Comments on: Today In Oil News

By: Bryan

Bryan — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:53:41 +0000

You can’t go wrong leaving things up to Mom, Kryten.

You have the basic outline of the problem, Badtux, the decisions are being made in London and Washington, not on the Gulf Coast. Local county officials take care of business during hurricanes and the system works because the state and Federal governments act as staff and support services.

The big problem with FEMA under the Hedgemony is that the Feds wanted to take control, and they didn’t know what was going on.

By: Badtux

Badtux — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:33:47 +0000

I think part of the problem is that modern communications gives high level officials the delusion that they can properly manage local issues from afar. Federal response to the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake was quick and decisive because the commander on the spot at the Presidio had full authority to make decisions regarding the rescue and recovery operations. He promptly marched his troops to City Hall and formally said to the Mayor, “we are at your command, sir” and the Mayor promptly dispatched them to fight the fires that were sweeping the city, then after that crisis, to handle looters. Meanwhile he sent a boat across to Oakland with a telegram to the War Department requesting every tent in the Army’s inventory be sent via train ASAP, and within 24 hours every tent was on the way.

I cannot think of any commander on the ground today who has the authority to put his troops under the command of a local official, or who could send a telegram to the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and get every Army resource available flowing to the area to deal with the disaster. Folks in Washington at the time knew they couldn’t micromanage things because of the turnaround time for communications — it took hours to get a message rowed across the San Francisco Bay. But today’s folks in Washington, or BP HQ, or whatever, because they can pick up a phone and talk to the folks actually on the ground, think they’re as qualified as the folks actually on the ground to decide what the folks on the ground really need. By and large, they aren’t — and that has been crippling disaster response for the past decade, at least.

– Badtux the Micromanagement Penguin

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:53:01 +0000

This is what anger management is all about…

Yup!! Couldn’t agree more Bryan! I prefer to let Nature take care of things, I’m not above giving Her a little help… It’s our duty to help Nature after all! 😈

By: Bryan

Bryan — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:25:35 +0000

In reply to Kryten42.

I mean, it’s expensive stuff, and vacations are nice. There’s no need to get hostile with torches and pitchforks, or tar and feathers.

This is what anger management is all about… 😉

By: Kryten42

Kryten42 — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:21:57 +0000

Jams O’Donnell has given me a wonderful idea for dealing with BP management, soak them in Obsession For Men and send them on a safari. haha... yeah! Sounds like a plan to me! :twisted: