BP and the Free Market: Putting Profits Over... Well, Everything

[Zoroastor]

Now BP admits top kill isn't working. A company with a horrible history, mostly because we allow it.

http://cons-lie.com/2010/05/29/bp-profits-over-well-everything/

[aquart]

1. The free market regulates by death.

Is that really how we want to go?

A corporation that declares a profit that debits the nation it feeds off is a parasite. A parasite will kill the host if unchecked.

[bhikkhu]

2. That is what they are supposed to do,

and one reason we have laws and regulations and so forth.

Public opinion is also an entirely democratic judge: if people stop buying their oil, BP as a corporation vanishes within weeks.

[Zoroastor]

3. that's a good theory...

...and works sometimes, but not always. You know what they say about democracy - democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. The market doesn't always make the right decisions; it tolerated slavery and lack of equal or civil rights until the govt. stepped in. It tolerates child labor and sweat shops by turning a blind eye, and didn't even used to do that until, once again the govt. stepped in and made it illegal here. Now they just ship it to third world countries and our free-market is implicit in supporting it.

[Nihil]

4. "Now they just ship it to third world countries ..."

> The market doesn't always make the right decisions; it tolerated slavery
> and lack of equal or civil rights until the govt. stepped in. It tolerates
> child labor and sweat shops by turning a blind eye, and didn't even used
> to do that until, once again the govt. stepped in and made it illegal here.
> Now they just ship it to third world countries and our free-market is implicit
> in supporting it.

Not just the "free market" but the public in general.

Nobody gives a shit as long as it only happens to "someone else" and,
preferably, "somewhere else".

That has been blindingly obvious over the last six weeks or so.

Capitalism, ignorance, nationalism, religion, laziness, greed.
All of them are to blame but few people accept it.