Accountablity: is the death penalty too severe punishment for BP's management?

Considering much damage they've caused, their prior lack of concern for safety, their persistent lying, and the fact that fines haven't done much to change their behavior, what are the appropriate penalties?

How do we achieve the deterrent effect we need to guard against massive ecological disasters like this?

Do we strip the board of directors and management of their personal wealth? Jail them? Put them to forced labor cleaning the mess they've created?

I'm not sure.

I don't usually support the death penalty, and I don't say this lightly, but we need something to control this sort of behavior, and the only thing I can think of is to execute them.

They've worked hard to socialize the blame, having their shills everywhere post and repeat the idea that "we'll all to blame, because we all use/demand oil".

"WE" are NOT "all to blame".

"WE" didn't violate safety protocols to save money.

"WE" didn't decide to drill beyond our technological capacities.

"WE" didn't falsify applications and response plans.

I don't buy socialized blame.

These guys get paid huge amounts of money to make the correct decisions and stay on top of things to ensure stuff like this doesn't happen.

Probably the only real question in my mind is exactly how and where to execute them.

What difference does it make in a world where many of us may not make it. If this is as bad as it appears, a lot of us are already under a death sentence.

Uh, yeah it certainly is.

Yeah, let's just start killing CEO's and executives for criminal negligence charges.

That's all they would be you know. Criminal Negligence Charges.

That's not a death penalty offence. I would be more in favor of seizing BP's assets and using them ALL towards the recovery of the spill and the gulf.

Besides, they've lost more than half their stock since this began anyway.

ETA: Don't take the blame away from yourself though. The population IS the one responsible for keeping the government and agencies who look after companies like BP in check.

All the world's current problems are in some way or another caused by an inefective populace who are too busy being "entertained" than to give a damn about what's going on.

~Keeper

[edit on 6/13/2010 by tothetenthpower]

I do not think its too severe at all.

When people make mistakes like this, it should come down to the industries owner, and he or she should realize from that day forward they have a target on their back and it can come from anywhere.

either that or

take 90% of everything they own.

---------------------------------------

This type of behavior and mistakes would stop overnight.

Unless it was an actual mistake, if every law and protocol was met and abided by, then there is no need. but if your cutting corners you should know that if it doesnt work, you should go into hiding right quick.

This is why courts exist. An online discussion is good for venting, but it can sometimes sound like a lynch mob. (Even if the anger is understandable.)

I'm not trying to defend BP as such. But there are significant nuances. I've heard it said that 2 or 3 US subcontractors were responsible for the work on the sea floor which led to the failure. It's not so much an issue of nationality, mind, rather direct responsibility.

The whole truth has yet to come out. The real question is: will there ever be a full, truly reliable investigation?

This is just ridiculous, talking about murdering somebody... because of a mistake that they might or might not had anything to do with.

Cant we charge the CEO's with 2nd degree manslaughter? isn't that when someones actions indirectly cause someone to die?

Originally posted by Target Earth
This is just ridiculous, talking about murdering somebody... because of a mistake that they might or might not had anything to do with.

Your wrong..

Sure Tony did'd hit the switch to start the leak.. sure he may not have known about it( doubtfull cus he knew that rig had problems he refused to fix)

But he's the CEO. It's his job to know whats going on and be responsible for the actions of his employees.

reply to post by Target Earth


I'm not talking about murder, but legal execution.

Monetary fines seem inadequate.

If people can support the death penalty for killing one person, or for drug dealers, why not when you kill multiple people and huge amounts of wildlife? What about the future deaths caused by toxic air, water, and soil?

I know if this happened in China, the execs would most likely have been shot already.

Corporate types act as if there are immune to punisment because their only punishment is fines that are unnoticeable to the: the biggest thing that happens to them is they get annoyed at someone having the gall to take some of their money.

Punishment has to fit the crime, and the crime here demands the death penalty.

the buck stops...
where does the buck stop...?

remember Bhopal?
Ex-Union Carbide officials sentenced over Bhopal leak

India (Reuters) - A court on Monday convicted seven Indian former employees of U.S. chemical firm Union Carbide of negligence and sentenced them to two years in jail for the world's worst industrial accident that killed thousands in 1984.

The government says around 3,500 people died after a Union Carbide plant in the central city of Bhopal accidentally released toxic gases into the air toward nearby slums.

Activists say 25,000 died in the immediate aftermath and the years that followed.

