My Perspective on the Gulf Oil Disaster

Any time anyone defends a position, the general understanding is that they accept whatever it is they're defending -- and its consequences.

GOP Congressman Don Young has said that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is not an environmental disaster. I'm astounded and appalled.

What is it, if not an environmental disaster of almost biblical proportions?  Wildlife and habitat are dying wholesale, the lives and fortunes of people across the Gulf coast are stymied and may indeed be perishing...

I have no idea how even our most conservative citizens can be taking any of this in and not having almost-blinding "AHA!' moments. 

The "party of no" orchestrated this course of history by getting into bed with the oil barons and not questioning whatever they said. 

"Failsafe" systems failed... at what cost? We don't even know the total cost yet because the oil is still "spilling.."  a misnomer for GUSHING LIKE MAD!! BP had no backup plan in place to immediately address a gusher lying a mile beneath the surface of the ocean. They've been scrambling -- will be scrambling for months still -- to find a way to shut the thing down and give the Gulf coast an uphill chance to recover in the decades to come.

And this is just one offshore oil rig among thousands in the Gulf. How many others are similarly constructed? How many additional back-up devices is BP planning to build for each of them, now that they know their "fail safe" back-up plan failed?

If this doesn't infuriate the right and the center the way it infuriates me (and I'm far from a leftie, believe me) and make them reconsider voting for folks whose vested interests (paid for with lobbyist money and exorbitant campaign contributions) lie with multinational giants, something is very, very wrong...

How long can people blindfold themselves and refuse to see what believing a lie can do to the planet?

I feel similarly about nuclear power (a rare point of contention between the Administration and me). I think we must always be very careful when taking as gospel the information that any vested interest puts out there to tout the greatness/safety/failsafe nature of its product or operation. 

"Trust -- but verify" is a pretty good rule of thumb. 

Here's the worst part: whatever failures have occurred happened on our watch. We were responsible for the people we voted into office.  We still are. Take your vote seriously. Don't just vote the party that daddy voted. It's time to grow up, be an adult, and look at the facts in every election, instead of listening to the talking heads on the cable station you feel most attracted to.  THEY ALL HAVE AGENDAS.

The Republican Party doesn't resemble the GOP of old.  What it resembles these days... is... the Gulf oil spill: gushing, damaging, destroying... and with no backup plan whatsoever to actually fix what's broken. All they can do is gush about what's "wrong" as they see it... never seeming to realize that they created a lot of it to begin with...

It's a never-ending story, but it needs to stop.

We, as voters, can stop it. Let's get 'er done this year during midterm elections.

I believe the Obama administration has our backs. If you've doubted that up till now because of all the conflicting "opinions" on all sides, check out barackobama.com and familiarize yourself with the agenda. I think when you do, you'll actually feel better...