Hullabaloo

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

 
Knowing It In My Gut

by digby

Yesterday I wrote this post recounting a conversation between Mary Landrieu and John King on CNN in which Landrieu pretty much groveled at the feet of the oil industry and indicated that she had absolutely no intention of calling for any kind of reevaluation of off shore drilling in light of the catastrophic oil spill in the gulf.

This is the extent of my commentary:

Is there a bigger lackey than Mary Landrieu in the congress? I honestly don't think so. She is facing an environmental devastation of her state's shoreline and the destruction of its fishing and tourism industries and she was on John King's show this afternoon defending the oil industry and promoting more offshore drilling:

[INSERT TRANSCRIPT]

Governor Bob Riley of Alabama may have something to say about it. It's kind of hard to make Louisiana bear the entire risk in case of that one out of a thousand catastrophic oil spill, isn't it?

[INSERT TRANSCRIPT]

Come on Bob. You can't just "throw up your hands in hysteria" because of one little massively destructive oil spill. After all it hardly ever happens. Who knows, it might not be so bad. And anyway, the oil companies are really good citizens who have lots of tough regulations already and we need to drill, baby, drill to keep the babies safe and keep the oil companies giving you lots of money for your campaigns. Get your priorities straight.

Landrieu really couldn't be more bought and paid for. This isn't your normal "industry vs government" argument. She has a whole bunch of constituents who are going to be ruined by this. And unless Rush and the boys succeed in brainwashing all of them that Obama personally blew up this well for political reasons, they are going to want someone to pay. It sure doesn't sound like Landrieu's willing to fight for them on that.

We'll see. Maybe everyone in the Gulf is philosophical about some multinational corporations buying off their political representatives and ruining their state and way of life.

Landrieu probably shouldn't count on it though.

This guy, an ostensible fan of mine, writes that I called Louisianans "ignorant hicks" and complains:

See, I live in Austin, and have for almost 10 years. My wife's family is in Louisiana, and we got there as often as we can. So I kind of have a different perspective than your garden-variety California progressive. And in one of her posts yesterday, digby's attitude, more than what she said, really kind of rankled. (Fortunately, Mike Madden of Salon had a partial antidote today--thanks, Mike!) digby's posts often have the subtext (or even the overt text!) of, "If only they would listed to us California Liberals, we'd all be doing so much better." This time, while she kept it below full-on digby bore, it was still discomfiting.

See, here's the thing: I'm reasonably sure that digby simply has no idea what life in the Gulf states, and particularly in Louisiana, is like. None. It can't be explained, it can only be experienced.

My in-laws are from Louisiana. My father-in-law works in the oil bidness for Halliburton. It's easy for people in California--I was one of them!--to think that Louisianans are clueless, back-country hicks who don't know what's good for them. The fact is, though, that it ain't true...

I think digby (and other non-Southern progressives) know this stuff intellectually, but until you've been there, lived there, had relatives working there, you can't understand it really, not in your gut. And until you do, your opinons are going to sound like those of an arrogant Yankee carpet-bagging liberal who thinks he or she knows what's best for those dumb, swamp-dwelling, gumbo-eating hicks. Even if that's not what you're thinking, that attitude seeps through. Believe me; Sami whacks me often enough over it.

I have enormous respect for digby. Huge. Hers is one of only three or four blogs that I read every day. But when it comes to the oil business, and the people who make their livlihoods from it, I don't think you really understand. So kvetch about Landrieu all you want--Lord knows she deserves it. But bear in mind that there's far worse out there than her. Louisianans know. They know, because they've lived through them.

Just something to think about.

Consider me schooled.

Except I lived a good part of my childhood in Bay St Louis, Mississippi and spent more than a decade in Alaska. I helped build the fucking Alaska Pipeline. I worked for pipeline service companies like Fluor and Bechtel etc. in my youth and both my father and my brother were/are in or affiliated with the oil business, stationed everywhere from Saudi to Thailand to Texas to Norway. Many of my closest friends worked on the clean-up of the Exxon Valdez spill. Soooo, I actually do know quite a bit about the south and the oil business --- in my gut.

But, you know, I don't think a person has to give their resume or life story to be allowed to have an opinion about such things. Everyone has a right to weigh in on these matters of public concern regardless of their personal experience or where they live. I've never been to Iraq, but I write about the war. And I've never lived in new York, but I certainly opine every day about what goes on on Wall Street. The fact is that the Gulf belongs to everyone and we all have a right to be concerned about what's going on there. It's a disaster with global implications.

Just to be clear, I don't blame the people of Louisiana for wanting good paying jobs in the oil industry. I never wrote or even thought such a thing. In fact, I know dozens of people who do the same, even members of my own family. But I saw the devastation to the Alaskan fishing, tourism and wildlife economy after the Valdez spill so I do feel very sorry for those who make their living on a body of water that is now a disgusting oil slick. I feel horrified by the environmental damage, the wildlife, the whole ugly mess.

Does that really make me an "arrogant Yankee carpet-bagging liberal who thinks he or she knows what's best for those dumb, swamp-dwelling, gumbo-eating hicks?" Really? I assume that like people everywhere, Louisianans value their home and their way of life and would expect the industries doing business there to do everything possible to make sure that way of life is protected. (How about the poor roughnecks on that oil rig who got blown up. Can we spare a couple of moments to feel bad about that at least?)

But in that interview Mary Landrieu couldn't seem to summon up much sympathy or concern for anyone but British Petroleum. She comes from a long standing Louisiana political family, to be sure, and I don't doubt that people are fond of her there. But she isn't some good ole girl in the colorful tradition of Huey Long or even Edwin Edwards. She's a wealthy, powerful international elite who is protecting the people she works for. And believe me that isn't the people of Louisiana. Whatever bacon she brings home is leftovers.

I still honestly don't know how this person read all this contempt for the people of Louisiana into my post. But if it's because I think that politicians like Mary Landrieu are corrupt swine, that these unaccountable oil companies are rapacious blights on the planet, that the Gulf of Mexico is a glorious natural treasure that should be protected along with the people who make a living on it and its shores --- well then I guess it's fine to call me an arrogant California liberal bigot if that's how you define such things. After all, bigotry is in the eye of the beholder --- people know it when they see it. I know I do.



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digby 5/05/2010 11:00:00 PM |