There’s no “definitely” in this business.

Shouldn’t it read “…Thad Allen, BP Spokesman Says…”

thad allen used to have a reputation for honesty.
somehow, the BPers have turned him into a toady.
Obama should get rid of him and put in someone who isnt in thrall to the oilmen.

Yeh…right! That’ll be the day hell freezes over!

Viewed in Friedman Units, that might be dead-on accurate, earning “0″ bonus points for style and originality. ho. hum.

you caught that too. yep.

The list of who Obama should get rid of is almost endless. Geithner, Summers, Emmanuel, Allen, Salazar, Axelrod…………

I’m not a believer in apocalyptic nightmares but these a**hats are making it awfully difficult for me not to become one.

Actually Allen is merely following the lead of Obama, toady to the corporatists.

It’s sickening to watch that oil gush.

It does seem like most people had gotten off the emotional roller coaster of hoping for a quick fix and resigned themselves to wait for the relief wells to hopefully (but by no means certainly) remedy the problem. Raising expectations just sets it in motion again.

What a terribly cynical view.
In today’s American, corporations are the truth-tellers.

The sooner we accept their truth, the happier we’ll be. P.

In the middle of the lower row of feeds, I think that is the new top hat. I thought they were going to unbolt the old bit of riser first and install a new fitting at the flange…

Remember how at first BP thought they were going to get away with just nobody knowing about this…and only because of the spectacular explosion at the surface with 11 deaths did it become to much to sweep under the rug? Doesn’t that make you wonder how many of the other ten of thousands of wells in the GOM have had major leaks that we’ve just never known about?

Another great post here at FDL.

O/T, but I wanted to point out a meme I’m seeing being played out more and more lately, and was hoping maybe one of the great folks here might look into it deeper and do a post. Sorry, don’t know if I’m allowed to ask that or not, if not I won’t again. :)

Anyway, the fact is big business is hoarding lots of cash right now. Lots. And when we’re in the middle of a Great Depression Recession, it just doesn’t look good to all of those out of work, broke, and desperate folks. They wonder why they won’t spend this or do something to spark the economy.

To combat this, I’ve now seen the right wing, as usual, come up with total, complete fucking bullshit, repeat it over and over again, and of course now it’s no longer bullshit it’s reality. Goddammit.

They’re claiming business isn’t investing right now because of the “uncertainty” they feel now. They fear those, ready for it, TAX INCREASES that Democrats always pass and the pressure of the DEFICIT making money harder to come by. Coupled with dozens and dozens of new Democratic regulations and bigger and bigger government, the environment is just not right for business to invest all of that money so they’re keeping it close.

BULLGODDAMFUCKINGSHIT. Damned I’m tired of living in a country where we no longer have a referee throwing the flag and telling all “THAT’S BULLSHIT” anymore.

Businesses aren’t investing that money BECAUSE THERE IS NO DEMAND FOR MORE PRODUCTION RIGHT NOW. Morans. We’re in a recession, consumer spending is down, and investories are up. Here’s a quick bit of advice for running a business. You DON’T expand production when demand for your product falls. Most smart business folks expand production when demand for their product increases.

That’s ALL IT IS. Business doesn’t invest in new production when consumer demand is down. THAT’s why they’re “hoarding” this cash.

But now the right wing has used complete bullshit to turn fantasy into reality, and if only we’d elect Republicans so the ‘uncertainty’ of the future is removed then our businesses would invest again and the economy would grow.

Yeah. Riight. If you believe that the businesses hoarding this cash now will magically invest in new production even though demand is down simply because of policy decisions in Washington, then you may as well start saving up for a unicorn too. And if demand picks back up for their products or services, you can bet your ass that then they WILL invest more and hire more, no matter what the deficit is, the tax rates are, or who is in office in Washington.

IT’s NOT THAT HARD PEOPLE. Wake the fuck up, please for once in your life, wake the fuck up.

