Deep Waters: an invitation

[Paul Kingsnorth]

Dark Mountain is today launching a summer call for submissions inspired by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. There are more details on the blog today. A turning point, or an illustration, or both, or neither? Uncivilsied reactions, please ...

[william methven]

I never thought the day would come when I would empathise with the plight of a big oil company. But it did with the deepwater event when I heard all the wailing & gnashing from people driving 4x4s & lambasting BP. I've been outraging people by saying "we're all to blame". "We" being anyone that consumes quantities of the stuff BP sell which is most people in the west. You can't divorce yourself from the responsibility of buying the stuff. If you demand cheap oil that sets up a chain reaction. Your demand is registered within this wonderful consumer society. The supplier (BP in this case) sees your demand & sets about fulfilling your order. Thats market forces in the capitalist civilisation. So this demand ends up with BP drilling in unsafe locations desperate to get you that cheap oil you have demanded.
They're just victims of your demand.
Our modern society is full of this kind of disconnection where people refuse to accept that they have any responsibility. Its always the "government", the banks or some conglomerate. Never us. we are conditioned never to look beyond the symptoms. That way no awkward questions get asked like "WHY?"