U.S. Congress Vs. Tony Hayward

The following comes to us from our Chief European Correspondent, Benny Brown:

To my English friends:

OK, time for a (limited) defense of Tony Hayward, BP's CEO. The guy holds a Ph D in geology from the U of Edinburgh. He's not a financial "banker-type."

Yesterday (6/17) he was savaged by the Congressional Committee. This was not Washington; this was ancient Rome. The congressmen and congresswomen were obviously out of their knowledge-zones in discussing undersea drilling technologies, yet... they were all clearly showboating and grandstanding for their constituents back home. The woman from Tennessee was particularly venomous. They were subjecting him to medieval torture. Expensive suits, immaculately coiffed, little substance. It was righteous Americanism at its worst; we're gonna get our revenge and it's all your fault and you're gonna pay.

Well, it's not all his fault. BP is to a great degree partly American. BP supplies oil to feed America's profligate consumption, doesn't it? The world's biggest user of oil is the American military. It is not an American entitlement to use all the oil it wants, and to pay unrealistically low prices for it. For a start, get the military out of the two wars it started. Hummer has finally been discontinued; yet nothing says "arrogant" quite like driving an SUV.

Hayward knows his company is at fault, and the entire industry and associated groups are doing all they can to fix the problem. This is new technology, but we'll fix it. So, lighten up, woodja? This problem isn't going to be fixed immediately. Quit piling on Tony Hayward.

And his Swedish boss, the Chairman of BP, took some heat for his use of English while speaking at the White House. Tell me, congress members, just how good is your Swedish?

Benny Brown