Let's not forget that this arrogance also resulted in 11 deaths. Now, in addition to those human deaths, we have the probable death of sensitive, beautiful marshlands and the wildlife that breeds there. The arrogance so characteristic of BP managers is now criminal negligence and homicide. And this is not their first such horror -- there were 15 unnecessary deaths in a land-based explosion resulting from that same pattern of arrogance.

I'm hoping this is a wake-up call to the Obama administration! If they don't take steps to end all deep water wells from operating, and deny any new wells to be drilled at all, anywhere! If not, then at least make the oil co.'s prove they have the means to stop any kind of blow-out at the depth they intend to work BEFORE they are granted permits to drill. We must move to alternative, sustainable sources of energy NOW! At the beginning of WWII, American heavy industry completely shut down what was going on, and re-tooled their entire operations for the war effort in amazingly short period of time! That is exactly what America needs to do now. We are in every bit as much impending peril now as we were then, if not more, and I believe that we can, and absolutely must do this. There is so much idle machinery and out of work manufacturing labor to make it work. All we need is Obama to declare a national state of emergency, and like F.D.R., order mfg. sector to build alternative power.Oh,YES WE CAN!

The 60 Minutes story, eleven days ago, featured a whistleblower who testified as to many drilling procedures ordered by BP that were unnecessarily risky. They were anxious to get the well completed, no doubt so they could make the announcement that would be guaranteed to substantially increase their stock prices. The few tens of millions that they might have saved by proceeding less cautiously couldn't have been their only motivation for throwing caution to the winds.

Who was the anonymous BP Official mentioned ? Has he every been identified ?

This is no conspiracy and it is not a joking matter. Corporations have been shafting people with the mentality of Continuum above for decades now. We can no longer play the partisan sap. Tt is how the power elite divide and conquer. They have left the working man virtually penniless, without real estate, and a slave to wage labor.

The thought that we can turn industry around to solve this problem ignores the cost.

Roosevelt had the luxury of a government that could raise money. When the maximum rates on the highest incomes were above 90% on the peak income, rather than the mid teens for capital gain incomes now, the government could react. The very rich have very little W-2 income.

Those that don't believe in government but have been running the government for the past 30 years have crippled the federal government and all of the states that piggyback federal taxation. The governments are now financially as well as morally bankrupt.

They won!

the "peter principle" stikes again. The B.P. exec was promoted to a job that was above his ability to comprehend. hey B.p. let the guys that know what they are doing to make the decisions. have you ever heard about safety in the workplace? this happens in every company with know-nothing execs.

Let's just say the US is beyond hope. The only way that's going to change is once there is a prospect of dissolution. For the US to dissolve at least one of the states needs to secede. Right now the closest candidate for that great historical impetus is Vermont, with Professor Thomas Naylor's Second Vermont Republic secession movement. Texas and California also have strong secession movements. Let's do it! Pete Edler, Stockholm

First of all, no worker deserve to die either at sea, land, air, work placeson in the coal mines.That is why Unions are so important but most workers shun, intimidated, threatened with job loss by it's factories overseas, or the institutionaliz ed corporate-whores police bureaucrats beating them up for demonstration for decent wages. That can happened when corporate America control the government and it's Congress in addition to the Executive, Legislature and most all, the Judicial branch of government. All it's sins these three branches of government imposed on it's citizens during the Republicans years have now come to haunt the nation.

The sad facts are, the dead workers were most likely republicans, just like those dead mine workers and voted with Republicans to keep them in power.

Yes, indeed, voting for republicans and corporate America does have serious drawbacks!

We shall see in Novermber if they will win.

I am all for criminal prosecution of the offending BP official(s). They were brazen enough to demand that the shortcuts be taken. Let them, and anyone else who dares to follow in their selfish, negligent decision making footsteps, be brazen enough to spend the rest of their lives pounding rock salt behind bars. Far too many of us were hurt, and are going to be hurt as a direct consequence of their choice not to proceed with the logical safety precautions.

You must understand that the managers job is to produce oil regardless of the advice of the rig crew. BP is about "MONEY." These managers do not live in the area so they have no problem
endangering the lives of the people and the environment.