*Another* gulf oil rig explosion! (And I called it!)

[ClaytonB]

OK, I didn’t call the explosion, but I did say the Deepwater Horizon explosion was fishy and I smelled funny business. How many “coincidences” are required before sabotage is considered a respectable hypothesis? Now we have another explosion. Come on, this is just blatant! The author of the linked article notes (apparently not seeing any irony in his statement), “Just as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as worked its way out of the news, a new explosion has taken place.” [Emphasis added]

A quick Google search shows that the oil rig company (Mariner Energy) is in the midst of a big merger deal with Apache Corporation which has also bought up a bunch of stakes from BP on the cheap because BP needed the cash to pay for costs incurred by the Deepwater Horizon spill.

That gets a big, fat “Hmmmmmmm” from me (complete with eyebrows raised). Oh, and don’t forget the mysterious exploding box of chocolates. Houston seems to be a nexus of corruption.

[BrianAnderson]

Thank you for posting this. I never said anything during the Deepwater Horizon incident, but I always felt something was a little fishy about it. And then when I heard about the second explosion, I couldn’t really believe it. What do you think exactly is happening if the explosion(s) were purposeful? Do you think someone’s stock prices will be rising soon?

[Prateek_Sanjay]

Oh for heaven’s sake.

The Deepwater Horizon explosion was followed by a spill, that was cleaned up completely almost four months after it happened, and declared by environmentalists to not even qualify as an environmental disaster. It was an accident, whose effects were reversible, and which was highly exaggerated by a mainstream media that did not hesitate to give conspiracy theories.

Nor was the internet any better, when it took satirist Andy Borowitz’s parody article on Goldman Sachs shorting on BP seriously. Alex Jones had to wipe it off InfoWars later, quietly, so that nobody noticed. Then see, somebody says that GS actually did sell its BP holdings…but it turned out to be only 40% of those holdings, which form a very tiny part of BP’s share capital and which form a very tiny part of GS’ investments.

You conspiracy theorists need to shut it with your “There’s too many coincidences here.” Left-wing conspiracy theorists these days have also started to outdo right-wing conspiracy theorists as well, and that’s an achievement, and the once notoriously skeptical libertarians have also long been slipping into the conspiracist bandwagon. God forbid if Bohm Bauwerk, von Mises, Menger, Locke, Bastiat, Smith, David Lloyd George or anybody else were a conspiracist in their days.

You guys botched it on Deepwater Horizon.

You guys botched it on claiming swine flu was man-made and the anti-dote a killer virus.

You guys botched it on the bazillion conspiracy theories on Goldman Sachs over one single suit alleging fraud.

You guys botched it on anthrax.

All those issues were temporary short-term issues with immediately resolved solutions that are now out of sight and out of mind. Especially swine flu. Where are those millions dying from the government-engineered population control measure?

You guys botch it on everything. When some slight sign appears, you are all, “HAH! I told you so!” but when evidence to the contrary happens or nothing happens, you stay quiet.

(And you guys botched it on Iraq, claiming it to be for oil, even though United States has been completely left out of Iraq’s oil in favour of Dutch, Angolan, and Russian oil companies, and even though United States installed a pro-Iran Shi’ia ruler there against its own interests. The Iraq War was a petty neoconservative ideology war, and not one with ulterior motives.)

[Kakugo]

The connection is that the oil industry in the US has been so starved of funds (because money is needed to bribe politicians and environmental groups, to carry out massive and useless “greenwashing” operations and to write executives and shareholders unusually generous dividends) that such accidents will become more and more commonplace. Equipment is old, worn out and it breaks all the time. Refineries are ancient and inefficient even by Western standards (most European refineries are little better than the ancient, beat up US ones inherited from the Carter presidency) and oil rigs are hardly state of the art. Instead of aknowledging this and lobby the government in Washington for tax breaks to, say, completely revamp refineries or improve safety features on rigs, they are simply blowing more money in the wind.

And they can afford it, as they can afford being so incredibly inefficient.

