BP's New "Culture of Complacency"

Oil Spew Commission Counsel Fred Barlit helped BP's risk management case with his comment:

"to date, we have not seen a single instance where a human being made a conscious decision to favor dollars over safety." 

Did WilmerHale's Jamie Gorelick give Fred that line?   If not, she had to be pleased with its delivery.  Fred noted the Commission did not have subpoena power.  Many refused to testify or plead the Fifth on incriminating questions.  BP CEO Tony Hayward didn't show, much less say how cutting 5,000 jobs and $4 billion in costs impacted safety.

This wasn't BP's first deadly accident.  After BP's Texas City refinery explosion, which killed 15 people, the company put together a list of approved terms for employees to use. Did WilmerHale advise them on language?  BP's internal report on Texas City stated it:

“found no evidence of anyone consciously or intentionally taking actions or decisions that put others at risk.”

That sounds like Fred Barlit's statement.  Ironically, WilmerHale helped set up The Baker investigation.

Assisted BP in establishing and supporting the Independent Panel headed by former Secretary of State James Baker to review the safety systems at BP's US refineries.

The Baker report concluded BP had a "misplaced culture of safety," by focusing on personal safety and ignoring process safety.  CEO Lord John Browne, cost cutter extraordinaire,  knew little about his company, when he was deposed three years after the explosion.  Oddly, WilmerHale shares the Lord's cost cutting bent.  Heaven help British higher education survive Browne's slashing.

BP went from "safety challenged" to "complacent"  between April 2005 and April 2010.  What degree of indifference does that represent?  Where was BP's focus is not on safety?  Greed.  BP's Libya machinations are sure to turn one's stomach.

In the midst of asset sales post-blowout, BP invested in Azerbaijan.  Their quandary is where to send their gas, in short supply in Europe.  Recall BP needs to continue drilling in the Gulf of Mexico to fund the $20 billion compensation fund. That's another WilmerHale mantra.

While the final report is yet to be written, early signs favor BP risk management.  Covering for corporate friends, that's a familiar refrain in Washington, D.C.

Patrick Pape's Light

The Friday news cast showed Patrick Pape's picture.  The anchorwoman said his body had been found in shallow water in South Concho Park.  Not the always smiling Patrick from Community Health Club?  What?  How? Why?

Internet searches provided virtually no information, other than a few details on when he'd gone missing.  I posted something Saturday afternoon..  Having watched a Central Swim Team alumni meet, I couldn't envision Patrick drowning. Yet, the unthinkable happened. 

Patrick Pape's light shone brightly, especially at the Central pool and Community Health Club.  That's all I should've written.

Peace be to Patrick Pape. God be with family and friends during this tragic time.


Update 11-10 --Johnson's funeral home posted Patrick Jack Pape's obiturary.  Visitation with the family will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, at Johnson's Funeral Home. Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Friday, November 12, in Johnson's Funeral Home chapel with Rev. Ricky Burk, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church, officiating, assisted by cousin Rev. Brian Pape of Flower Mound, Texas.  GoSanAngelo published Patrick's obituary, as well.


Update 11-12-10--The funeral honored Patrick's life.  Those who loved him turned out in droves.  Family pictures were poignant and moving.  I learned Patrick loved the Bible, baseball and willingly listened to other's problems.  Yet, Patrick found inspiration in other religious teachings, especially Hinduism.  Scripture hinted at Patrick's final struggle on this plane, "broken hearted and crushed in spirit."  What can we learn from the man who willingly listened, yet felt so terribly alone and abandoned?

The outpouring of support could be seen at Johnson's Funeral Home. It's on his Facebook page, even via this blog.  People visited more than 600 times.  They came from 77 cities in 24 U.S. states and three countries, Canada, England and Germany.

I knew the smiling, happy, "world by the tail" Patrick Pape.  That's who was honored and buried.  Yes, Patrick's spirit is with Jesus, experiencing the peace that passeth all understanding.  Might Christ's first word to him have been Namaste?

Would Thomas Jefferson Fly?

Responses to 9-11 security measures ran along several lines:  The first related to America's widely expanding surveillance state:

If you have nothing to hide, why does it bother you they look?

The second, regarding the War on Terror, went something like this:

Rights don't apply to terrorists, who have no respect for life.

Thus, America tortured non-state actors, using techniques considered war crimes, when used against our soldiers in WWII.
 
Airports recently upped passenger security screening methods.

Rights don't apply to 99.9999984% of fliers, who must prove they are not terrorists.

If you have nothing to hide, why does it bother you they image or touch your genitals?

Screening doesn't apply to government officials, who have rights passengers don't.  The physical/privacy violation should have people up in arms.

"The oppressed should rebel, and they will continue to rebel and raise disturbance until their civil rights are fully restored to them and all partial distinctions, exclusions and incapacitations are removed." --Thomas Jefferson: Notes on Religion, 1776. Papers 1:548

Officials need funding for increased cargo screening.  They're considering another airline passenger fee. Why should passengers pay for screening someone else's package?  What's right about adding a financial burden to government sponsored pornography and molestation? 

Planes, trains and automobiles are down to trains and automobiles for many people.  However, to keep people in an oppressive system, alternatives must be limited.   Don't expect help from leaders, who need another terror attack to "reconnect with voters."

Where would Thomas Jefferson land in this debate?  Would he, as a government official, bypass the screening line to board a plane?  Would Jefferson fly today?  Should you?

Red Flags of Backscatter Machines

Box Cutters and Personal Pouches: State of Airline Screening

A sad review of America's descent into ignorance and acquiescence is in order:

Triggering event:  19 Saudi Arabian terrorists hijacked four planes.  Two crashed into the Twin Towers, one into the Pentagon and the last into an open field in Pennsylvania.

