When former President Putin effectively put a stop to BP's activities in Russia a few years ago, for a combination of financial and environmental reasons, the company's public relations machine ensured that it was portrayed as the wronged party. With hindsight, Putin may be regarded as having better political judgement than his US and UK contemporaries. This a factual comment rather than an ethical observation.
For a country which likes to regard itself as pushing forward the frontiers of ethical business - I'm speaking of Britain - the unethical activities of BP, like those of the overly-ambitious British banking sector, have struck another deep blow on the domestic front. For the facts are that BP's increasingly aggressive exploitation of the world's oil reserves and the big profits that accompanied this strategy have led not only to an unprecedented environmental - and economic - disaster for the United States, but the prospect of major financial problems in the UK if the company has to suspend payments to an already shaky pensions sector.
The US Government is, of course, as much to blame as BP for the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico, and, therefore, equally responsible for tackling its consequences. Prime Minister Cameron needs to convey this message to President Obama. Both men should also recognise that the problems of overly powerful business interests are as much as issue for the US and the UK as they are for countries like Russia.
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