The author wishes to make it clear that he is an Anglophile, who admires and appreciates everything British, even though historically, as with any country, there are certainly criticisms that can be made of a nation’s sins in its past!
Therefore, it is very shocking to the author to witness the depth of the resentment expressed in the British media toward the United States, over the Oil Spill Crisis caused by the accident involving British Petroleum Corporation!
The BP mishandling of this environmental and economic disaster, and the insistence of the US government that BP is totally responsible for all costs of the resolution of this matter, has managed to cause a rift unseen in a long time!
The US and Great Britain have had a special relationship for a long time, going back to World War II. While the two nations have not always agreed on everything, and sometimes their leaders have been on different wavelengths on different foreign policy matters, it is something new to have the British media, famous for being extremely emotional on many issues, to make the United States government and its President the center of harsh criticism over something that even they should realize we as a nation have every right to be furious about!
To be demanding answers from BP at a Congressional hearing is not unreasonable! What is unreasonable is that BP acted in a totally aloof, evasive way, and has conducted terrible public relations on the Oil Spill Crisis in the past two months! 🙁
If Great Britain had suffered the same tragic economic and environmental disaster as a result of the mishandling and abuses of an American corporation, would not they be just as furious and demanding of action as our country is with BP? 🙁
Therefore, the British media reaction arouses resentment and anger in this country, rightfully, and it seems to the author, that their conduct is reprehensible!
Thank goodness, the British government has been more circumspect in its behavior, even thought it is obvious that British Prime Minister David Cameron is certainly uneasy and uncomfortable with how the United States citizenry, media and government have been expressing growing frustration with BP!
Neither nation, however, should allow the Oil Spill Crisis to undermine relations between two countries, which have been as close to “bosom buddies” as any two nations could possibly be over a long period of time!