Scenarios: Limits to government on plugging Gulf oil leak

[jpak]

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64K60T20100521

A month-old gusher of oil into the Gulf of Mexico off the U.S. coast has resisted efforts by BP Plc to plug it up, and the Obama administration is under increasing pressure to do something about it.

President Barack Obama has sought to respond actively to the disaster and limit the environmental and economic impact in the Gulf.

Here are some potential scenarios for what might happen next.

WHITE HOUSE PUSHES BP

The federal government, not in the oil well business, is limited by what direct impact it can have on stopping the leak. The U.S. military does not have skills in the oil sector and officials have stressed the Pentagon is already providing whatever support it can to assist the U.S. response to the disaster.

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[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. this is a relatively new thing

I don't think the government is equipped for oil rig repair.

[DURHAM D]

2. The first off shore well was drilled over 60 years ago.

They had plenty of time to get ready for this predictable event.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. is it the governement's job to fix every oil rig?

what is the purpose of government?

[DURHAM D]

6. You think the rig is the problem?

good grief...

[FBaggins]

4. We've been mining coal for far longer.

Is the military equiped to deal with a collapse? How about a coal bed fire?

This isn't their job. If the federal government needs to be the solution, then they need to BE the oil providers (I.e., nationalize the oil companies)

[phantom power]

5. The govt can sure send BP the motherfucking damage bill.

Of course, that won't happen either. Or, the bill they send will be a miniscule fraction of the true damage.