Yes, it is summer and it is busy and stuff. Lots of travel and what not coming up, and of course the constant ongoing celebration of Lord Stanley’s Cup, for the lack of a better reason. But anyway, as the oil spill disaster horrorshow slowly unfolds before us without any sign of stopping and we all watch the images helplessly, it’s easy to get really pissed off. I happened to see just a snippet today where the protester interrupted the testimony of BP CEO Tony Hayward and it made me want to punch this guy in the face–not because of his reaction (there was none)–but for the primal need to inflict pain on this corporate asshole. Someone deserves to be punched for what’s been done, right? And the sight of this woman with painted oil hands screaming at the guy tapped that caveman instinct inside of me. String him up!
But that’s not the way it works. BP will pay, and they will suffer, and possibly go under, but how different are they from every other oil company? I need a goddamn oil change in my car! What the hell am I gonna do? We’re so screwed here. And it’s my fault because I need it just like everyone else. I’m gonna get in a plane soon and then I’m gonna drive the shit outta my van soon and all of this oil is gonna burn and I’ll refill the gas and there’s nothing I can do about it.
It totally sucks. And I have no further revelations or answers, it’s just out there and that’s it.
So then there’s politics and of course I think it’s silly to blame Obama or get worked up about the response, this isn’t Katrina and there aren’t people waiting on rooftops for rescue or dying in the Superdome. The government can’t fix this, they can only get money for it and help the people affected by it, and so that’s what Obama is doing, and has done. I didn’t see his speech and haven’t read much about it but I like Andrew Sullivan’s comments here (“Getting Shit Done”):
Obama’s incrementalism, his refusal to pose as a presidential magician, and his resistance to taking the bait of the fetid right (he’s president – not a cable news host) seems to me to show not weakness, but a lethal and patient strength. And a resilient ambition.
Obama, I don’t worry about; it’s everyone else. I heard that his speech was regarded as too far above the heads of his viewers, too “professorial.” Why not just say “people are really stupid”? We prefer things dumbed down, it’s the American Way. This guy just doesn’t get that…thankfully.
I’m off again, for a while. I’m sure nothing will have changed much when I return…