Sunday, February 24, 2013

"With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."


There is always a certain glamour about the idea of a nation rising up to crush an evil simply because it is wrong. Unfortunately, this can seldom be realized in real life; for the very existence of the evil usually argues a moral weakness in the very place where extraordinary moral strength is called for.  





























Nearly three years after the Deepwater Horizon accident dumped over four million barrels of toxic crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico, oil giant BP is set to face off against the Justice Department in court Monday.

It all started in April 2010 when a massive explosion on board the platform killed 11 workers and injured many others. The platform ultimately sank and set off a 3-month frenzy to cap the well as oil continued to gush into the Gulf.

BP says it will fight the government’s charges of gross negligence, saying “We have always been open to settlements on reasonable terms... faced with demands that are excessive and not based on reality or the merits of the case, we are going to trial.”

Transcript with links continues below...

According to the Times-Picayune, the difference between “negligence” and “gross negligence” under the Clean Water Act means the difference between a $4 billion fine and a $17 billion fine. The editorial cites previous BP safety violations, saying “The bottom line is simple: BP should pay the highest penalties possible to undo the grievous damage it has done.”








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Under typical circumstances, major companies almost always come to a settlement when such high penalties are at stake. In a trial, much more uncertainty exists. A guest on Fox News urged BP to settle.

“We’re in a situation now where BP is pointing fingers at people but the reality is, why don’t we sit down and just try to get this settled, BP? And why don’t you just accept that it was a very terrible situation that you created?”

So why hasn’t BP simply settled? A lawyer involved with the case told Bloomberg that with BP shifting blame to it’s sub-contractors Halliburton and Transocean and with 5 states involved, the case is simply too complex.

The Anniston Star sums up the difficulty, saying: “Even if all are determined, in some way, to be guilty, how does one divide the blame in dollars? It will not be an easy task.”

The company still has time to settle should they come to a last minute agreement with government lawyers, but since it’s already been several years, that seems unlikely.

Original link can be found here:
http://www.newsy.com/videos/trial-of-bp-over-deepwater-horizon-set-for-monday/

RELATED ACTIVIST POST ARTICLE:
BP vs. The World: Who's Winning?  





Washington Backs Syrian Anti-Government Terrorism:
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Make no mistake. Syria is Washington's war. It was planned years ago.
Israel Instructs Obama:
"Iranian And Syrian Sanctions Are Not Painful Enough!"
By Franklin Lamb
Iran and Syria pose no threat to the US or any peaceful law abiding nation. Imposing a blockade against either violates the UN Charter and settled international humanitarian laws as well as US law.
Egyptians Playing into Zionist Hands
By Adel Safty
Israel's designs call for the reoccupation of the Sinai, supporting the creation of a Coptic state in upper Egypt and two Sunni states in the North and in the South.
Israel Playing Dirty in Troubled Africa
By Abdel Bari Atwan
While Israel has been able to establish diplomatic relationships with most non-Muslim African countries, nations such as Mali and Niger have so far refused to formally recognise it.
When "War is Peace"
"Peace Prizes" Awarded to War Criminals

