British Government Defends BP
Politics / Environmental Issues Jun 12, 2010 - 03:48 PM GMTJudging the British reaction to the Gulf crisis, the Conservatives have now redefined the stakes beyond those of BP market capitalization losses. As one wire-service headline framed it: "Britain sticks up for BP". Comments left at British sites show anti-Americanism new to an otherwise friendly and allied relationship. The British press has whipped America for Obama's clumsiness, bad language, poor diplomatic skills and histrionic threats; while the British nation seems perfectly groomed, if I am to believe the media, to identify themselves with BP, a private corporation.
Messrs Cameron and Osborne have defended the corporation, the stake-holders and the market capitalization value of BP. Reuter's headline, “Britain sticks up for BP” is a maliciously misleading one. Unless one hears otherwise from a majority of people in Britain on the subject, the headline correctly should read, “Cameron boosts BP shares”. Am I to believe the Conservatives will defend the banks and corporations above the people's welfare, livelihoods, property rights and ecology in Britain too, should BP oil flow into the Thames? Or is this sudden British nationalism just over pride, or from being insulted by Washington? Or is it a way to distract the British people from coming austerity measures that will drain their livelihoods like BP oil is now draining the lifeblood out of the Gulf Coast? Even in America Inc., few would identify and confuse their country with Exxon-Mobil. Have the Conservatives accomplished this task of privatizing the nation through creating mass allegiance to BP? If so, I'll conclude Britain Inc. is far ahead of America Inc.'s Conservative pack - and achieved in record time, no less!
Secondly, if corporations, the wealth sector and British press did pressure Cameron to publicly defend BP to cause its stock price to rise, as Reuters claims, this group does not constitute the “people” of Britain; yet Cameron implies as much. Are the people of Britain to be gauged by newspaper headlines, editorials and Government statements? I would reserve judgment; but think the British are much smarter than Murdock and Company would like you to believe.
If Cameron and Osborne are so inclined to defend BP’s capitalization value in the name of the British people, then maybe together they can defend it best by finding money to help fix the problem rather than by driving a wedge between two nations (and this applies to Washington). But Britain is now Conservative and America will need to wait at least until November to become like-minded (so think the Republicans).
Meanwhile, the oil flows, the market speculators make profits, the ecology dies, the people become sickened and poisoned and ... and the entire Florida and East Coasts sit on death-row awaiting word of a reprieve.
Politics and nationalism will not solve this crisis, and are only making matters worse.
Enough!
By Michael T Bucci
Michael T Bucci is a retired public relations executive from New Jersey presently residing in New England. His essays have appeared at Market Oracle and Global Research. He is the author of nine books on practical spirituality including White Book: Cerithous .
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