What will make them say mercy?
Yesterday morning, as I so often do, I was watching Face the Nation (used to watch Meet the Press but it's just not the same without my Tim Russert, RIP). Bob Schieffer had 3 governors on: Haley Barbour, Rob Riley, and Charlie Crist (Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, respectively).
Haley Barbour was interviewed first. Rather than me telling you what he said, here it is:
The night before I had gotten around to watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. A cute movie that showed that some people can learn from their gluttonous ways while others just keep asking for more more more.
When I was watching Haley Barbour I thought of Tolkien's description not of man but of dwarves. "They delved too greedily and too deep." The dwarves were so greedy and so driven to find more and more wealth that they ended up digging up some evil demons. You know, like the Balrog.
I always have believed that there is a point where a human being will say, "Woah. This is like bad, man...We should stop." I'm not sure that's true anymore though. If the governor of Mississippi can tell us that he still thinks that offshore drilling should keep going, I really don't know what would convince him otherwise at this point. Clearly, the destruction of an oil company, a rig, the end to a dozen human lives, the end of a culture for thousands, apparently none of this is enough.
What has to happen?
Does his first born have to be taken?
Does Moses have to come back and part the now black sea?
What will get through to you, Mr. Barbour?
Look, I understand that the governors of the gulf coast states are looking at this thing pragmatically. They have to tell people to come on down. They have to tell people that the beaches are "fine just fine" even while I'm looking at a poetic image of an oil soaked coke bottle lying there. But really...what needs to happen for them to see that this particular thing we've got going on here is not good? Yes, it's true that something like this hasn't happened before. So what? It's happening now, man.
One more movie reference? How about Erik the Viking. "No, we're not sinking. This isn't happening. Everything's fine."
Yikes.
Haley Barbour was interviewed first. Rather than me telling you what he said, here it is:
Click to viewThe night before I had gotten around to watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. A cute movie that showed that some people can learn from their gluttonous ways while others just keep asking for more more more.
When I was watching Haley Barbour I thought of Tolkien's description not of man but of dwarves. "They delved too greedily and too deep." The dwarves were so greedy and so driven to find more and more wealth that they ended up digging up some evil demons. You know, like the Balrog.
I always have believed that there is a point where a human being will say, "Woah. This is like bad, man...We should stop." I'm not sure that's true anymore though. If the governor of Mississippi can tell us that he still thinks that offshore drilling should keep going, I really don't know what would convince him otherwise at this point. Clearly, the destruction of an oil company, a rig, the end to a dozen human lives, the end of a culture for thousands, apparently none of this is enough.
What has to happen?
Does his first born have to be taken?
Does Moses have to come back and part the now black sea?
What will get through to you, Mr. Barbour?
Look, I understand that the governors of the gulf coast states are looking at this thing pragmatically. They have to tell people to come on down. They have to tell people that the beaches are "fine just fine" even while I'm looking at a poetic image of an oil soaked coke bottle lying there. But really...what needs to happen for them to see that this particular thing we've got going on here is not good? Yes, it's true that something like this hasn't happened before. So what? It's happening now, man.
One more movie reference? How about Erik the Viking. "No, we're not sinking. This isn't happening. Everything's fine."
Yikes.