[Edward]

@Clayton

That gets a big, fat “Hmmmmmmm” from me (complete with eyebrows raised). Oh, and don’t forget the mysterious exploding box of chocolates. Houston seems to be a nexus of corruption

Snailmail appears to be gaining in popularity among leftist extremists: Young Girl Among Those Hurt by Acid in Letters Sent to Bankers

[Snowflake]

@Prateek Sanjay

Oh for heaven’s sake.

I agree.

@Prateek Sanjay

You guys botched it on Deepwater Horizon.

You guys botched it on claiming swine flu was man-made and the anti-dote a killer virus.

You guys botched it on the bazillion conspiracy theories on Goldman Sachs over one single suit alleging fraud.

You guys botched it on anthrax.

Probably.

@Prateek Sanjay

Where are those millions dying from the government-engineered population control measure?

In africa.

@Prateek Sanjay

(And you guys botched it on Iraq, claiming it to be for oil, even though United States has been completely left out of Iraq’s oil in favour of Dutch, Angolan, and Russian oil companies

Can’t we both be right? Aren’t we at least right about halliburton?

@Prateek Sanjay

and even though United States installed a pro-Iran Shi’ia ruler there against its own interests

The US has no long term interests there. In fact we probably want to whole thing to blow up so we can stay there longer…

@Prateek Sanjay

The Iraq War was a petty neoconservative ideology war, and not one with ulterior motives.

I don’t really push the oil angle that much. Its all about the MIC.

[Prateek_Sanjay]

I am guessing the Africa part was perhaps a joke, but do we really believe that mortality rates from hunger and disease wouldn’t have been high anyway in Africa? Doesn’t that debunk the idea of someone deliberately trying to infect and kill them in large numbers? Nature does its own job well enough in the poor world.

Even when the West was once poorer than it is now, when most of its inhabitants lived in rural areas, it was also common of people to die young from illness. The lack of quality medical facilities has to do with it, and that’s why the rich world conquered cholera and TB long back after its prosperity allowed it to do so.

As it is, why would anybody need population control in Africa, when Africa has always been sparsely populated as it is?

[Gipper]

Where are those millions dying from the government-engineered population control measure?

Have you ever heard of abortion?

[ClaytonB]

Oh for heaven’s sake.

The Deepwater Horizon explosion was followed by a spill, that was cleaned up completely almost four months after it happened, and declared by environmentalists to not even qualify as an environmental disaster. It was an accident, whose effects were reversible, and which was highly exaggerated by a mainstream media that did not hesitate to give conspiracy theories.

It is possible it was not an accident. I know nothing about oil rigs or the oil industry but if they are like large capital equipment in every other industry, its owners have a massive (multi-billion dollar) incentive to ensure their capital investment does not go up in smoke. Any attempt to spin this as a “profit-seeking corporation doesn’t maintain its own equipment” story is obvious bullshit.

Nor was the internet any better, when it took satirist Andy Borowitz’s parody article on Goldman Sachs shorting on BP seriously. Alex Jones had to wipe it off InfoWars later, quietly, so that nobody noticed. Then see, somebody says that GS actually did sell its BP holdings…but it turned out to be only 40% of those holdings, which form a very tiny part of BP’s share capital and which form a very tiny part of GS’ investments.

GS is pure evil. Nothing is beyond them. If Satan has been incarnated for the Final Judgment, he is surely working at GS for the time being.

You conspiracy theorists need to shut it with your “There’s too many coincidences here.”

Really? We need to stop thinking critically? Why? Is it outside the realm of possibility for the Deepwater Horizon to have been sabotaged? Is it outside the realm of possibility for the Mariner Energy explosion to be retaliation or just another sabotage attack to keep oil rigs in the news (and push through drilling restrictions in the Gulf coast)?

Left-wing conspiracy theorists these days have also started to outdo right-wing conspiracy theorists as well, and that’s an achievement, and the once notoriously skeptical libertarians have also long been slipping into the conspiracist bandwagon. God forbid if Bohm Bauwerk, von Mises, Menger, Locke, Bastiat, Smith, David Lloyd George or anybody else were a conspiracist in their days.