I’ve lost count of how many times the powers that be have proclaimed that the latest and greatest idea to cap the gusher in the Gulf of Mexico will absolutely, positively, definitely, dead-solid lead-pipe cinch surefire no-doubt-about-it-work. So add one more to that.

It is easy to lose count of statements that have never been made.

Yeah, can’t say that I remember them ever being that confident about it in their statements either. If those things were said, I missed ‘em.

What if we took Allan Savory‘s Holisitic Management solution and made it extensible to the BP oil volcano?

Here’s Savory’s explanation about why we humans fail:

For a million years we only had two tools with which to manage or manipulate our environment at large – some aspect of technology or fire and we made, and still do, every decision on one of more considerations – past experience, expert opinion, research results, cultural norms, peer pressure, fear, intuition, expediency, cost, profitability, fear, compromise, etc. There is not a single conscious human decision that can even be imagined that is not made using this underlying framework at all levels from individual, family, community, tribe, nation, government or international agency.

Here simply lies the cause of almost all problems facing humanity. Our universal framework is wonderful when dealing with complicated hard systems, and less successful when dealing with soft and natural complex systems, as defined by Systems Science. This is why we could put a man on the moon, but cannot produce food to feed cities without massive environmental damage, can make a computer but the U.S., enjoying the greatest concentration of scientists and wealth ever known, exports more (weight and value) eroding soil than all other exports combined. Why nations that can produce atomic weapons cannot even prevent violent conflict between religious groups, or govern in a manner that makes it’s citizens feel secure and well governed.

Savory goes on to suggest instead a different approach:

Replacing our universal framework with the modified holistic framework (and later improvements bound to come) is simply a matter of adult education and training. Period. The holistic framework, under development in many countries over the last fifty years, has proven encouragingly successful in all walks of life where used to date. Such is the nature of complex soft systems (organizations) such as governments, universities and environment organizations that even the holistic framework could never have been developed other than by independent scientists and ordinary people.

In brief the holistic framework is driven by a new concept of a holisticgoal (holistic is not an adjective), involves recognition of two new tools with which to manage our environment at large and uses filtering questions to ensure all objectives (goals, missions and visions), together with the decisions through which to achieve them, are indeed going in the direction of the holisticgoal. Like riding a bicycle it appears complicated at first attempt, but actually enables us to make decisions faster in complicated situations. Simply put it enables us to make simultaneously economically, socially and environmentally sound both short and long term which is almost impossible over most of the world using the universal framework.

People, even families, will differ, argue and fight if need be over differing objectives (as we see in the environmental movement). In many years of training and working with people over many countries I have yet to see anyone differ, argue or fight over forming a holisticgoal based on how they want their lives to be. Working with many cultures and religions I have found every sane person wants the same things when asked how they want their lives to be, based on what they value more dearly in their lives, religions and cultures. Who does not want a better life, more true prosperity, security, stable families, freedom to pursue their own spiritual values or religion, better health, cleaner food, better education and so on?

Are you suggesting that business is holding the country hostage?
“Gambling here?” How cynical! /s

This is a similar or identical to a prominent meme during the Great Depression wresting from the compliant Hoover lots of bad policy.

Obama said that by now we’d see them capture 90% of the leak at the wellhead. That’s not happening, not by a longshot.

Thad Allen must be close to retirement and now a very comfortable one that will be, thanks to BP turning him into a paid shill.

Book Salon up at the Mothership with Robert Kuttner’s A Presidency in Peril: The Inside Story of Obama’s Alliance with Wall Street hosted by Mark Thoma

Anything that the U.S. Coast Guard has to say about “progress” is suspect.

They are (with Barack Obama’s clear blessing…) a wholly-owned subsidiary of British Petroleum.

Rear Admiral Mary Landrieu, three days after the platform blew up and sank:

“No oil is escaping from the wellhead.”

And it’s gone downhill from there.

Buncha damn corporate parrots…

By Monday – I have no doubt. But did he, perchance, mention the month and year?

“If you want a guarantee, buy a toaster!”