Corporate Recklessness

[Guy Smiley]

Does anybody here draw a parallel between the BP oil spill and UPS? Undeniably, there was an elevation of profit over individual and collective safety. It seems as if multi-national corporations like the ascribed factor in accidents like these into their profit reports.
What strikes me the most is that there is no check against their power or will. To me it seems that the congressional hearings explicitly expose that business controls government. I now feel that individual lawsuits are the only check against corporate america.

 

[TylerDurden]

Does anybody here draw a parallel between the BP oil spill and UPS? Undeniably, there was an elevation of profit over individual and collective safety. It seems as if multi-national corporations like the ascribed factor in accidents like these into their profit reports.
What strikes me the most is that there is no check against their power or will. To me it seems that the congressional hearings explicitly expose that business controls government. I now feel that individual lawsuits are the only check against corporate america.

Hmm...so the "individual lawsuits" that go through courts that are set up by Government--who in turn is controlled by the corporations you're trying to sue-- is the only check. Right... let me guess...you went to public school didn't you?

 

[Guy Smiley]

Like Disturbed said "Stupified" Talk to you years down the road my southern brethren.

 

[Catatonic]

Hmm...so the "individual lawsuits" that go through courts that are set up by Government--who in turn is controlled by the corporations you're trying to sue-- is the only check. Right... let me guess...you went to public school didn't you?

LOL ... had almost the same conversation with someone else today (family).
I followed up with the fact that just because a person went to public school does not relieve them from the responsibility to learn how to think logically.

 

[Guy Smiley]

LOL ... had almost the same conversation with someone else today (family).
I followed up with the fact that just because a person went to public school does not relieve them from the responsibility to learn how to think logically.

HAHA I guess we are all truck drivers at heart

 

[fxdwg]

Does anybody here draw a parallel between the BP oil spill and UPS? Undeniably, there was an elevation of profit over individual and collective safety. It seems as if multi-national corporations like the ascribed factor in accidents like these into their profit reports.
What strikes me the most is that there is no check against their power or will. To me it seems that the congressional hearings explicitly expose that business controls government. I now feel that individual lawsuits are the only check against corporate america.

I am not shamed to admit that I am not a smart man, but what the friend@@@ are you talking about? I can stretch and guess but gimme a one-liner.

 

[TylerDurden]

LOL ... had almost the same conversation with someone else today (family).
I followed up with the fact that just because a person went to public school does not relieve them from the responsibility to learn how to think logically.

@Hoaxster and @Guy Smiley ... I was, of course, being facetious about the "public schools" line. I'm a product of public schools also... but as Hoaxster said, we all have a individual responsibility to 'arm' ourselves with logic, lest we let "them" (government, upper management, etc. etc.) get the best of us...

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

I am not shamed to admit that I am not a smart man, but what the friend@@@ are you talking about? I can stretch and guess but gimme a one-liner.

Corporate greed at the expense of the "small people".

 

[Catatonic]

I am not shamed to admit that I am not a smart man, but what the friend@@@ are you talking about? I can stretch and guess but gimme a one-liner.

Letting bottom line numbers dictate actions rather than wisdom and a sense of conscience.

 

[Jones]

I've thought for a long time that a class in basic logic should be mandatory in HS.

 

[tieguy]

Does anybody here draw a parallel between the BP oil spill and UPS? Undeniably, there was an elevation of profit over individual and collective safety..

At this stage your point is very deniable. there has been no investigation that I am aware of that has made your point undeniable. At this point its very possible that one or 11 men made a mistake that cost them their lives.

 

[fxdwg]

Does anybody here draw a parallel between the BP oil spill and UPS? Undeniably, there was an elevation of profit over individual and collective safety. It seems as if multi-national corporations like the ascribed factor in accidents like these into their profit reports.
What strikes me the most is that there is no check against their power or will. To me it seems that the congressional hearings explicitly expose that business controls government. I now feel that individual lawsuits are the only check against corporate america.

Naw. Still don't get it. The "BP Oil Spill and UPS"?
Elevation of profit?
I certainly "understand the logic" of the OP. It is absurd, but I understand it.
My problem is that unless he is inside at BP and high enough at UPS, the OP really has no creditability to speak to a comparison between BP and UPS.
If we had a major oil spill at cach, we probably would have had it contained within a day.
I honestly don't see the same level of greed at UPS as in the oil companies (Scott's pay raise notwithstanding)

 

[Braveheart]

At this stage your point is very deniable. there has been no investigation that I am aware of that has made your point undeniable. At this point its very possible that one or 11 men made a mistake that cost them their lives.

Are you kidding me???

It has already been reported that BP took shortcuts with safety protocol.

They tried to drill on the cheap.

But leave it to you to always blame the workers, never the company.

