21st Century: Query 54 (David Plouffe and Tony Hayward)
From David
Plouffe, Organizing
for America, in a June 18, 2010, email to the webmaster:
When BP CEO Tony Hayward testified before
Congress [on June 17, 2010], many expected to hear him apologize for the
disaster his company has caused. Instead, GOP Congressman Joe Barton was the
one saying he was sorry – to BP. In his opening statement, Barton, the top
Republican on the committee overseeing the oil spill and its aftermath,
delivered a personal apology to the oil giant. He said the $20 billion fund
that President Obama directed BP to establish to provide relief to the victims
of the oil disaster was a “tragedy in the first proportion.” Many Republicans,
who are adamantly pro-business, agree with Congressman Barton’s assessment.
What do you
think? Should foreign corporations who do business in the U.S. be given a “pass”
when their equipment fails and threatens the livelihood of U.S. citizens, or
should they be financially responsible for their mistakes? Why or why not?