I hear you, Diki. It's hard not to be/sound bitter when you learn that a simple $500k switch/valve could have prevented this disaster. But because it wasn't required by OUR government (many countries, such as Norway, do), a company making 20 Billion in profit in ONE QUARTER, elected not to. So as much as you want to tell people not to be bitter and angry (especially those so affected by this spill), it's really hard not to feel their pain.

Diki, hang in there. We're all hoping for some kind of weather miracle but according to CNN, this thing has TRIPLED in size in the last three days.

Of course it's not just the government or BP to blame. It's everyone from the politicians who cozy up to big oil in return for monster campaign contributions to 'joe the average invester' who insists on and expects unrealistic, unnatural, and impossible returns on their BP stock investments, even if safety has to be compromised to boost the bottom line. We need look no further than the recent coal mining tragedy for an example of how profits trump safety every time.

Sadly, we (our generation) will probably not be around to see a change in this trend. Hopefully, our kids and grandkids will.

BTW, I think Donny is right, in that with the constant threat of terrorism, anyplace and any time, we all DO need to be vigilant (just not to the point of paranoia). As we saw in the NYC case, it CAN save lives.
Like the saying goes, "just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you".

chas



[This message has been edited by cgiles (edited 05-03-2010).]