>>>>snip
>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>Considering their profits, this oilspill is pocketchange: http://www.bp.com/extendedgenericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7061409
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>This view seems to be one expressed by other USA nationals on here. Makes me wonder what their press is saying about this spill.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Among the things they are saying is that BP has an abysmal safety record and cut corners on the safety checks to be done on the platform that blew up. Tests were not done every two weeks, as they were supposed to be, but several weeks late. The test of the thingamabobber that was supposed to prevent an explosion was done to a lower standard that it was supposed to have been. There was high pressure on the platform crew to keep drilling due to the high daily cost of operations. The more I read about it the more angry I am at BP and the less inclined I am to view it as an unfortunate accident. Are you defending them because you know more about it or because of what the B in BP stands for? (For the record, I would be just as angry if it had been Shell, Mobil, or anyone else).
>>>>>
>>>>>Since 1998 the B in BP hasn't stood for anything other than B.
>>>>
>>>>I had to go to Wikipedia to find out what happened in 1998. That was when they merged with Amoco. (Two little mom and pops, unable to make it on their own in a cruel world....) At that time the name was changed from British Petroleum to BP plc. The company is still pretty closely associated with Britiain, don't you think?
>>>>
>>>>If you ask people, at least in the U.S., what the K in KFC stands for, I'm sure most of them would say Kentucky. Seems like a similar situation, a name change aimed primarily at the international market.
>>>
>>>I know :-) I'm being a bit devils advocate here. Some parts of the press here are definitely playing up the British bashing in the US side of this. www.telegraph.co.uk and www.dailymail.co.uk.
>>
>>A bit too sensitive IMO. There has been a heck of a lot of bashing of BP, well justified, but I haven't seen anything extending the anger to the whole country, saying it happened because the company is British, or anything like that.
>
>One thing is that stopping BP dividends is a big hit for a lot of UK pension holders. And I think unnecessary, they are a very rich company who can afford to pay out fair compensation and dividends.

Agreed. In any case I don't think the U.S. government has any business making demands like that of a non-U.S. corporation. Probably just political posturing.