Is Obama Anti-British?

[rov1200]

He is certainly doing a good job in bringing BP down on its knees? Although not really responsible for the oil leak BP have put more than enough effort to minimise it but Obama is never off the screens criticizing them. Officials in Washington have added to BPs demise saying it could put them out of business.

Could it be a retaliation to Brown's utterings that the US was responsible for the banking crisis?

We know that a trade war is going on between Europe and the US and witnessed recently when the refuelling tanker order worth tens of $bns gained by the EU was quashed and given to an American company instead.

We are our own worst enemies. Look at the massive free publicity we have given to the new Apple Ipod. Yet experts say its nothing more than a laptop without a lid and has just been overhyped.

[jno]

I haven't read his autobiography, but yes, apparently he thinks the British are a nation of petty-minded whingers with no ambition. How wrong is that. On the other hand, his complaints about BP are fair enough, they do have to carry the can for this, I think. Likewise Brown was spot-on in blaming US banks and I don't think even Americans dispute this. (And they're doing a lot more to punish the people involve and revamp their banking system than we are.)

[dr b]

Obama is desperately trying to avoid this becoming his Hurricane Katrina. He was very critical of Bush's handling of Katrina while he was running for President, promising, implicitly, to be more competent than Bush was. Of course he and the US gov't don't have any more idea how to plug an oil leak than you or I do. Nor do they have the equipment to do so. So to deflect attention from this obvious fact they are keeping the heat on BP, as if that would get the leak plugged faster (is there any rational reason BP wouldn't get this thing fixed as fast as they could?). If this had been a Royal Dutch Shell rig, he'd be appearing to be anti-Dutch.

[ABerrant]

The rig is owned by Transocean.
The crew were Transocean.
Transocean is a US firm (but now Headquartered in Switzerland).
BP leased the rig - they are customers of Transocean.
Transocean have previous in regard of spills in the Gulf of Mexico (cf. Ixtoc I).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transocean

[scotman]

Obama is making headlines for the American people. Perhaps BP should call his bluff, step back and say "this has us beat, you show us to fix it"

[anotheoldgit]

Perhaps Obama should be encouraging the people of Kenya to send aid to try and stop the leak?

[bibblebub]

If you cause an accident whilst driving a hire car does that mean that the car rental company is responsible?

[ABerrant]

...it depends if the driver comes with the car!

[BertiWooster]

So, if there was a similiar occurrance , with oil threatening the british coast / mainland - what would you expect the British Government to do - sit back and be quiet - or keep the pressure on the company responsible ,to sort it ?

[Zeuhl]

///Perhaps Obama should be encouraging the people of Kenya to send aid to try and stop the leak? ///

does anyone have any idea what that is supposed to mean?

What an Absolute W@nger he is ...

[modeller]

I think it might have something to do with his Kenjan grandfather who was supposedly tortured by the British for being a Mau Mau terrorist.

[haggisbasher]

Re The anti-British rhetoric Let us all remeber there are elections in the USA in November .Say No More