Is anyone listening to the guy from Louisiana on Ed? amazing

[G_j]

President of a parish
he is so very angry and just about in tears


I don't think most people understand how angry the people are, who live there, and are watching this horror unfold before their eyes.

[polichick]

1. Yes, and he's 100% correct - our "leaders" have dropped the ball. nt

[SusanaMontana41]

2. I saw it, too

Heartbreaking and powerful. Think I'll watch it again.

[G_j]

3. I didn't catch his name

I hope the clip can be posted later

[Skidmore]

5. Republican Billy Nunsgesser, President of Placquemines Parish.

Bet this disaster was his come to Jesus moment too.

[greencharlie]

4. I understand why... I'm angry, too.

[MannyGoldstein]

6. Is He A Banker?

No?

Too bad, nobody to help him.

[Bitwit1234]

7. Well what can they do...tell me

Alexrod said that the US does not have the equipment and type of oil rig equipment BP has. What they have is a gamma camera they let BP use to monitor the gusher. They say that trying to plug the leak involves technology the US doesn't have but Chao or whatever his name is, is a physicist and he and all the scientist in this country have been called on and are helping try to come up with something. They have enlisted the aid of the top scientist from around the world.

Now tell me what can the US and the Coast Guard do that they are not trying to do. Only the oil company has EQUIPMENT to work on this problem. He said the US does not have that type of EQUIPMENT.

What the Obama administration can do is tell the country this. That they don't have the equipment, that what they have they are aiding BP and they are giving them the help of all scientist here and around the world. That would at least make people know they are trying.

[greencharlie]

8. out of curiosity... what submarine rescue vehicles does the USN have?

and how deep can they operate? If less than 5000' can they be modified?

[localroger]

12. None that can operate below 1000 ft or so

There are only a handful of manned submersibles in the entire world that can reach 5,000 ft and the only one in the US is the Woods Hole Institute's Alvin. Modifying a sub for deeper operation isn't possible; more depth and more pressure affect every aspect of the design in fundamental and expensive ways, starting with needing a thicker hull but also including every seam and seal where there is a window, wire, or actuator penetrating the hull, all the stuff on the outside that does stuff, and the surface support equipment. There's a reason there are so few such subs; they are very, very hard to build and very unwieldy. Building a sub that can reach 1,000 ft (which is considered really deep for most subs) is a relative cakewalk. The military isn't really interested in deep water work since there aren't any people to bomb down there; they're interested in going deep enough to hide (which doesn't have to be all that deep) so they can pop up to launch torpedoes and missiles and other weapony type stuff.

[BeFree]

9. Heh

You want Obama to go on TV and tell the world that even tho the government has been told for years that this was going to happen, the US government never did a god damn thing and BP is the king of the sea?

Gawd, that would be the stupidest political thing ever. But it would be true.

It sucks to be living under such a true idiocracy, eh?

[polichick]

10. What they can do is take charge and replace BP with the best engineers...

...and equipment from other companies, who will answer to the U.S. team in charge. ExxonMobil, Aramco and others have already sent engineers and have offered whatever help is needed - yet the WH leaves BP in charge, when that company has a profit motive and a liability conflict of interest.

[Name removed]

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