Depressing stuffs are depressing

[McSpunckle]

The oil spill as a whole really bums me out... and the more I learn about it, and the more I hear certain politicians finding ways to defend the industry... it's just horrifying.

We can't, like, not use oil. It's not as simple as electric cars (and that's not even simple). Plastics that are used to make everything are made of oil. Hell, the stuff being used to get oil off of pelicans is made of oil. Fortunately, more and more alternatives come out all the time, but shit... if I accidentally hit a guy in my car, I can go to jail... so why can't you go to jail even if you didn't mean to destroy the gulf?

[culturejam]

but shit... if I accidentally hit a guy in my car, I can go to jail... so why can't you go to jail even if you didn't mean to destroy the gulf?

You can't put a corporation in jail. Corporations are allowed free speech like a person (including campaign contributions and other forms of lobbying $$$), are protected by the 4th amendment like a person, and have many rights that living breathing people have. But yet corporations cannot be imprisoned, cannot be compelled to serve in any military capacity, etc, etc.

But back to your point. The whole idea behind a corporation is to isolate the people who own and run the company (shareholders and executives) from direct legal liability. This works great for small corporations, in which you have a few owners who also run the business. If something bad happens, someone could sue the corporation, and once it ran out of money, that's it. The owners wouldn't be on the hook for any more than the assets of the legal entity (the corp).

If it can be proven that someone (or several someones) inside BP was personally negligent or otherwise responsible, directly, for what happened on that oil rig, then there could be criminal prosecution, in addition to massive wave of already inevitable civil lawsuits. Probably they will produce a sacrificial lamb to whet the public's bloodlust. But fat chance of anybody who actually needs as ass-reaming getting it good n' proper in the cornhole. Even when it first started, BP pointed to the contractor that ran the day-to-day ops on the rig, and the contractor pointed at Hallibruton (those douchebags, again?). There are enough layers of CYA between the CEO and the rig that I doubt we'll see him get prosecuted.

Once BP finally, at long fucking last, gets the oil flow stopped and cleanup can begin in earnest, I can promise that you'll see an unprecedented deluge of lawsuits coming from every possible direction. People are waiting now to see how much money BP will give away willingly before they begin with the fireworks. Right now, there are several law firms working around the clock (literally) putting together massive class-action suits against BP. Probably there are governments (state, local) who are also preparing lawsuits. Seriously, I almost think BP is letting the oil run just because they know when it stops, the suits will start.

[comtrails70]

They are reportedly using chemical dispersants despite the EPAs order to stop.
Supposedly it will make the oil sink making the spill seem less.

[McSpunckle]

They are reportedly using chemical dispersants despite the EPAs order to stop.
Supposedly it will make the oil sink making the spill seem less.

It also makes it go under the booms and barges used to block the oil...

slajflajfa : (

[FuzzHugger]

this will make you feel better

[McSpunckle]

yermean. : (

[theavondon]

She seems pretty happy about the spill.

[McSpunckle]

Is that Westboro?

They're fun to anti-protest.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXb3Kwgf4d4[/youtube]

Local band used them to make a music video. : D

[theavondon]

They protested outside my church. The counter-protest was ten times as big.