It's not going to work, BP

[Cavemonster]

As ever I would say follow the money - there has never been any sign since the disaster happened that something has been delayed because BP was slow or reluctant to pay for it.

Frankly, this would be hard to know without actually being inside the confidential meetings being held there. This is a one of a kind disaster, so from the outside, it's impossible to know if possible solutions are being shot down or delayed because of reluctance to pay. The reason so much money is flowing out of BP is that the early attempts to stop the flow did not work. I don't attribute any nobility to it. They are dead as a company until they stop the oil from flowing out.

What we do know, from memos, is that of the 11 people killed in the blast, some of them may likely have survived if BP had bought the stronger shelters specifically designed to protect against such a blast, which they specifically declined to buy, instead opting for the cheapest shelters.

So we have a documentation of them putting profit above human lives in a gamble and losing those lives. I am less apt to give them the benefit of the doubt in their other actions.

 

[quarky]

If it was really cynical, wouldn't the spokesperson be a mega-babe in a bikini, holding a power tool and explaining the next move?

 

[MG1962]

If it was really cynical, wouldn't the spokesperson be a mega-babe in a bikini, holding a power tool and explaining the next move?

she would be firing a 50 cal machine gun

 

[Tricky]

Sorry, I haven't had a lot of time to participate more in this thread. For one thing, I have stated my position. For another, I recognize that a BP employee can hardly be unbiased. And for a third, I had to change my car oil and dump the old oil in the duck pond near my house. Being evil is a full time job.

 

[Stellafane]

From what I can see, BP ***** up and ***** up big. Everybody ***** up, from individuals to big corporations. It's what you do after you *** up that matters. It looks to me as though BP is handling this as well as, or better than, any other company has who's been in a remotely commensurate situation. They're an easy target and will be for quite a while. But in the end, I think of all the companies this could have happened to, we're lucky it's BP (if that last statement makes even a lick of sense).

As for the ad, damned if you do, damned if you don't, I think. If they said nothing, people would probably be on them for not caring. If they had some suit in a British accent talking down to us, we'd accuse them of elitism or something. If it's jes' plain folks, threads like this happen. All I know is, BP is sure pumping a lot of money into the US because of this. That may or may not compensate for anything, but it's at least a start.

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Edited, breach of Rule 10.

 

[Elizabeth I]

All I know is, BP is sure pumping a lot of money into the US because of this.

So they're to be commended for doing the least they could do, which is to clean up the incredible mess their corner-cutting caused?

And what's wrong with someone with a neutral accent saying, "This and this and this are what we are doing"? There's no need to do the tug-at-the-heartstrings thing in a southern accent.

 

[Tricky]

And what's wrong with someone with a neutral accent saying, "This and this and this are what we are doing"? There's no need to do the tug-at-the-heartstrings thing in a southern accent.

There using people who are actually from the affected states. If you're from Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama, there's a pretty good chance you have a southern accent. As I said, in the one that used my friend Darryl Willis, that's what he actually sounds like.

 

[rwguinn]

So they're to be commended for doing the least they could do, which is to clean up the incredible mess their corner-cutting caused?

And what's wrong with someone with a neutral accent saying, "This and this and this are what we are doing"? There's no need to do the tug-at-the-heartstrings thing in a southern accent.

If you go looking for something to be insulted over, you can always find it.
And you definitely went looking if this accent offends you.

 

[steve s]

I heard a radio ad from BP in which they're reminding people that the employees at your local BP gas station are your neighbors, and if you boycott BP you'll be hurting them.

Steve S

 

[PogoPedant]

What's a neutral accent?

 

[ponderingturtle]

From what I can see, BP ***** up and ***** up big. Everybody ***** up, from individuals to big corporations. It's what you do after you *** up that matters. It looks to me as though BP is handling this as well as, or better than, any other company has who's been in a remotely commensurate situation. They're an easy target and will be for quite a while. But in the end, I think of all the companies this could have happened to, we're lucky it's BP (if that last statement makes even a lick of sense).

Edited by Locknar: 

Moderated content removed.

The thing is that this is the third major **** up that they have had. They didn't seem to do much when their pipeline broke because they didn't bother to maintain it. Then when their refinery blew up killing a bunch of people they don't seem to have changed much after that.

So why should we think that this unlike the previous problems they have had from doing things in an improper manner will change anything?

 

[Stellafane]

So why should we think that this unlike the previous problems they have had from doing things in an improper manner will change anything?

Well, $10 billion (and counting) and a bit of negative publicity is probably fairly good motivation.

 

[Checkmite]

There using people who are actually from the affected states. If you're from Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama, there's a pretty good chance you have a southern accent. As I said, in the one that used my friend Darryl Willis, that's what he actually sounds like.

This. Come on, guys; BP employees in Louisiana are likely from Louisiana. The notion that BP went out of its way, or would even have had to go out of its way, to find someone specifically with a southern accent for PR sake isn't just cynical, it's kind of stupid. The spill is in the Gulf. You expect them to use someone from Minnesota for the ads instead?

If they did a commercial where Tricky was explaining that he would be there in the Gulf until the mess is cleaned up, would you be feeling all patronized?