The seven former employees were also fined 100,000 rupees ($2,100), while the former Indian arm of Union Carbide was convicted of the same offence of negligence and fined 500,000 rupees ($10,600). An eighth employee who was accused has died.

wow
all those VICTIMS sentenced to death
what happened to the emporer?
did the CEO fall on his sword?
nope.
thats what victims do
and
EXCAPE goats
are for

edit
PS the US legislated a 75 million cap on BP's liabilities
which union carbide was NOT protected by
though the money union carbide paid really came out of the shareholders
pockets
you know widows, orphans, pension funds, other corporations...


[edit on 13-6-2010 by Danbones]

[edit on 13-6-2010 by Danbones]

reply to post by apacheman

We don't live in China... I live in a country where if you don't do your job well, you get fired, not a death sentence. there is plenty of blame to go around on this spill... It's not just one man, or even one company.

My 2 cents.

Take all the CEO's and Government officals even remotely connected to this mess to the shores of the Gulf Coast with shovels and buckets and make them try to clean up this disaster.

Give them a day, a week or whatever doing this and maybe they will get their backside in gear and start doing something about it.

While we are at it, how about dunking their children in crude oil too.

How has execution been used by the Religious Right, who are involved with many of these industries? While they don't care much about the environment - often calling environemental activists "pagans", and Jesus is coming back soon anyway to make a "new earth". However, according to many citizens environmental issues are crucial, and these are collective crimes, or crimes against humanity, which are PROVEN. So yes, sadly they must be stringed up (as has happened in China). Not pleasant, but necessary if public execution is to have any meaning outside religious blood-lust.
David Icke writes in his "Tales from the Timeloop" (2003) segment "Born again Satanists":

As we shall see, however, when you realize what the "Christian" religion is really based upon, the term "blood lust cult" becomes perfectly appropriate. While he was Governor of Texas, Bush sanctioned 152 executions, 40 of them in the year 2000 as he ran for election as President. One of the Texas execution "team", Fred Allen, quit in disgust at the number of lethal injections he had to prepare, according to Washington Post. Madsen says that he was told by a former Department of Public Safety officer, a devout Catholic, that Bush was more than happy to ignore DNA data and documented cases of misconduct by the prosecution, to send innocent people to the lethal injection chamber at Huntsville. The officer said the number of executed mentally retarded, African Americans, and those who commited capital crimes as minors, was proof that Bush was insensitive and a "phoney Christian". ... Among Bush's victims as governor was fellow born-again Christian, Karla Faye Tucker ...In an interview with Talk magazine Bush imitated Tucker's appeal for him to spare her life - pursing his lips, squinting his eyes, and in a squeaky voice, saying, "Please don't kill me". (Icke 2003: p. 219).

In that context more major industrialists should be at least tried with the possibility of a death sentence hanging over their heads for collective crimes. Perhaps this will also help to convince the wider world that executions aren't just purely ideological and sadistic.

That is way too severe. I understand the anger and frustration but we can't act on impulse and emotion, we must sit back and analyze the situation.

The death penalty fixes nothing, it just takes a life which I am vehemently against. Now if you really wanted to punish BP's management you could seize their assets and take them to court degradation of our natural environment, costing 11 lives and thousands of jobs.

officeofstrategicinfluence.com...
In Texas, the following people were found innocent AFTER execution. Texas still executes prisoners.

justice is (unfortunately)
getting paid to murder innocent people
who never commited murder
while people who murder innocent people
go on to murder more innocent people
show me the MONEY
I love my job

Im more in favor of the:
well if the water is safe to drink YOU drink it first kinda approach.
if they are innocent god will protect them


just kidding...
If they deliberately chose to turn a prophet
knowing it would kill children
well,
what goes around
comes around



[edit on 13-6-2010 by Danbones]

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reply to post by C11H17N2NaO2S


Obviously you haven't thought throughthe problem or situation much.

I've done a ton of research and followed this since the very beginning. I don't make this suggestion or the debate lightly. Normally I'm against the death penalty, as I've stated.

But an enormous crime demands appropriate punishment, and make no mistake: this is a set of enormous crimes.

Rather than reacting emotionally as you've done, try suggesting, as I've asked, an appropriate punishment that would deter future behavior of this sort.

Or do you believe that if it's done in the name of profits it doesn't matter how many people a corporate decision kills?

how would you hold them accountable for deliberately taking excessive risks, risks they were warned repeatedly about, just to save or make more money?

reply to post by apacheman



I am saying that you need ALL the FACTS not just imagination. As no one including BP and the GOV have come forward with anything of significance and there are real issues yet to be resolved then you have noplace offering your comments.

reply to post by C11H17N2NaO2S


we are on a forum
comments is what we do