Bayou Fisherman: Oil Execs “Should Be Treated Like Terrorists”

By on May 15, 2010 in News 10
BP Sucks

Photo: Jason Reed

Jon Bowermaster writes on TakePart:

BARATARIA, Louisiana— It is the perfect blue sky, humidity-free spring day in bayou country that makes you feel like everything should be all right in the world.

The intercoastal waterway leading to the Gulf of Mexico is calm, the canals that host fishing boats behind each neat suburban home reflect the midday sun, and a cool breeze washes away extraneous sounds and smells.

But despite the bucolic day, fisherman Mike Roberts is angry. “Osama bin Laden couldn’t have done a better job of destroying a part of the American economy. This oil spill? It’s like the ultimate act of terrorism. And these guys should be treated like terrorists.”

The guys he’s referring to: BP and Transocean executives, and the Mineral Management Service, the federal agency that was supposed to police the oil companies but appears to have been very cozy with the industry instead.

Read More: TakePart

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  • tonyviner

    They should be treated as rapists or child molesters. Actually, they probably will get the child molester treatment, I forgot that they don't get in trouble.

    • Anon

      Maybe they can be thrown out the window of their own gilded tower? That would send a very powerful statement.

      Pick them at random and wait for a few minutes before the next one is tossed to maximize terror.

  • kelly

    The premise of treating these negligent oil execs like terrorists is ridiculous, and undermines the concept of terrorism.

    • dumbsaint

      In fairness terr'ism is a fairly undermined concept as it stands.

  • UncleB

    Back to School Yankee Doodle! By definition of a Corparation, and according to corporate law in the U.S.A. these boysd are liable for nothing! That's why we form corporations – to relive personal liabilities and transfer them to the newly created none-person, the “corporation” The first obligation, under corporate American law is to the shareholder – to protect his capital – and that is exactly what they will do! They are obliged by corporate law to do so! Sound like a cop-out? Yes it is! The biggest scheme to hit the modern world! How damaging can this be? Google, torrent the movie, “Who Stole The Electric Car” and see just how powerful and influential these Corporations can be!Look closely at the largest lobbyists in the country – their powers more powerful than your vote by far! The cancers of corporatism and Capitalism have grown in the American Democracy and poisoned it to the point of uselessness! Our forefathers warned of this, but we were greedy and didn't listen! Now,our country is run by corporations through deciet and dishonest manipulation beyond the voter's control, and America doomed to do Corporate bidding! The proletariat of the gulf, the peons on the fishing boats, the poor individual businessman have no clout in Washington, but the rich shareholders of BP do! This is the epic battle of democracy against corporatism and traditionally corporatism wins hand down in corrupt courts that skillfully misinterpret the written laws of the land in corporate favor – every damn time! The poor assholes on the fishing boats don't strand a snowballs chance in Hell! Neither did the boys who died in the blaze or their families. Corporate rule in America love it or leave it!

    • 5by5

      Uh-huh.

      Corporations are also only allowed to exist by the consent of the people. A corporation by definition is a limited entity, artificially formed, and if the people so choose, we can revoke their incorporation, seize their assets, and auction them off to the general public for fun and profit of our own.

      We also have the capacity to bar foreign corporations from operating within our national boundaries (including that portion not considered in international waters). Moreover we can freeze the assets of foreign corporations currently held within the United States. We've done so before, we can do so again.

      See, the spiffy thing about a democracy is that ultimately, we make the rules. All the defeatist language telling Americans that this is beyond their control come from the sort of authoritarian types who'd like us to forget that we live in a democracy.

      Some of us haven't forgotten though. And we're pissed.

      • airborne11

        “Some of us haven't forgotten though. And we're pissed” Many are aware and many are pissed off but it is not enough. What are we actually going to do about it? What can we do? I tend to agree with UncleB: “Now, our country is run by corporations [and I would add: who own or are in league with most of the politicians] through deceit and dishonest manipulation beyond the voter's control”. Even if we “the people” were to rise up and throw all of these criminals in jail – be they politicians and/or owners of corporations and/or lobbyists, etc – what is to stop others from taking their places and having the whole tainted cycle start over again from scratch? How do you completely break free from the old cycle and start a new one which is fair and balanced and healthy for everyone, equally, all of the time? Not that I expect you to have The Answer but I often respect your opinions when you post on this site and while I would like to agree with you here, I need something a little more specific than just: “We're pissed…”

  • AaronD

    How about we just plug the oil leak with BP execs?

  • CC

    Treated like terrorists? By all means, let's give the oil execs a full week on American colleges to promote genocide:

    http://www.campusreform.org/blog/david-horowitz…

  • Anonymous