 

[Tricky]

If they did a commercial where Tricky was explaining that he would be there in the Gulf until the mess is cleaned up, would you be feeling all patronized?

Probably. I have a southern accent. I'm from Alabama. Every summer when I was a child we'd go to my grandfather's cabin in Gulf Shores and play on the beautiful white sand beaches. I am heartbroken that those beaches are now dirty. I hope we will be able to make them recover. I'm sure going to try.

 

[Mycroft]

From what I can see, BP ***** up and ***** up big. Everybody ***** up, from individuals to big corporations. It's what you do after you *** up that matters. It looks to me as though BP is handling this as well as, or better than, any other company has who's been in a remotely commensurate situation. They're an easy target and will be for quite a while. But in the end, I think of all the companies this could have happened to, we're lucky it's BP (if that last statement makes even a lick of sense).

Edited by Locknar: 

Moderated content removed.

Not entirely. What also matters is what steps you take not to **** to begin with. It's great that BP is making a huge effort to clean this up and is being very liberal with the checkbook for clean-up efforts and for people who's livelihoods were destroyed, but that's only a mitigating factor.

Edited by Locknar: 

Edited, breach of Rule 10.

As for the ad, damned if you do, damned if you don't, I think. If they said nothing, people would probably be on them for not caring. If they had some suit in a British accent talking down to us, we'd accuse them of elitism or something. If it's jes' plain folks, threads like this happen. All I know is, BP is sure pumping a lot of money into the US because of this. That may or may not compensate for anything, but it's at least a start.

There is a lot of anger. While BP may be doing all the right things now, there is plenty of evidence that it was their egregious disregard for safety that caused the mess to begin with. I don't think doing all the right things after the fact absolves them of responsibility for negligence from before.

 

[PhantomWolf]

Meanwhile Halibuton is getting another free pass.....

 

[TraneWreck]

This. Come on, guys; BP employees in Louisiana are likely from Louisiana. The notion that BP went out of its way, or would even have had to go out of its way, to find someone specifically with a southern accent for PR sake isn't just cynical, it's kind of stupid. The spill is in the Gulf. You expect them to use someone from Minnesota for the ads instead?

If they did a commercial where Tricky was explaining that he would be there in the Gulf until the mess is cleaned up, would you be feeling all patronized?

Probably. I have a southern accent. I'm from Alabama. Every summer when I was a child we'd go to my grandfather's cabin in Gulf Shores and play on the beautiful white sand beaches. I am heartbroken that those beaches are now dirty. I hope we will be able to make them recover. I'm sure going to try.

This is the exact sort of psychology that leads people to charge opponents of the Wars with "hating the troops."

What's obnoxious about choosing a local worker to deliver the message is that it wasn't the workers that *** up in the first place. It was policy decisions at the top. THey tried having their goofy English and Swedish spokespeople have a go at it, and they embarrassed themselves. So now they're trying to immunize themselves from criticism by hiding behind the workers who 1) are trying to earn an honest living and 2) will really do everything they can to fix this disaster.

I feel the same level of eye-rolling annoyance (notice it's not "rage" or "anger") at the BP commercial as I do when criticisms of Donald Rumsfeld are met with, "So you want the terrorists to kill our soldiers?"

And no, the spill and the war aren't of the same magnitude, but the attempt to hide behind the non-decision makers is the same.

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Edited, breach of Rule 10.

 

[TraneWreck]

Meanwhile Halibuton is getting another free pass.....

Absolutely.

At this point a Haliburton **** is about like another porn star claiming she hooked up with Tiger Woods. Just not a story anymore...

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Edited, breach of Rule 10.

 

[Cavemonster]

Probably. I have a southern accent. I'm from Alabama. Every summer when I was a child we'd go to my grandfather's cabin in Gulf Shores and play on the beautiful white sand beaches. I am heartbroken that those beaches are now dirty. I hope we will be able to make them recover. I'm sure going to try.

Tricky, I'd really like your take on my point above, that BP as a company is using the honest feelings of employees like you as a shield to deflect anger directed at the upper management who caused this crisis. That's what's repugnant to me.

They're making arguments that boycotting the company will only hurt employees, but what option does that leave us with? The weapon that the general public has in a capitalist society to enforce it's will is to vote with our dollars. By this logic, we can never decide to stop patronizing any large business no matter how horrible the externalities they create are, because every large company has employees who genuinely care and need their jobs.

As someone else stated, it's similar to the tactic of twisting anti-war sentiment up with anti-troop sentiment.

 

[rwguinn]

Tricky, I'd really like your take on my point above, that BP as a company is using the honest feelings of employees like you as a shield to deflect anger directed at the upper management who caused this crisis. That's what's repugnant to me.

They're making arguments that boycotting the company will only hurt employees, but what option does that leave us with? The weapon that the general public has in a capitalist society to enforce it's will is to vote with our dollars. By this logic, we can never decide to stop patronizing any large business no matter how horrible the externalities they create are, because every large company has employees who genuinely care and need their jobs.

As someone else stated, it's similar to the tactic of twisting anti-war sentiment up with anti-troop sentiment.

How 'bout "The big wigs ****ed up. Now it's up to us local folks to fix it"?