And still the oil comes and still we do piss all about it.
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In some ways, it is a rather adult response. We use a shitload of oil, it comes with risks which we deem acceptable.
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But in other ways, the steady stream of bad news and reports from the gulf drain us further as a nation on a few levels.
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First, it reinforces the truth that people no longer run the government, the corporations do. There is a small show of anger, but the media and the government trot out ex-oil company execs to tell us that the "brightest minds" are working on this - and we sheepishly accept their answer. Brian Williams - who I generally like - said today, "And what about the idea floated on the Internet of nuking or bombing the problem. Experts say it won't work. And the government said that it would go against treaties on nuclear explosions." To which I say... what .... the... fuck?
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Suddenly we give a shit about treaties? We who torture, order hits on Americans and refuse to cooperate with the International Criminal Court? NOW we care about treaties? Oh wait, nuking it would stop BP from ever making money on it again.
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And "experts", what "experts"? Are these the same ones that designed the "fail-safe" measures? Are these the same experts that "just want their life back"? Are these the same experts that have stated that the Gulf of Mexico is "a big place and this leak will hardly effect it"? Those experts Brian? Cuz, I might ask a follow up - like..ummm.. Are you sure? Cuz so far, what "will work" hasn't. Haven't we "known", like, 5 different "solutions with a 70% success rate? And haven't all of them done piss all nothing?
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Second, it is a daily reminder of how little thought we give to our troops at war, and the countries we are destroying with gun fire and rocket drones. Why do thousands of Americans dead in Iraq and Afghanistan barely get mentioned, and certainly not counting the tens of thousands of "ancillary" deaths (you know, innocent civilians caught in the cross fire of an unwinable war) -0 and yet we have a live feed on the ocean floor and show it nightly? Because our government and media put a greater value on Americans' right to cheap gas and an easy villain than they do to bothering to explain a war that has not dragged on for 8 years and two administrations where we are spending billions of dollars to pulverize rocks into smaller rocks. And don't give me the shit we want to fight them there not here - because if that was really true we would bomb the headquarters of British Petroleum.
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Finally, and this may just be age here, but it reminds me of the constant news of the Iran hostage crisis. It is infuriating to see our country be this impotent.
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(ps - I liked not working. I don't dislike working, but I don't like it as much as not working...)