Sometimes I wonder if I've moved into a world where the normal rules don't apply. I could say more about that, but I won't. I'll just relay some thoughts about the BP Oil spill.
I was listening to a conversation the other day revolving around the BP oil disaster, how long it's been going on (it's really been almost two months since it first occurred?) but there were two main points that stood out to me:
1) You haven't really heard anything from the environmentalists about this. Not that long ago, if there was a hint of an oil spill anywhere, environmental activists would have been out in force demanding the oil companies pay. I don't know about you, but I haven't heard much of anything. Oh there was some noise and whimpering and whining at first, but it's pretty much died out. Maybe they're just waiting for the final damage assessment before they 'lower the boom', but that's just the cynical skeptic in me.
2) These people were actually talking about physical harm being done to executives, on the order of 'showing on TV these executives being punched in the face, etc.' To me, it spoke back to the days of the Roman Forum and the gladiators. I guess we really are not that far removed from those days of 'unsophisticated' violence. How much of a push would we as a society need to want to see killing and death (real killing I mean) on television?
One other thing I've noticed about this disaster: has anyone noticed you don't hear stories about oil and gas prices rising to outrageous levels? We saw it with Katrina, and while this may not have the same potential, I would have thought the cost would have gone up at least a little. Petroleum being a scarce commodity and a significant amount being lost. I will admit I've been distracted and not scouring the news to search or research, but with some things you don't have to search very hard.
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