Robert Murray is still taking about

[malaise]

after the earthquakes. Why is the press allowing him to continue spewing lies.

[spanone]

1. this is shameless.

hey bob, there was no earthquake, you are responsible for the death of six miners....you alone have to live with that regardless of how many fingers you point.

[malaise]

4. He said the miners families are so strong

faith is keeping them. I can't believe MSM is allowing him to hand-pick who they speak with and escape with all these daily lies.

[King Coal]

10. Why do you think Murray is totally responsible for the mine accident?

He may be mistaken or lying about the earthquakes, but why is he solely responsible for the accident?

[KittyWampus]

14. he's the owner and the one responsible for an apparent total lack of safe procedures

He's the one who ignored the many warning and protests from his workers.

[King Coal]

17. Do you have a link to support that?

Were the miners working for him forced to go underground?

[spanone]

20. Do you have a link to support that mr. murray is NOT responsible?

[King Coal]

22. How do you prove a negative? The burden of proof is on the accuser.

[spanone]

24. it is not a negative that he owns the mine and is responsible for the saftey of his employees.

[King Coal]

26. Really? Would a mine owner be responsible if a miner working on an

incentive bonus plan ran out into an open stope and got hurt from a falling slab to save time when he had been taught over and over not to do that? I am not defending Murray, but I don't know what happened and neither do you. You seem to think that he is responsible just because he owns the mine.

[spanone]

29. I own a business and I am responsible for my employees on my property even if they're stupid.

[King Coal]

35. Well, yeah, if they worked for you.

[spinbaby]

25. There is such a thing as economic coercion

People work in mines for the same reason that many join the military--money. Mining doesn't pay as well as it used to, but it's still one of the few ways a person with few skills can make a decent amount of money.

That said, I happen to come from a mining family and many of them LOVE the mines and the ones that have worked in Murray's mines say they didn't feel unsafe at all.

But the point also remains that there were safety issues in Utah and miners were afraid to speak up for fear of losing their jobs. Something was rotten in that mine. Whatever was rotten in that mine may not have been Murray's fault--just because he was a lunatic wingnut doesn't neccessarily mean he was responsible for the mine accident. Accidents do sometimes just happen. But his demeanor through this certainly suggests that he feels guilty as hell about something and is covering up like mad.

[King Coal]

27. I think we are in total agreement Spinbaby!

[DBoon]

28. Were the people on the I-35 bridge forced to be there?

Therefore it is their own fault that they were killed in the bridge collapse?

You work for a place, you expect the owner to follow the laws on workplace safety. You accept the risk an accident might happen, but the responsibility for failing to maintain the minimum safety required by law is the owner's.

That is the definition of ownership in a capitalist society. Ownership means responsibility.

[Crunchy Frog]

34. Here's a link for you.

Murray's Illinois mine has 2,787 violations since 2005

No, the miners were not forced to go underground, but that is not the standard of workplace liability that we have in our society. If you want to work towards a society that has those kinds of standards, well, there are plenty of other people in the other party working for the same end, and I'm sure you would be welcome to join them.

[spanone]

15. he owns the company; they died (if they're dead) in his mine. Who else?

[Virginia Dare]

18. Why would he lie?

and by now somebody should have set him straight if he's mistaken, either that, or he's just plain crazy.

[King Coal]

21. It was the rib that came in, not the back, and that sandstone is

wilder than the James gang. While he should shut up and let someone with more PR experience handle it, I don't think it is right to hang him without an investigation. What some people here may not know is that MSHA citations are a dime a dozen. I have seen them given for extremely picayune circumstances.

[Virginia Dare]

23. He's certainly not doing himself any favors...n/t

[KharmaTrain]

2. He's Got A Future Murray Talking...

The dog and pony show enters another day...and I'll bet some of the news organizations either have pulled people out or are planning to.

I was looking at the "head" of the rescue team or whomever...a real Murray in the making...sitting there with the boss looking over the shoulder and I kept thinking how this guy probably sees what he's doing as his promotion to the top.

Has anyone seen/heard from a UMW official about this situation lately? Even they're letting it fade away.

