This is just a little detour here while we talk about the irony of that. (clears throat, smiles, shakes head) okay so, let me get this straight. While everyone and his mother are dumping on Obama for being too soft on Iran, here Halliburton is in violation of federal laws for business dealings WITH IRAN! And, like, WE KNEW THIS?, and THEY WERE PERMITTED ON OUR GULF COAST DRILLING RIGS, IN addition to BEING GIVEN SUPPORT CONTRACTS, SOME OF THEM SOLE-SOURCE over in Afghanistan?
Well sure; no potential security risk there. Pffft.
I mean, we're still using them after the movie Iraq For Sale, drew nothing but crickets chirping, this after Senator Al Franken had to get up before congress and say, and I am paraphrasing here, 'c'mon people, we shouldn't do business with companies that actually rape their 20 year old secretaries then lock them in a storage bin so the docs can't use a rape kit on them.'
You know there are standards, minimums. By your associations you are known. Apparently our government either never read the civics book wherein the later was stated or, more likely, they just didn't give a shit. And still don't.
I am so mesmerized by this Iran thing, I could almost wet myself. Google consult yields this: Halliburton is hip deep in Iranian oil field services? A loophole is that they, Halliburton are actually an international subsidiary, of themselves, operating out of Dubai. Al Moosa Tower 1, to be precise.
Okay (shaking head, hands jerking back and forth, eyes blinking furiously) stick a pin in that for a moment.
Szzzzzooop! Let's go back to BP.
Somewhere back in 2008 revised ethics rules where put in place to prevent us with doing business with contractors who had shady business dealings or didn't conduct themselves ethically or honestly.
I love this excerpt:
Subpart 9.1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requires a prospective contractor to demonstrate its “responsibility,” which is defined, in part, as having “a satisfactory record of integrity and business ethics.” To this end, the Civilian Agency Acquisition Council and the Defense Acquisition Regulations Council have proposed amending the FAR with a rule that would require contractors to “conduct themselves with the highest degree of integrity and honesty.”
The neat part about this is that it was all adopted into law. This is now the law of the land. We did this. This is now a federal regulation. No federal agency can deal with a contractor that does not conduct itself with the highest degree of integrity and honesty. Not, sort-of-okay-highest THE HIGHEST.
Not only is this laughably outside the scope of how BP conducts itself, but WE that is our President and our federal agencies and our military CONTINUE NOT to follow this very clear rule, our own law.
The same year these measures were adopted our Minerals Management Service was accepting gifts from BP and other energy contractors. Nothing changed. No one was fired, even after the story went worldwide.
BP, with numerous environmental and safety violations, the center of a massive lawsuit for the Texas City refinery explosion of 2005, is the prime provider of petroleum products to our military and the FAA, continues to be.
What am I missing here? Why does Obama, the congress, the federal regulators permit this to continue especially in light of what we know about the Deepwater Horizon.
You see the Obama administration these days becoming champions of the low-hanging -fruit causes, by comparison. They're going after the state of Arizona for their new anti-immigrant law which, let's face it, will not stand a serious legal review. No way in hell. But, it makes all kinds of headlines for Obama and company to laser in on it. It's sexy; they're going to (quote-un) help the hispanics. Yay!
This also gives the appearance of progress while ignoring people along the Gulf Coast; while sort of also forgetting about that silly - what was we thinking! - moratorium on offshore drilling until at least we understand what happened on the exploded rig.
The media, controlled by Big Energy Big War, also focus in on controversy and low hanging fruit: gays in the military, for instance. Yes, let's narrow in on that topic just now;
"THIS CANNOT WAIT A MOMENT LONGER! Get someone down there immediately!" screams an editor or producer.
"Where?"
'THE MILITARY, BY GOD! We need commentary! We need the other side slamming the gays for their....you know....gayness!"
Meantime, what is BIG MEDIA doing about the on-going use of corporate contractors who stomp all over our laws? NNNNNNNAHT!
The Gulf now falls between the cracks, of course. FOX won't even slam Obama for his mishandling of the situation, because to do so, shines a light on BP and we all know FIX NOISE isn't going to go against BIGCORP anytime soon.
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