Environment

Taking Over BP and Running the Show

Robert Reich makes a terrific case for the government to temporarily commandeer BP and all its assets in order to mitigate the oil spill and cleanup.

Even though I recognize the political jeopardy in such a move, I can't disagree with Reich here.

The corporate mentality dictates that BP making decisions based upon what's best for its bottom line. As we've witnessed throughout the last 40 days, BP has done just that -- whether it's the detention of the rig workers, or its refusal to stop using Corexit, or, today, its hiring of Cheney's former press secretary to run the PR operation. Plus, I've been hearing a lot of talk today about how this cut and cap solution has the strongest possibility of working, compared with their other previous solutions. So I ask again: if this is the case, why now? Why not weeks ago? Incidentally, this new solution will result in the continued harvesting of the oil. Just thought I'd mention.

The profit motive needs to be stripped out of the cleanup and capping process, and it seems as if the only way to achieve this is for the government to take over.