Panorama - BP in hot water
Discussion
Sorry if this is a repost, did look for recent topics but did not see anything.
Left feeling really angry as I watched this yesterday evening on the iPlayer. Completely one sided, and just when you thing the reporter is going to introduce some balance she continues to bash BP.
What frustrates me is that the documentary was continually contradicting itself, for example the chap who worked for BP who noticed the fault and reported it to BP, actually works for Transocean and reported it to them and the chap is "sure" BP knew about it.
Also they were under pressure to complete as they were behind schedule, for gods sake, who is the business world wouldn't be under pressure if they were late especially if the project was costing $500m a day.
I was really hoping there would be a balanced documentary on it. I understand that BP bares responsibility for some of the consequences here, but they seem to be targetted as they are the only organisation truly capable of fitting the bill.
Left feeling really angry as I watched this yesterday evening on the iPlayer. Completely one sided, and just when you thing the reporter is going to introduce some balance she continues to bash BP.
What frustrates me is that the documentary was continually contradicting itself, for example the chap who worked for BP who noticed the fault and reported it to BP, actually works for Transocean and reported it to them and the chap is "sure" BP knew about it.
Also they were under pressure to complete as they were behind schedule, for gods sake, who is the business world wouldn't be under pressure if they were late especially if the project was costing $500m a day.
I was really hoping there would be a balanced documentary on it. I understand that BP bares responsibility for some of the consequences here, but they seem to be targetted as they are the only organisation truly capable of fitting the bill.
Quite.
I have watched a decent part of the US 'investigation'. It is not only one-sided they have made it quite clear that they have already found the answer even whilst grilling the CEO.
I also think the US govt. jumping on the bandwagon - including Obama - is simply a method of looking to side with the people and advocate responsibility for governing a solution, blame or help elsewhere.
It is very easy to blame 'British' Petroleum for all this without factoring that the US world dominance is in much part down to the availability of a huge amount of cheap oil under and around their country and they pay 1/3 as much for fuel as we do.
If you accept that, then when you are digging pressurised pockets of flammable material an accident is eventually going to happen. How many of the US population would want to pay three times as much for their fuel though in turn for less drilling? Not many.
Compare this to what happened with the Exxon Valdez disaster. A US company. How quickly it is forgotten that they were fined $5bn for the accident and spent 15 years wriggling out of paying to the point where a couple of years ago the legal action ended up with them paying no fine at all.
In contrast, BP has already spent billions in clean up operations and already put a fund of $20bn in place.
The 'irony' is that Exxon and the fact that the fine was going to cost them so much meant that their bank had to take out the very first 'default credit swop' with another bank in case Exxon defaulted. That was the start of the trade and the key moment in the financial crisis now.
I have watched a decent part of the US 'investigation'. It is not only one-sided they have made it quite clear that they have already found the answer even whilst grilling the CEO.
I also think the US govt. jumping on the bandwagon - including Obama - is simply a method of looking to side with the people and advocate responsibility for governing a solution, blame or help elsewhere.
It is very easy to blame 'British' Petroleum for all this without factoring that the US world dominance is in much part down to the availability of a huge amount of cheap oil under and around their country and they pay 1/3 as much for fuel as we do.
If you accept that, then when you are digging pressurised pockets of flammable material an accident is eventually going to happen. How many of the US population would want to pay three times as much for their fuel though in turn for less drilling? Not many.
Compare this to what happened with the Exxon Valdez disaster. A US company. How quickly it is forgotten that they were fined $5bn for the accident and spent 15 years wriggling out of paying to the point where a couple of years ago the legal action ended up with them paying no fine at all.
In contrast, BP has already spent billions in clean up operations and already put a fund of $20bn in place.
The 'irony' is that Exxon and the fact that the fine was going to cost them so much meant that their bank had to take out the very first 'default credit swop' with another bank in case Exxon defaulted. That was the start of the trade and the key moment in the financial crisis now.
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