Using reason to seperate oil from water! by Gene DeNardo
(libertarian)
Saturday, May 22, 2010
It is extremely hard to be reasonable in a stressful situation. Yet, the best use of our reason is finding our way out of tough situations. When it comes to the most recent display of large scale environmental degradation we can use our reason to come to only one of two conclusions:
Deepwater oil exploration is much too risky for our current level of technological advancement and any further well development at such depths carries far too much risk.
We do have sufficient technology to safely carry on deepwater oil well drilling, but the current mess is the result of BP or one its contracted affiliates taking action during their enterprise that was extremely negligent and the cause of the massive ocean pollution.
Using every bit of reason, we can come to no other conclusion. If number two holds and the faulty act is proven to be beyond the capabilities of BP or whoever is responsible due to human limitations, then we are back at conclusion number one. Technology and/or human developement is not advanced enough to permit deepwater drilling.
Liability settlements can never truly negate the damage. Every drop of oil that enters the ocean water is a form of damage. The full ultimate cost can never be calculated. That, of course, doesn't mean the attempt shouldn't be made.
Again using our reason, there are only three possible future courses of action:
If BP and/or one of its affiliates are found at fault, they must be forever banned from any oil development. This will have an extremely limited effect in our present state of corporate socialism. Because of limited liability laws, the firm will disburse and keep any past profits they can, liquidate the corporation and reform with some variation under a new name, probably continuing in the same field of enterprise.
If our level of technology is insufficient, then the best course is to ban deepwater drilling until that is no longer the case.
Hands will be slapped, fines posted. The cause will be contributed to individual human error [such as Exxon's drunken captain]. Although this would bring us back to conclusion number one above and course of action number 2, since only humans [and human built robots] work on oil rigs, it will not be perceived that way. Deepwater drilling will resume with a vengeance with some added meaningless regulations and the business of corporate socialism will go on as usual.
The reasonable betting man would place his wager on course of action number 3.
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The views expressed
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do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates.
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