Commentary: Gulf oil spill kills 'Myth of Competence'

[unhappycamper]

Commentary: Gulf oil spill kills 'Myth of Competence'
By Leonard Pitts Jr. | The Miami Herald
Posted on Friday, June 4, 2010

Now they're saying August. August.

After a month and a half of "top kill" and "junk shot," of chemical dispersants and high-tech domes, of skimmers and controlled burns, this is what we have to show for it. We are now told it may take another two months to stop oil from spewing into Gulf Coast waters. And that's assuming no hurricane sweeps into the Gulf and forces temporary suspension of the effort to dig two relief wells.

The immediate consequences of the April 20th oil rig explosion that started all this have long been manifest. Eleven lives were lost. Oil spilled into our seas, wreaked havoc upon the various forms of fish, fowl and crustaceans for which the ocean is home or feeding ground. The disaster also struck at the economic lifeblood of a region still trying to find its footing after being ransacked by Hurricane Katrina.

Weeks later, one other consequence becomes jarringly apparent: the Myth of Competence has died.

Meaning the belief that people who engage in high-risk activities -- in this case, the ones who drill for oil 5,000 feet under the sea -- know what they're doing, that they have every contingency covered, that even their backup plans have backup plans.

[Durtrider]

1. Mad as hell with this administration!

On Day 1 he should of mobilized the Navy. They could of had ships loaded to the railings with booms and skimmers deployed to the site with the manpower to contain the spill better than allowing it to reach any shores.
We mobilize the military for Tsunami's and earthquakes in other countries so why not in this case??
Mad as hell with this administration!

[RKP5637]

4. I find it difficult to believe the way it's being handled is the "only" way it could

have been handled. Somehow I still don't feel it's a national priority.

[salguine]

7. If anything ever more clearly demonstrated that the US Government takes its orders from

corporations, and not the other way around, i don't know what it is. This administration, instead of saying to BP, "Get the fuck out of the way", is more like, "We have to just take BP's word for everything and not get in their way, because they won't like it."

[Zoeisright]

8. LOL!

I'm mad as hell at the REAL criminals here: BUSH AND CHENEY, and ALL of the repukes over the past 30 years who have whined and shrieked about big government and regulation being the problem.

We NEED regulation to control these greedy corporate fucks. We NEED big government to protect us against these greedy corporate fucks.

Blaming President Obama is just stupid.

Oh, BTW, it's 'he should HAVE', not 'he should of'. That's just ignorant.

[RKP5637]

2. Anymore when I hear the word competence that translates IMO to incompetence. Just being

realistic, I've been disappointed too much. I'm tired of being an optimist, life IMO is better as a realist in today's NEW US.

[xchrom]

3. this what we are constantly sold as being competent

from leaving the Banksters in place -- to the bailouts -- BP, the admin, the whole oil disaster.

its a Hot Mess we've got here, Miss Thing.

[Demeter]

5. The Only Competence Is In Status Quo

But that cannot continue, so it will not. The kings will lose their crowns, and the People regain their powers.

[Hugin]

6. Puts the final nail in the Myth of Pay-for-Performance schemes, also.

I'm sure they'd kill the Gulf for an extra bonus share.