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AnimusRex -> RE: Who's to blame for the oil spill? Dick Cheney. (6/11/2010 7:24:18 PM)
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Fair question.
What any Chief Executive does- the CEO of a business, a mayor, a governor, or President- is create a culture. The CEO sets the tone, appoints the people who appoint the people. He decides what is important, what is enforced and what is let go.
Dick Cheney was the CEO of the Bush Administrations oil and energy policies.
The Bush Administration appointed heads of MMS who were explicitly intent on treating oil companies as customers to be served, rather than entities to be overseen and regulated.
This contributed to the atmosphere in which BP knew that compliance with regulations was largely voluntary, and there really was no price to be paid for shirking responsibility.
Dick Cheney was the CEO of Halliburton; During the many scandals of Halliburton in government contracting, the consistent theme was that no matter what sort of crimes or fraud Halliburton committed, it would never, ever be put out of business, or called to account.
So when Halliburton and BP collaborated they worked in an environment without consequences or accountability.
Like I said, not all of this can be laid at Cheney's feet; there were plenty of people involved in this, a lot of CEOs and decisionmakers who bear the blame.
But he contributed.
p.s. I would be happy to review his crimes for which he should be hanged as a war criminal. But maybe in another thread.
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