The Transportation Safety Administration is established.  Of 142 million passengers, nineteen hijackers represented .00000013% of fliers.  Cockpits are fortified. Major passenger and baggage screening systems are devised and put into place.  A "no fly" list is created. 

Triggering event:  1 British terrorist tried to light a bomb in his shoe.

TSA adjusted procedures, asking people to remove belts and shoes, as part of the screening process.

Triggering event:  1 Nigerian terrorist smuggled bomb making materials in his underwear onto a flight.

Of 151 million passengers, this one terrorist represented .000000006% of fliers.  TSA was in the process of implementing full body scanners, which image citizen's genitalia.  However, the underwear bomber accelerated plans. 

Think about it.  Because the government failed to monitor a suspected terrorist, whose name was turned in by his father, the TSA needs to look at or pat the genitals of women and children?

Triggering event:  2 packages containing bombs are found on airplanes.

Packages fly on passenger, as well as, cargo flights.  TSA ramped up passenger screening.  Citizens refusing to have their private's imaged, must now assent to security agents touching their genitalia. Prior to getting on a flight with unscreened cargo, passengers must be seen naked or fondled?

CBS News says pat downs will be done by same sex agents. This was not the case with Alex Jones' assistant.  She had to ask for a woman agent for her two young girls.  

Terrorists are a tiny fraction of the population.  They rarely travel.  Changing the system to deal with a special cause, brings heavy losses.

America's solution, inspection, isn't foolproof, not by a long shot.  What did nine years of screening find, when TSA agents were acting within their mandate?  We have data from nearly a billion travelers.

What cannot be screened by order of the U.S. government?  Diplomatic pouches.  Apparently, Ben Bernanke's personal pouch is also off limits. Not yours, which will be imaged or groped.  That's the choice.  We are now at systematic dehumanization.



Update 11-21-10: TSA Chief says molestation procedures will not change. When asked if she would submit to a pat down, Hillary Clinton responded: "Not if I could avoid it. No. I mean, who would?"

USIBC's Thanksgiving

President Obama will meet with members of the U.S. India Business Council during his Asian trip.  Does he have to go that far to meet with people he regularly sees?

Albright Stonebridge (Blue) - Madelline Albright
McLarty Associates (Blue) - Mac McLarty, Carlyle Group senior adviser
Apollo Management
Blackstone Group
Carlyle Group affiliate Booz, Allen, Hamilton
KKR
Macquarie Capital
W.L. Ross (Wilbur Ross of Sago Mine Explosion, BankUnited & PPIP federal subsidies)

BOA
Bank of NY Mellon
Citi
Credit Suisse
Goldman Sachs
JP Morgan Chase
Morgan Stanley

Akin Gump
APCO Worldwide
Chertoff Group
DLA Piper (which explains the internationalization of Tea Parties)
Kirkland & Ellis
Patton Boggs

These groups live off Uncle Sam's wallet and America's political dysfunction.  Will they thank President Obama for his government's largess?  Thanks for the giving.

It's fitting that Obama extend a hand of friendship to USIBC, which his minions bashed prior to the election.  What's the Indian version of slurpee?  Then again, it could be a beer summit.


Update 11-6-10:  AP reported on the trip.  "In the fallout of the U.S. elections, in which Democrats lost control of the House and Obama's ability to connect with his country was called into doubt, the president said one lesson learned was the need to set a better tone with business leaders. He was effusive on that front in Mumbai, gathering with top U.S. executives and studying up on their commerce with India."

"Damn Right" W. Approved Waterboarding

CBS News reported:

In his book, titled "Decision Points," President George W. Bush recounts being asked by the CIA whether it could proceed with waterboarding Mohammed, who Bush said was suspected of knowing about still-pending terrorist plots against the United States. Bush writes that his reply was "Damn right" and states that he would make the same decision again to save lives. 

"I was a big supporter of waterboarding," Vice President Richard B. Cheney acknowledged in a television interview in February. . .

How will President Obama respond, given his 2009 stance?  The DailyMail reported:

America lost its ‘moral bearings’ over its torture of terrorist suspects, President Obama said last night.  He also left the door open for possible prosecutions of Bush administration lawyers who approved tough interrogation methods such as waterboarding.

Mr Obama conceded that an inquiry might be necessary, despite earlier assurances that those responsible for ordering and carrying out the torture techniques would not be punished. 

No inquiry is necessary.  Order the Justice Department to buy Bush's book and look at the Cheney tape.  The next loss of moral bearings will be Obama's free pass to W. and Shooter.

Update 2-7-11:  Human Rights Groups prepared a preliminary indictment  for President George W. Bush.  Bush canceled his trip to Switzerland to avoid indictment, preventing a Tony Blair like scene.

Inflammatory Election Ads Hit Record

Political television ads are expected to hit $3 billion. Most are intended to inflame the public, i.e. mobilize people to the polls for tomorrow's election.  Besides spending a record amount on mostly negative ads, a few election facts are worth noting.

One, there is no Federal Election Commission requirement that ads be true.  Candidates purposely fracture truth, one pillar of the American way.  Hyper-competition requires any end justifying the means. 

Two, there is no way for the public to know who is behind candidates.  For ads to hit $3 billion, it's obviously people or organizations with resources.  What do they expect in return for their sponsorship?  History shows earmarks, favorable rules and regulations, preferred tax status, even billions in government business. 

I don't see how things can change under our system, given hyper-competition, funding darkness and purposeful untruths.  I'll vote tomorrow, wishing all along that America's choices were different.

What if elections were true, fair, fostered goodwill and were beneficial to all involved?  That'd be Rotary nice.  It'd also provide us higher quality leadership.

Instead, America will be damaged by excessive inflammation.