They knew and they did nothing -- except cheat

One of the big conservative memes I've been pushing back against for the last couple of days is that the BP spill was some isolated and unforeseeable event. The NYT weighs in today with more proof that this isn't true at all. In fact they've been warning about the lack of redundant BOPs for at least the last decade. And this is telling:

Agency records show that from 2001 to 2007, there were 1,443 serious drilling accidents in offshore operations, leading to 41 deaths, 302 injuries and 356 oil spills. Yet the federal agency continues to allow the oil industry largely to police itself, saying that the best technical experts work for industry, not for the government.

Meanwhile, this whistleblower says "cheating on tests for blowout preventers is widespread in the industry." They do it because they'll do anything to keep the rigs drilling since even a minor shutdown for repairs can cost around a million bucks. These people are monsters. They care about nothing except money -- in their own pockets.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]