 

[klein]

Just take a look at the vehicles your driving. It can't get any cheaper. No airbags, no a/c nor adequate heating. It's a tinbox on wheels.
Custom made......because they had to take all luxery factors out of them.
Gee, old Russia made safer and better trucks.

The greed..... every penny saved, is another penny for a dividend or shareholder.

And they can't even supply them with Winter tires !

The government of Quebec changed that though. In Quebec, UPS , and everyone else, has to have winter tires by law.

 

[UpstateNYUPSer(Ret)]

At this stage your point is very deniable. there has been no investigation that I am aware of that has made your point undeniable. At this point its very possible that one or 11 men made a mistake that cost them their lives.

Are you kidding me???

It has already been reported that BP took shortcuts with safety protocol.

They tried to drill on the cheap.

But leave it to you to always blame the workers, never the company.

Raising a possiblity and placing blame are two entirely different things.

 

[tieguy]

Are you kidding me???

It has already been reported that BP took shortcuts with safety protocol.

They tried to drill on the cheap.

But leave it to you to always blame the workers, never the company.

god if you only had a brain. Waaaah you're blaming the workers. I love your use of that word it has old world communistic conotations to its usage.

I stand by my point they dont know what caused the accident. if you want to talk about what has been reported then don't forget to mention all the safety awards BP recieved including one that was personally given them by Obama. So again until this thing is thoroughly investigated anything is possible.

My personal feeling is when it is finally investigated that both BP and the workers will be blamed for what happened.

 

[moreluck]

If this was leaking weeks before the explosion, it might have been avoided...
Worker identified leak before Gulf oil spill

Monday, 21 June 2010 12:45
A man who was working on the Deepwater Horizon rig shortly before the explosion that caused the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has said that he identified a leak weeks before the disaster.
Tyrone Benton said BP was notified about the leak located in the rig's blow-out preventer which is designed to seal off the well in an emergency.
It failed on the day of the explosion.
Advertisement

Mr Benton said the equipment had not been repaired and a second device was relied on instead.
BP said rig owner Transocean was responsible for the operation and maintenance of that piece of equipment.
Transocean said it tested the device successfully before the blast.
Meanwhile, BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward is planning to meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to calm fears over the oil giant's future.
According to the Financial Times, the trip is aimed at restoring confidence in Russia - one of BP's most lucrative areas of operation - that the company is able to withstand the cost of the worst environmental disaster in the US.
The move comes after Mr Hayward was heavily criticised in the US for spending a day sailing despite mounting anger that he is not doing enough to control the leaking well.
The White House led a barrage of criticism of Mr Hayward's decision to spend time relaxing on the Isle of Wight at the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race.
President Barack Obama's Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel said Mr Hayward had committed yet another in a 'long line of PR gaffes' by attending the race.

 

[tieguy]

Here is a link that lists the "workers' on that rig. Keep in mind these are not coal miners trapped in a tunnel but a mix of experienced drillers and engineers that died on this platform. The idea that BP ( actually transocean owned the rig) took life threatening shortcuts may be belittling the intelligence of these "workers" who would and should have known better. Again its possible that these workers had some type of problem that escalated and rather then evacuating tried to stay with the rig.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/04/gulf-oil-rig-workers-fami_n_562239.html

 

[Guy Smiley]

At this stage your point is very deniable. there has been no investigation that I am aware of that has made your point undeniable. At this point its very possible that one or 11 men made a mistake that cost them their lives.

The congressional hearings brought to light the fact that BP executives consistently ignored their own employees warnings as well as their own studies that showed a high safety risk prior to drilling. Safety and integrity came at the expense of bottom line profit. This mentality starts at the top. One thing I did take out of watching the hearings was that they did not blame their employees. But touche, it would be wise to wait the many years to see the extent of the damage and wait until all the facts come out.

 

[Guy Smiley]

god if you only had a brain. Waaaah you're blaming the workers. I love your use of that word it has old world communistic conotations to its usage.

I stand by my point they dont know what caused the accident. if you want to talk about what has been reported then don't forget to mention all the safety awards BP recieved including one that was personally given them by Obama. So again until this thing is thoroughly investigated anything is possible.

My personal feeling is when it is finally investigated that both BP and the workers will be blamed for what happened.

It is also public record that BP has had series of accidents that has culminated into this major gaffe. They are also getting 4 Billion dollars back from us taxpayers for every 20 Billion they spend trying to clean it up. But when the CEO is yachting and the President is golfing it just shows no accountability.
I would like to think that UPS has a better PR, internal correction of problems, pre-planning, and worst-case scenario planning but it would be total fairytale land to not realize that UPS or any other compnay for that matter is bottom line driven at the expense of wisdom and conscience.