- MENU
- HOME
- SEARCH
- WORLD
- MAIN
- AFRICA
- ASIA
- BALKANS
- EUROPE
- LATIN AMERICA
- MIDDLE EAST
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Benelux
- Brazil
- Canada
- China
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Korea
- Mexico
- New Zealand
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Poland
- Russia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- USA
- BUSINESS
- WEALTH
- STOCKS
- TECH
- HEALTH
- LIFESTYLE
- ENTERTAINMENT
- SPORTS
- RSS
- iHaveNet.com: Politics
by Clarence Page
Big Oil, 'Small People' (© Donna Grethen)
Let's hear it for the small people.
Something got lost in translation when BP Chairman Carl-Henric Svanberg, a Swede, referred to victims of his company's Gulf of Mexico oil disaster as "the small people."
"We care about the small people," said the Svanberg with all of the robotic passion of Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Terminator."
When the small people back in the Gulf took umbrage at the unintended condescension, Svanberg apologized. Let's give him a break. He apparently failed to grasp the subtle nuances of such folksy American self-references as "the little guy," "regular folks," "real Americans" (Sarah Palin's apparent favorite) or simply "y'all," a usage to which Svanberg's accent is not ideally suited.
Besides, the big BP guy's gaffe is nowhere near as offensive as that of Rep. Joe Barton, the Texas Republican who apologized on behalf of no one but himself to BP's CEO Tony Hayward for a
That was Barton's description of the
"I do not want to live in a country where any time a citizen or a corporation does something that is legitimately wrong, (they are) subject to some sort of political pressure that ... amounts to a shakedown," Barton told Hayward in an Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing. "So I apologize."
Since Barton has received more than
But safe as his own seat may be, his Republican colleagues were about as pleased as Robert Green's English soccer teammates at the World Cup when he fumbled a ball into his own net, scoring a goal for the United States. (Thanks, mate.)
Sensing that the small people wouldn't like Barton's sentiments, either, House Republican leaders threatened to take away Barton's position as the energy subcommittee's top Republican -- and he apologized for his apology. By then Democrats were in full gaffe-and-gotcha react mode, sending out fax, tweet and e-mail transcripts of Barton's apology -- with visions of next spring's possible attack ads dancing in their heads.
Until then, media conversations seemed to be dominated by negative reactions to President Obama's first Oval Office address -- from liberals.
Filled with lots of bromides but little in the way of action on the Gulf spill, the president had raised higher expectations than he was ready to fulfill for either political side. Negative reactions threatened to bury the importance of his big announcement the next day: BP's agreement to create the
That's a big deal. The escrow fund streamlines compensation for victims, avoiding the legal fees and red tape that tied up both sides in
BP also wins. After having fallen to about half its value with the spill, its stock made a slight recovery after the announcement. After posting
The announcement left Republicans struggling to attack Obama without sounding too close to Big Oil. As the
You can tell a lot about your success by the amount of outrage it stirs up in your opponents. Other conservatives sounded no less befuddled than Barton as they tried to attack Obama's "slush fund" without mentioning the many people it will help. They should show more respect. The "small people" grow pretty big on Election Day.
Available at Amazon.com:
Were You Born on the Wrong Continent?: How the European Model Can Help You Get a Life
The Disappearing Center: Engaged Citizens, Polarization, and American Democracy
The Virtues of Mendacity: On Lying in Politics
Bush on the Home Front: Domestic Policy Triumphs and Setbacks
The Political Fix: Changing the Game of American Democracy, from the Grassroots to the White House
AMERICAN POLITICS
WORLD | AFRICA | ASIA | EUROPE | LATIN AMERICA | MIDDLE EAST | UNITED STATES | ECONOMICS | EDUCATION | ENVIRONMENT | FOREIGN POLICY | POLITICS
Big Oil, 'Small People' | Politics
© Tribune Media Services