By Timothy Alexander Guzman
Does appreciating "the solidarity" shown by France mean killing hundreds of Malian people since the invasion?
Democrats' Complicity in Political Murder
By Norman Pollack
Progressives of today have become the apologists for fascism. Period. The litmus test of any humane, democratic standard, is the absolute rejection of Obama and his administration.
War Criminal
Hillary Clinton to charge '$200,000 a speech'
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Now that she's out as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton isn't going to be hurting for money, thanks to speaking fees of more $200,000 per speaking appearance.
Bradley Manning: 1,000 Days in Detention and Secrecy Still Reigns
By Ed Pilkington
Such is the Alice-in-Wonderland world of the Bradley Manning trial. Why does it matter?
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Power Grab at the Fed
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The Feds Want Your Retirement Accounts
By John White
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The Moral Depravity of "Lincoln"
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Where are the movies about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was executed by the Nazis? About Nat Turner who lead a slave uprising? About John Brown, who, the the words of David S. Reynolds' biography: "Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights"?
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65 "Islamic rebels", 13 Chad troops killed in Mali:
The Chadian army says that its troops killed 65 Islamic extremist rebels and destroyed five vehicles in fierce fighting northern Mali. The Chadian military said in a statement on Saturday on state broadcasting that 13 Chadian soldiers were also killed and six were wounded in the fighting.
5 killed as more suicide bombs hit Mali:
Two vehicles targeting civilians and members of the ethnic Tuareg rebel group, the MNLA, exploded near the town of Tessalit, killing three and wounding several others, a security source said yesterday.
Clean up in Gao after fierce battle : Video report:
Residents of Gao in northern Mali start rebuilding their lives after the city was devastated in heavy fighting, as it was recaptured from islamist rebels. Sarah Toms reports.
Boots on the ground:
Obama deploys 100 US troops to Niger;
Obama announced the deployment in a letter to Congress, saying that the forces "will provide support for intelligence collection and will also facilitate intelligence sharing with French forces conducting operations in Mali, and with other partners in the region.
US deploys Predator drones to Niger: official:
The United States has deployed several Predator drones to Niger to fly surveillance missions in support of French forces in Mali, a US defence official said Friday.
Tribal fighting in Darfur leaves 60 dead:
Renewed fighting between two Arab tribes over mining rights has left 60 people dead in the northern Darfur region, Sudan's state news agency said Sunday.
6 killed in attack in northern Nigeria, Islamic extremists suspected:
Nigeria's military says that at least six people have been killed in an attack in northeastern Nigeria, a region under attack by Islamic extremists.
Egyptian Protests Against Mursi, Elections Spread Through Cities:
The demonstrations have been accompanied by mounting calls for a boycott of the parliamentary vote, which Mursi yesterday rescheduled to accommodate Coptic Christians' observance of Easter.
Egypt elections: ElBaradei warns of chaos:
Key Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei has urged President Mohammed Morsi not to go ahead with elections. Mr ElBaradei said the elections risked bringing chaos and instability, and possibly military intervention.
Takeover & Torture: Police brutality levels back to days of dictatorship in Egypt: Video -
The opposition's accusing Morsi of backtracking on reform promises and hijacking the revolution. Rights groups are reporting widespread police abuse and torture, resulting in the death and detention of minors.
Democracy Tastes Bitter as Poverty Bites:
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Afghan forces 'are just like criminals':
Murder, sexual abuse, drugs and extortion revealed in Panorama investigation.
5 killed in Pakistan;
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Deadly blast kills 8 in eastern India:
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Five gunmen, four security personnel killed in northern Iraq;
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Engineering Consent For Attack On Syria?
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Al Nusra: Al Qaeda's Syria Offensive:"
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Turkey 'will not remain silent on the brutal dictator in Syria':
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Israeli officials claim that Jaradat died in an interrogation centre of a heart attack despite having no health conditions prior to his detention.
Palestinian prisoners observe inmate death protest fast:
Thousands of Palestinian prisoners are refusing food for one day in protest at the death of a fellow detainee in an Israeli jail.
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Iran says it has brought down a foreign spy drone:
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Iran announces uranium finds:
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Iran reduces dependence on oil to counter sanctions:
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US preparations for cyber war against China:
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Fidel Castro makes rare appearance in parliament:
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Did the Pope quit to dodge blame for misdeeds?
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US cardinal's role under scrutiny:
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'Citizens' tide' of anti-austerity protests hit Spain; dozens injured, arrested:
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Top U.S. Terrorist Group: the FBI:
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How Many Terrorists Has The TSA Caught: - Video:
Can you say ZERO
13,753 Gov't Requests for Google E-Mail Data in 2012, Most Without a Warrant:
American government agencies - state, local, and federal -- made a record 13,753 requests to read emails or gather other information sent through Google's Gmail and other services in 2012, more than half without warrants, according to statistics released by Google.
US gun activists stage 'day of resistance' to tighter controls: Video -
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Washington nuclear waste tanks 'leaking':
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Monsanto drags over 400 U.S. farmers to court over GM seed patents:;
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