If I were to pour a bottle of motor oil on a beach, I'd get arrested...

[MrScorpio]

So, why was Tony Hayward allowed to walk around on one like he owned the place?

[The Wielding Truth]

1. Do you own a hugely profitable corporation? There's you answer.

[MrScorpio]

2. BINGO!

[lostnfound]

5. He doesn't actually own it, right? He's just hired help.

Culpable, anyway, but not 'the owner'. Although I'd guess he has quite a bit of stock.

[Odin2005]

11. Multinational Corporate CEOs are a good-old-boys club.

The CEOs are all on each other's boards of directors.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. A very painful and telling question

[aquart]

4. Does he even have a bodyguard?

Because I'd really like to think he felt threatened.

[madrchsod]

6. because he does own the place...and a lot more in this country

[pitohui]

7. well you compare a deliberate act to an industrial accident

for better or for worse, usa law takes into account the intentions of the perpetrator

a deliberate attempt to cause harm is always a crime, an accident can be a crime or it can be civil negligence

does anyone sane think BP wanted this to happen? they screwed up, and they are going to pay heavily for it

but we will need to see evidence of criminal negligence before we talk abt arresting people -- if we see such evidence i for one will be crying for blood louder than anyone -- 11 men were killed just for starters

[datasuspect]

8. what you're saying presupposes a moral vacuum or moral neutrality.

it doesn't take into consideration the "pay to play" political system that infects our country.

[W_HAMILTON]

9. I don't know if it only applies to accounting or not...

...but there is something called constructive fraud, which is basically gross negligence. From everything I have heard, BP has been grossly negligent. They lied about their capabilities to handle an oil situation such as this. They cut corners in an attempt to save on safety costs which could have saved lives and contained the problem.

Companies found guilty of gross negligence don't necessarily want to do harm either, but their careless actions (or inaction) leads to the problem for which they are convicted.

I guess it's more akin to someone walking about with a bottle of oil with a loose cap. They may not mean any harm, but if that top comes loose, well, oil is going to be everywhere and I'm guessing they would still be arrested, heh.

[Odin2005]

10. Because he DOES own the place.

As Carlin famously said, THEY OWN US.