That doesn’t even make sense.

You guys botched it on Deepwater Horizon.

You guys botched it on claiming swine flu was man-made and the anti-dote a killer virus.

You guys botched it on the bazillion conspiracy theories on Goldman Sachs over one single suit alleging fraud.

You guys botched it on anthrax.

Who are “you guys”? Anyone who doubts that the American journalistic establishment’s orthodox history may be something less than a full and complete picture of what has happened and why? Seriously?

All those issues were temporary short-term issues with immediately resolved solutions that are now out of sight and out of mind. Especially swine flu. Where are those millions dying from the government-engineered population control measure?

You guys botch it on everything. When some slight sign appears, you are all, “HAH! I told you so!” but when evidence to the contrary happens or nothing happens, you stay quiet.

Please take a look at my blog rather than repeating “you guys” over and over. I never claimed anything about swine flu or anthrax or even Goldman Sachs (whatever GS is doing is surely technically legal, they don’t have a battalion of lawyers and lobbyists because they plan on breaking the law, they just change the law then do what they like.

(And you guys botched it on Iraq, claiming it to be for oil,

Even when I was a neocon, I didn’t think Iraq was for oil. You have opened your mouth before hearing the matter, Prateek.

even though United States has been completely left out of Iraq’s oil in favour of Dutch, Angolan, and Russian oil companies, and even though United States installed a pro-Iran Shi’ia ruler there against its own interests. The Iraq War was a petty neoconservative ideology war, and not one with ulterior motives.)

Well, Iraq surely was fought to ensure that “the world is safe for democracy”… I just don’t think that phrase means what the general public thinks it means.

Clayton -

[Snowflake]

@Prateek Sanjay

I am guessing the Africa part was perhaps a joke, but do we really believe that mortality rates from hunger and disease wouldn’t have been high anyway in Africa?

Donno. I kind of view africa as a giant quarantine, and then the UN and USA have policies that make it go to hell in a handbasket.

@Prateek Sanjay

Doesn’t that debunk the idea of someone deliberately trying to infect and kill them in large numbers? Nature does its own job well enough in the poor world.

I don’t think that the world “euthanasia” theory is very good. Theoretically, there could be a trillian molemen living at the center of the earth and it wouldn’t matter. Thats why I’m analyzing africa as a quarantine, because I think the total number of ppl there doesn’t matter too much.

But the number of people in first world countries does matter a lot for various reasons. See the incredibly restrictive immigration policies of euro states.

@Prateek Sanjay

As it is, why would anybody need population control in Africa, when Africa has always been sparsely populated as it is?

Hmm, consider that keeping africa in chaos drives up the cost of natural resources there and keeps existing holders of natural resources wealthier. A lot of people benefit from having africa in the sh*tter… I haven’t really gone back and traced all the awful policies to someone who would directly benefit. I know the oil companies favor cap and trade as a way to limit third world emissions and keep them from industrializing… /shrug

[Snowflake]

@Clayton

It is possible it was not an accident. I know nothing about oil rigs or the oil industry but if they are like large capital equipment in every other industry, its owners have a massive (multi-billion dollar) incentive to ensure their capital investment does not go up in smoke. Any attempt to spin this as a “profit-seeking corporation doesn’t maintain its own equipment” story is obvious bullshit.

Its really fishy to everyone in my petro engineering department. We know that they SAW the gas kick. They had 5 minutes to decide what to do and they did shit. Its not even about profit, its “hey you are going to die in 5 minutes unless you press this button… what do you do?”

Its so fishy… I think it is very unlikely that government could have bribed a bunch of rig hands to kill themselves but something stupid was going on. These larger corporations sometimes have ridiculously stupid incentive structures. The decision probably got made by someone who was really being pressured from above and was okay with taking the risk. Cus he’ll only lose his job… not the whole multbillion dollar rig.

The oil majors were all designed in the freaking 60’s and its very hard for them to change. They’re being eaten up by a bunch of medium sized companies with waaaaaay better business models. The only reason the majors are still in business is because they’ve been around so long, and experience counts a lot in the oil industry.