The picture with the American flag covered in oil

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<<<<<<<<<< raises hand

Oh come on. Those allogations are baseless and you know it! It is common knowledge that fully 2/3s of the trash floating around in the gulf is American flags.

What pic is this?

Whether it was a setup or not, it's illustrative. Could it be that folks in Alabama are pissed off and feeling like they and the principles that flag represents are being shite upon?

Ehh, could be.

Or do you all feel that this whole situation is ok, and a normal cost of BP doing business?

Seems there is a contingent here who thinks that if they wish something hard enough, it will be true.

IE if they deny this is a problem then it isn't.

Best quote I've seen "Everything will be fine in 6 months, you'll never know it happened". Or something to that effect. Not picking on that guy specifically as there are many here who have similar sentiments.

Like the picture, the above quote is llustrative..

My sentiment is that this would never have happened, that the damage would be minimal, and that BP would get it under control immediately; that life would go on in the coastal areas as it always had.

As we move into month three of this thing, and the damages are visible, BP is not getting it under control yet, and life in the coastal areas is not going on as it always has.

So, you can live in a make believe world of sentiment, or you deal with the realities of the situation. Like my granddaddy always said "Hope in one hand, shite in the other, and see which one fills up first".

When planning for the future, don't you think it is a good idea to consider good and bad outcomes from given scenarios?

We can look at our government and their exemplary performance, in this situation and many others, as an example of only considering positive outcomes or best case scenarios when planning for the future.

My words will have no impact on the deniers and I couldn't care less. But those of you on the fence would be well served to start thinking about your futures and those of your children and subsequent generations of your families and how this thing could affect them and their prospects for a good life.

I sincerely hope the deniers are 100% correct and that I am 100% wrong. This is one situation where I would dine on crow with great relish and satisfaction due to what is at stake here.

If in October, we have forgotten all about this, I will come back here and admit with full humility that I didn't know WTF I was talking about. On the other hand, are you all in the other camp willing to do same if it still causing major problems on the coast? How confident are you about your assessment of the situation?

I'm confident enough in mine to write the passage above.

Whatever happens, you folks in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida have my sympathy and my prayers.

WNC- agree 100% ...
All- The picture itself--I don't know where to find the original photo, but the flag looks to be an eleven inch one (guessing by the crab and the assumed wooden handle). Notice the oil blots on the handle? It's wood. No oil absorbed by the flag material but oil on the handle? Hmm..
Not sure what to make of that.
Would it have been better if it was a UN flag?