By Dave Stancliff/for ALL VOICES
Have you ever seen those old movies that ask you to “Follow the bouncing ball?” Using this analogy, let’s follow the bouncing ball that led to the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico.
Before we follow what led to this ecological disaster that took the lives of 11 workers on the oil rig, let’s take a quick look at the political climate regarding Big Oil. Ex-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a patriotic pal of the oil industry, told her followers the country still needs to “Drill, baby, drill” despite what happened in the Gulf.
Kentucky Republican Senate candidate, Rand Paul, wailed about Obama’s criticism of BP in the wake of the Gulf oil debacle and called it "really un-American." Then he told the press “accidents happen” to explain the catastrophic spill. A truly classic disingenuous statement.
Paul, already facing a backlash over remarks about civil rights legislation, defends Big Oil because he seeks financial support from the GOP to go along with his Tea Party backing. The GOP has been in bed with Big Oil since the first Bush took over the White House. That’s when the ball got rolling.
Read the rest at ALL VOICES online magazine.
Photo Above: Sperm whales like this one are one of two resident species near the leak area. Like dolphins, whales have no fur that can get oiled, but oil on their skin and eyes can cause irritation and infection.
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