required to adhere)

2) the Polluter Pays Principle...which requires that the polluter pay for ANY harm done to nature and society and for the costs of cleanup. In Shiva's analysis, this should apply to costs of global warming too, but in the case of the gulf she would say that all costs of the spill should rightly be paid by the polluter.

These seems reasonable to me...otherwise, we are saying that the corporations own these resources and economies. Sadly, they appear to right now. What happened to these principles? Why in the world should a corporation with nearly unlimited revenues and profits be practically exempted from participating in the cost of ruining the commons and related economies? How many corporate entities have the same benefit and in what industries? In our headlong rush for corporate profits, what other resources and economies around the world are about to have their own version of the gulf spill?

I guess my point is that we should talk about why this is and what can be done about it so that we have a sustainable, "common sense" model for government, corporations, societies, and the environment.

(Side note: isn't BP one of the main beneficiaries of the privatization of Iraq's oil?)

That must be the total focus. I wonder if it doesn't happen because:

no scientist wants to wreck future gigs with BP by being critical

BP wants to salvage the oil more than plug the gush - or they want their cake and want to eat it too
justifying the expense they already have to deal with..

The 80s and 90s were the set up for Corporate New World Order, and the Bush-Cheney WH made sure fascism would win the day.

New World Order Inc = Fascism.

Bookmarked and K&R

Hope more will join in to discuss this.

...yes we are the pigs at the end of the pipeline, completely at their mercy.

Well written & to the point.:thumbsup:

In response to your final note: (Side note: isn't BP one of the main beneficiaries of the privatization of Iraq's oil?), let me add that BP and the CIA overthrew the democratically elected Mohammad Moussedi (sp?) in Iran in 1953. He wanted to nationalize Iraq's oil for the benefit of the Iraqi people, but BP and the US said: no way. Then through CIA covert ops, he was overthrown and the Shah of Iran, who allowed BP and the US 80% of Iran's oil/oil profits, was installed.

The rest is well known. Our Shah puppet was overthrown in 1979 by the Ayatollah Khomeini, the US embassy was invaded and workers there taken hostage and on a nightly news basis, Americans were fed images of Iraqis shouting death to the USA! Meanwhile in official Washington, Iraq became a rogue state.

Teabaggers and their ilk know only the story from 1979. They are ignorant of what led to 1979 and sadly, even likes of SoS Hillary Clinton help perpetuate the mythology.

Bottom line, BP and corporatized whores in leadership positions, including DLCers that people the Obama administration (Rahm), are just plain evil.

edited for typos

I wonder if the troll who thinks it's OK to privatize education will try to argue it's merits with you as well?

The US has always been in the pocket of corporations. Our model is to grow fast and dangerously putting the needs of nature and workers last. But hopefully disasters like the one in the gulf and the recent coal mine tragedy will force us to reconsider this position.

patents and certainly the patenting of life forms as more examples of theft of the commons.

Until we eliminate their influence on our government, change the way they are chartered and abolish their requirement to only consider profits to the exclusion of anything remotely socially responsible -- corporations will continue to take us with them down their sociopathic death spiral.

are sociopaths (now that they're people)

I've been trying to put into words, mind you, I have neurological deficits now, but..who the fucking hell gave the gulf to bp to destroy? who is giving the things that allow us to live and breath to some murderous corp. to ruin?..it's not MY right to life, its OUR right..it is a common right, and OUR lives depend on unpolluted commons

and thanks for the book rec..ill be looking for it

a greater extent in terms of public perception. I THOUGHT there was more commons than there actually is. But when someone told BP that their liability for damage to environment and people and economies was only 75 million, that's when we gave it to them. If they had been told that they have to pay for damages to the commons caused by their actions and by their hunt for profits, then they would have been much more careful...respectful. Or maybe it wouldn't have penciled and there wouldn't be a platform there in the first place. But by having the government subsidize the downside losses...what's to lose?

I think we're doing the same thing for new nuclear plants....no one would build one if they actually had to be responsible for the potential damage or failure.

They could stop the flow at any time with their standard procedure of using explosives but that would close up the well for good. They don't want this so they've been trying ways to keep in open but capture the oil.

your post would be a great OP

When gas was $4 a gallon here US truckers would drive their rigs to Mexico driving hundreds of miles out of the way to buy Mexican gas. Mexico has nationalized oil. I don't believe ANY commodity that is strategic to our national defense should be left in the private hands. We have seen how corporations will do anything for profit and kill people and destroy the environment without a thought. And then they always deny responsibility. We've had corporate economic terrorists, we've had corporate war profiteer's who stole billions from our treasury and now we have the oil industry once terrorists destroying people, the environment and the livelihoods of human beings. How long will we allow the constant assault by corporations against the people?

being done (lobbying, revolving door, campaign contributions)...not enough on why or what is being done, nor is the overall effect discussed. Nonetheless, privatization of government oversight is still scary

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-keenan/emshadow-eliteem-think-bp_b_574606.html

Not long ago (2002), we were saying that OF THE TOP ONE HUNDRED ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD, A MAJORITY WERE CORPORATIONS, NOT COUNTRIES OR STATES. So we're seeing a new patriotism, where loyalty and laws and time and oversight and money are spent not on behalf of the constituency but on behalf of the stockholders?