[malaise]

5. I thought the same thing

I can imagine him in front of the mikes just like Murray in a few decades. Murray is now starting family meetings with prayers, not fugging apologies for negligence. This entire disaster and its coverage is blowing my brains. Never have I seen anything like this.

[KharmaTrain]

16. We'll Be Here Tomorrow

I've worked in "the media" and I know how money can buy a story...and Murray's played this one like the New York Philharmonic. Just think about the point Michael Moore made about Dr. Guptha's hit piece and change insurance to coal industry and the pieces quickly fall into place.

From what I've heard, Murray still has the families in lockdown...especially the Hispanic ones...and by dangling hope, free meals and intimidation, no one dares speak...especially those who intermix spiritual feelings into this. The townies must be hating all this attention and as a company town, Murray means people's paychecks, so I'm not surprised that the "journalists" there are nothing more than stenographers as they're not gonna hear a bad word while the boss is on site.

I'm almost tempted to set a (pardon this very bad pun) "Drop Dead" date on when at least some in the corporate media will decide its a lost cause...either of the miners or of their own coverage.

Again, the end of the story...or at least what Murray hopes...is to seal the crimes and probably those miners in the mine and take his chances in a court he thinks he'll be able to buy off.

[malaise]

19. I thought about this

http://www.michaelparenti.org/MonopolyMedia.html

<snip>
Slighting of Content

One has to marvel at how the corporate news media can give so much emphasis to surface happenings, to style and process, and so little to the substantive issues at stake.

Accounts of major strikes — on those rare occasions the press attends to labor struggles — offer a similar slighting of content while focusing heavily on process. We are told how many days the strike has lasted, the inconvenience and cost to the public and the economy, and how negotiations threaten to break down. Missing is any reference to the substance of the conflict, the grievances that drive workers reluctantly to the extreme expediency of a strike, such as, cutbacks in wages and benefits, loss of seniority, safety issues, or the unwillingness of management to negotiate a contract.

Media pundits often talk about the “larger picture.” In fact, their ability or willingness to link immediate events and issues to larger social relations is almost nonexistent, nor would a broader analysis be tolerated by their bosses.

[spanone]

6. UMW....not a hint

I haven't heard an 'official' speak at all about this incident...mr. murray has run the show from the beginning.

[Wilber_Stool]

30. The first two days

they had a rep from the UMW on after Murray to kind of take the shine off the optimistic predictions he had made. Then they were gone. That was before the seismologists confirmed, no earthquake.

[malaise]

32. The Univeristy of Utah seismologists came out from day one and

said all evidence suggested an earthquake. Within two days so did Colorado seismologists. By day four USGS, U of Utah and Colorado confirmed that it was an earthquake, but Murray is still spewing his earthquake and seismic rubbish.

[spinbaby]

3. Are they getting close with that third hole

It was supposed to be finished today. I still have some tiny hope those guys will be found alive.

[berner59]

7. He's so trying to cover his ass....

You're right...WHY isn't the media challenging him??? Didn't they find out that he was retreat mining which is really dangerous?? Those families are going to sue him when all is done...they just want their loved ones' bodies out of there...

[malaise]

9. I'd be very surprised if those miners are alive

Murray is playing for time - the media will soon go away and he'll cover up his deeds as usual.

[TomInTib]

12. I'm with you on that.

Those bastards will keep drilling holes until the cameras go away and then pronounce it "hopeless".

[Richardo]

8. I heard they're considering a fourth if the third doesn't make contact

My question - why wait and do all this stuff serially? Start the fourth hole NOW and save some time.

[KharmaTrain]

31. Murray Keeps Playing For Time

He knows he's got a major mess on his hands and he's gonna try to buy his way out of this. First, buying off the corporate media (check) and then the local officials. He needs the corporate media to get bored with this story...find another dead blonde or crunk Hollywood celeb...and once the cameras are removed, the mine is sealed and so is any evidence.

[TomInTib]

11. Hell, I'm surprised they haven't interviewed Baby Jessica yet.

They did on the last mine deal (the one where everyone was alive and then they were dead).

[malaise]

13. You mean the one where they deprived them of

a miracle.

[DU GrovelBot]

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