Thursday, June 17, 2010

Small people got no reason to live

Say what you will about Obama’s handling of the oil spill, that he got BP to put up not only 20 billion for spill-related claims, but 100 million for unemployment compensation in advance is brilliant. Hopefully the deal is structured in such a way that BP can’t split and pawn its debt obligations onto some unprofitable subsidiary, whilst taking the profitable part somewhere else.

Oh, that’s right, BP cares about small people, so they won’t do that. I forgot.

The Republicans have been falling over one another trying to show how much they are on BP’s side in this whole thing. It’s a little puzzling until you remember that the Republican political strategy since 2008 can be summed up in 2 words: Batshit Crazy.

And speaking of batshit crazy, what about the residents of the Gulf, whose feelings about this disaster can pretty much be paraphrased thusly: I can’t believe Obama let the oil companies jeopardize our livelihoods with that dangerous deep water drilling and…you’ve suspended deep water drilling – how dare you! 

Pro-deep water drilling Louisiana Parish President Charlotte Rand has proclaimed to the media that her community is being used to promote the president's agenda.   Shocking!  Except, wait, what is that agenda, again?  Oh, it's energy independence and lower emissions and more green jobs and um, really good things that we all want?  For shame, Mr. President!

Is anyone else getting the feeling that it is not possible for Obama to win? Americans want government to be smaller but do more things. They hate deficit spending but don’t want their (fill in the blank with any government benefit program) to change or run out. They want unfettered capitalism, and they want the government to force private industry hire more people and treat them better. They decry the nanny state, except when they need Washington to come in and clean up the messes that others have made. It reminds me of the old engineers joke: You can have it good, you can have it cheap, you can have it fast. Pick two.

Well, America, you can have a government that is effective at doing what you want them to do, or you can have a Libertarian government that leaves you to fend for yourself. YOU CANNOT HAVE BOTH.

In fact, considering that the Supreme Court has already let it be known where they stand on the whole small people vs. big oil deal, I’m surprised that they haven’t declared that BP’s oil spill is protected free speech, and it is unconstitutional for the government to limit what they spew.

7 comments:

vikkitikkitavi said...

Baby, I don't know how you do it. I've read the comments that your friends leave on your posts, and I SERIOUSLY DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT. I visit my family in NE, so I understand about instructing by example, and biting your tongue etc., etc., but I don't live in Nebraska THANK MOTHERFUCKING GOD.

Because I would blow up. I would blow up real good.

Dr. MVM said...

Thanks for giving the Supreme court more bad ideas.

kiki said...

i love seeing southerners burning the british flag on the news because they are british petroleum!
if only they realised that it's a huge multinational that is 60% owned by american companies (predominantly pension funds)

bubbles said...

Hey, you know what I hear around here! OMG, I'm working with some people that I absolutely adore - they are good people. Yet, I hear some bat crazy shit from them when they say "Obama". It's weird. Really wierd. I know they respect my intellect - so I drop a good point here and there, and it is acknowledged as such, but still... I don't get where they are coming from.

kittens not kids said...

Approximately 2 weeks after inauguration, my mom immediately began saying "he can't win" or "damned if you do, damned if you don't" every time Obama's name, or politics, come up.

she's right, of course.

it's all unbelievably depressing and STILL baffling to me. Maybe I'm just really slow, or have a heretofore undiscovered streak of stubborn optimism, but I just don't get how people can be THIS. STUPID. about almost everything.

Anonymous said...

I keep wondering when Obama is going to have his "Otter Moment." You know, when he finally admits to himself, "They're gonna nail us no matter what we do." I hope at that point he just says fuck it, and does what needs to be done, instead of bending backwards to make sure the Republicans are happy, like he's been doing. He'll never please the Republicans, much less the Tea Bagging wing of America, but at least their taxes will be lower and they'll have health care and cleaner air even if they don't fucking appreciate it.

vikkitikkitavi said...

You know, Kirby, I'm not sure Obama is going to have that moment. Or else he's already had it but he's not going to change what he's doing. I think his point of view is that he got elected promising to reunite the country, and he's going to damn well keep trying to follow through on that promise. So noble, in a way, and yet futile.