Invading Oil

Once upon a time an oil leak sprung up in the Gulf of Mexico. Ever so gradually, the oil approached the Gulf coast of the Unites States. Eventually, it began to reach its shores.

As the oil approached the country, the federal government promised the nation that it would assist those who would be affected financially by this crisis. Gradually, industries, cities, and entire regions were impacted. Fisheries lost fish to the pollution, droves of dead seagulls were found on the nation's shores, tourism plummeted, fishermen lost work, restaurants couldn't get fresh seafood, grocery store prices rose.

In good form, the government kept its promise. It did its best to reimburse losses to impacted people, it subsidized gulf businesses with suffering margins, and it offered counseling to individuals and families who were emotionally impacted by the problem.

One day, a concerned citizen said to his neighbor, "You know, this oil spill is really wreaking havoc on our lives. I wonder why nobody has done anything to stop it? Shouldn't we stop this spill rather than just sit and try to clean up the mess?" The neighbor agreed. So the two went to their mayor. The mayor thought they were on to something, so he approached the governor, who in turn spoke with a senator. Eventually the question arrived at the desk of the president.

"What an atrocity!" he declared, "We must do something about this!" He gave a compelling speech and soon congress passed a law which declared oil spill cleanup, mitigation, and elimination to be a federal priority. He even created a new federal bureau that was responsible for this endeavor. New jobs were created, and men were stationed at the coast to respond to influxes of oil. The public was overjoyed. Finally, something would be done to stop the mess. Scholars and renowned think tanks thought of brilliant ways to stop the leak.

Days, then weeks, then months passed. However, no real action was taken. Crews were in fact helping to stop some of the mess closer to the shore, but the leaks continued.

Eventually, the governor of one of the states most affected by this disaster took action. He gathered some men who looked at all the brilliant plans that these think tanks and scholars had concocted, selected what seemed to be the best course of response and took action. They announced to the public their plan to take a boat out to the source of the spill and install a containment dome around it. They were sure that they were to be regarded as heroes.

Oddly, outrage ensued. "How dare they!" some cried, "Oil does us so much good. It powers our cars and planes, it fuels our industries! What a crime to try to eliminate oil!" Others argued that since there was already a federal law in place that the governor was wrong for taking action. "That's a federal responsibility. Doesn't he know his place? That's a crime against our constitution!" they shouted.

Eventually the issue was brought before the courts. They decided that oil spill cleanup, mitigation, and elimination was indeed a federal responsibility. The containment dome was dismantled, the governor's commission disbanded. "Justice has been served," the pundits declared.

The oil spill continued, cleanup crews continued to do there best to cope with the disaster, but the mess remained, and the poor seagulls continued to die.

One day, a concerned citizen said to his neighbor, "You know, this oil spill is really wreaking havoc on our lives. I wonder why nobody has done anything to stop it? Shouldn't we stop this spill rather than just sit and try to clean up the mess?"

"That's seditious," whispered his neighbor, "I'm sure the government is doing all it can."

"You're right. Forget I asked."