BP and the Government

What has taken place in the Gulf the past 46 days is tragic in more ways than the obvious. Oh, sure, I, like every other breathing person in the world, am upset with BP and their inability to end this madness, but is the responsibility all of BP's to bare?

As I listen to the media and to the government, I am struck by several aspects of their response to this tragedy. The media is almost giddy that this story will not go away, and that they finally have the villain they have desired for so long... a big, bad evil oil company. The government is almost as giddy and seemingly happy to skip to the tune the media hums. Quick to condemn and even quicker to judge and threaten, but in light of all the finger pointing, let me suggest a few thoughts on which we all should chew.

The major barrier to cap this leak is water depth. The leak is under a mile of water; ever care to consider why? The answer is governmental policy. Policy pushed BP and others out deeper into the Gulf. Government now condemns BP for having no plan for an event like this, and rightly so, but what is their plan? Should they have a plan too?

The government continues to promote that BP will pay for the clean up of this mess, yet, this same government never misses a chance to punish BP in the press. Does anyone really believe this was BP's plan? And, if BP was in violation of safety codes, who is responsible for enforcement of those codes? The constant jabs the government takes at BP has stirred the public into actions of rebellion against BP and ensured that the light remains on BP and not on the government. Does anyone think BP will recover as a company from this? And, what happens if BP fails as a company? Who will then clean up or worse, pay for the clean up?

The current government continues to condemn a variety of energies. Let me leave a question: if oil, coal, nuclear power and wind farms are all evil and environmentally unfriendly, what, then are our options?

In light of all of this, I am steadfast in my belief that there is a God, and He is in control. I can't tell you how this particular event fits into His grand plan, but I am sure that it does. As mankind struggles to contain this spill, it will eventually end and the world God created will clean up yet another mess of mankind.