I ask this rhetorically, recognizing, of course, that all questions are fundamentally asked rhetorically. I ask, "Would it have been politically disastrous for the Obama Administration to have the Deepwater Horizon oil leak capped quickly; would it be even worse for the administration if the oil leak was easily and quickly cleaned up?"
To some readers the question may seem ludicrous. I admit they are most likely right. It sure sounds ludicrous.
But please note the longstanding trope -- now more trite than trope -- that the Republican Party has "always been in bed" with "Big Oil" and the ruthlessly greedy denizens of Big Business. The trope is part of any liberal's DNA, being asserted with machine-like predictability; and it has made its way into the narrative of the current oil disaster in the Gulf. But the trope is like a wet blanket over the eyes, blinding us to the truth that if the oil leaked throughout the Gulf can be quickly contained and cleaned up, then critics of Big Oil's "reckless indifference to the planet for greed's sake" have little political leverage. Does this explain Mr. Obama's failure to act quickly at the outset of this crisis? Why has he been so slow to accept help from those who've offered it? Why has he dragged his feet in meeting with officials from BP? Why has he not used all the resources at his disposal to help BP and the state governments who are desperately asking for help?
And why, too, has he spent the bulk of his energy, and most of his words, on placing blame, threatening punishment, and seeking recompense -- think big $$$ -- and "justice"? Why his energetic denunciations, and yet his lethargic assistance?
This seems clear: the Democratic Party MUST MAINTAIN THE TROPE and its derivatives. The party MUST CONSTANTLY REINFORCE the trope that oil companies are inherently corrupt, that the oil industry is toxic from beginning to end, and that oil spills are the worst ecological event in history, ruining the earth and seas for years, decades and centuries.
By the way, denunciations of greed are nearly always rooted in greed.
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1 comment:
The times are long gone when problems were identified and remedied as quickly as possible. Now, the primary question is "How can this event be used to solidify my position at a minimum, and increase my power, if possible." Call the "Never Let A Crisis Go To Waste" Theory of politics.
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