The BP Disaster~A World Event

Okay folks we've had the "spill baby spill" but the bottom line (literally) is that there is a huge mess in the Gulf of Mexico. It will affect many different businesses, livelihoods and there will be health issues. Anyone that can not see that is an idiot. It's a disaster that will leave it's mark for years.

Of course there are many points of view as to who is to blame, what should be done and how it should be responded to. Lets look at a few views if you can spare a few minutes of your life shall we?

First is Kindra Arnesen.



A bit long but interesting for sure.

Next is an MSNBC blurb.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp=37946497?

Actually I have problems with both of these stories. Why would BP allow a Kindra Arnesen so much access? Seems odd to me frankly even though I don't doubt a lot of what she says. However when I went to access the original link I received in an email the YouTube user had shut it down. Why?

As for MSNBC I have a problem with them talking about an "unprecedented effort". Like what in the hell else would you expect? A huge, man made disaster that will cost BP and others billions. Duhh! Pump some billions into it to fix it.

There are many to blame here. It's not just BP but this situation needs to be fixed pronto. Let BP pay for it now and then they can sort it all out in court over he next 20 years or so.

 

Me personaly I would haul them all over hot coals

 

The entire BP disaster has me very upset. The administration is playing media photo op's while nothing is being done. We went to the moon landed and hung out for a while,and now we cant cap a well. Already its fading from TV coverage. BP had a long history of safety infractions long before this event. Criminal Charges For BP managemnet I say!

Steve

 

We don't arrest the mega wealthy. We reward them! That's just called capitalism, a function of criminals being criminals. That's to be admired, not criticized. That would be anti American.

 

Tom,

You do know that BP stands for British Petroleum don't you?

 

Sorry Lehigh but it dont stand for British Petrolium that title was dropped a number of years ago the BP now stands for Beyond Petrolium. If you actualy check the company out you will find that while still just over 51% of the shares are British owned they pay more corporate tax's in the US and also there US workforce is way larger than there British counterparts. I also pointed out in another thread that they bought up a number of American oil interests some years back.

 

Steve,

Google British Petroleum and tell me what comes up. I don't care that they changed their name to "Beyond Petroleum". The simple fact is that the controlling interests of the company are British. It is that group of people (corporate management) who are responsible for the direction of the company. While I understand your desire to distance your beloved country from the people who control BP, their actions are not an indictment of the UK so you have nothing to worry about.

My point to Tom was that greed is not just an American trait.

 

Lehigh try googling BP, you stated the company was called British Petrolium and it is not it changed in 2001 but they registerd the name BP in 1989!. yep the upper managment is partialy British so what it also has a host of Americans on it LOL
I have no desire to distance anything they screwed up and should pay but I do prefer that you get the facts right

Now as for the Top management here it is

Carl-Henric Svanberg Swedish
Antony Burgmans Dutch
Tony Hayward British
Ian Conn British
Andy Inglis British
William Castell British

Rupert Bondy Unsure of his nationality

DeAnne Julius American
Cynthia Carroll American
Sally Bott American
George David American
Robert Dudley American formaly with Amaco
Byron Grot American Formaly with Standard oil
Lamar McKay American formaly with Amaco

Steve Weswell South African

Around 40% of BP shares are held by UK shareholders, and 39% in the USA!!

JPMorgan Chase is the No. 1 holder of stock in BP with 28.34%
Then
Legal and General Group, a British-based financial services company with 7.99%
Followed by
U.S. investment firm, BlackRock Inc., with 7.1%

Lesser stock holders are the goverments of Kuwait, Norway, Singapore and China

Most of the British holdings are made up of small pieces held by many companies

 

I never said anything of the sort. You can spin this all you want. The company is British, controlled by Brits, and the corporate base is in London. It was named British Petroleum in the early 1900's. Are we to believe that the name change to BP (Beyond Petroleum) is anything more than a marketing gimmick?

Pull back from your tunnel vision and see the bigger picture. For the second time, it shows that greed is not solely an American trait as Tom would like to believe. You can either accept that or continue to act like Craig.

If you believe that BP is not a British company, than tell me what nation does control it. Don't tell me that it is a multinational. If you had to choose, which nation would you pick?

Yeah, that's what I thought! Unless 39% somehow magically became greater than 40%. (Your stats, not mine).

 

From Wikipedia...

BP is a global energy company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third largest energy company and the fourth largest company in the world. The name "BP" derives from the initials of one of the company's former legal names, British Petroleum. A multinational oil company, BP is the United Kingdom's largest corporation, with its head office in St James's, City of Westminster, London.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BP

 

Lets get this straight Lehigh I commented on this Quote by you

Tom,
You do know that BP stands for British Petroleum don't you?

and I told simply you it did not, I never said it was not British

You then went on to say that
I don't care that they changed their name to "Beyond Petroleum". The simple fact is that the controlling interests of the company are British.
Now Lehigh that is you expanding the topic not me, I am simply responding to what you say

would you care to show me were exactly I have ever said the company was not British?? or even were I have said they were not driven by profit or that they do not desreve to be punnished for this event? (Any one of the Three will do)

And lets be honest here it will be the two largest shareholders (Both American) who will for the most part dominate the way that the corporation will work and not the mirriad of very small shareholders that is how large corporations work.

 

I have no idea what your agenda is other than to nitpick since you know it aggravates me. The company was named British Petroleum for over 80 years but you want to insist that after all this time it is not acceptable to call BP "British Pertroleoum". If you google "British Petroleum" the result is BP's website. It makes no difference what the technical name of the company is as that was not my main point.

I have explained my point several times yet you still want to nitpick about the name. Tell you what, I will call BP "British Petroleum" and you can call them whatever you like. The fact remains that the company is still controlled by Brits. Furthermore, the shareholders (no matter how big) don't have control of the day to day operations of a corportaion. That responsibility goes to the Board of Directors who are elected by the share holders. The members of the board at BP are still mainly British.

 

Your the one nitpicking and cant admit that you were wrong and no I agree that the shareholders dont have controll of the day to day running but there again as I have shown Americans outnumber Brits on the board (7 Americans to 4 Brits yep we outnumber you) and American corporations hold the largest single share blocks is that what you dont like Lehigh?
also again were have I ever said it is not a British Company? it is not called British Petrolium has not been for a number of years now that is a fact regardless of what you might otherwise wish to believe

 

Thanks for bringing up my name. It shows you have a place in your heart for me. And if you are going to respond with vulgarity and rudeness; please dont bother. It will only escalate to the point of being deleted by the moderator. But I know you wont be able to stop yourself.

 

Dont you just love those who dont let facts get in the way of them making a point?

 

So instead of nitpicking, you have decided to bait me. Nice Craig!

 

And KFC has not been called Kentucky Fried Chicken for years, but nothing changed in that company other than the name as well.

 

How could I do anything but admire your restraint.

 

Like Xe used to be called Blackwater? Like Diebold's election rigging software changed to Premiere Election Systems? Or like crime now called "business"?

 

Well strange as it might seem to you Lehigh if you actualy check out the company structure much HAS changed within BP, KFC is a one string opperation sells fast food end of story. BP on the other hand is diverse and not just into Petrol be that it,s main string, so sorry your anology is not the same and the fact still remains they are no longer called British Petrolium LOL